What Students Learn When Service Is Part of School Life

On a Sunday morning in a refrigerated warehouse in Connecticut, a group of Rumsey Hall students stood among rows of donated goods, moving frozen food bound for families across the state. The setting was unfamiliar, the work straightforward. What mattered was the understanding that their efforts supported food security well beyond their own community.

By the end of the fall term, Rumsey students had dedicated over 500 hours of service to the community. Their work reached over a dozen organizations, spanning environmental stewardship, civic engagement, and social support. Students cleared public hiking paths for Steep Rock Trail Managers, cleaned the shoreline at Hammonasset Beach, and served hot chocolate to families at Holiday in the Depot. They supported civic traditions such as the 9/11 Fire Department Ceremony and helped younger children select gifts for their parents at the Gunn Library Holiday Kids Sale.

For Mr. Craig Ough, who leads the community service program at Rumsey Hall, these experiences are meant to widen students’ understanding of how communities function.

“Students begin to see how much of the world is out there. Community engagement builds empathy and perspective. It’s experiential learning.” – Mr. Craig Ough, Upper School Character and Community Living Department Chair

That perspective often deepens when students are given space to reflect alongside the work. During a visit to the Connecticut Foodshare with the Social and Community Leadership class, students learned that food insecurity frequently affects families who have stable housing but still struggle to afford consistent meals. The experience challenged assumptions and prompted thoughtful conversation about need, access, and responsibility.

“They weren’t just completing a task,” Mr. Ough recalls. “They were asking questions and making connections.”

Some service experiences resonate because they feel immediately personal. Oliver, a Rumsey student involved in fundraising for the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families (CAFAF), saw that connection clearly.

“What stood out to me about raising funds for the CAFAF was that it’s an opportunity for Rumsey students to do something for kids their own age,” Oliver says.

“Supporting them during the holidays allows them to experience moments of joy while navigating potentially difficult situations, and that is a cause that resonates with the student body.” – Oliver, current student

Students helped design “Putt for Playclothes,” a fundraiser that invited broad participation and quickly became a favorite. “I was surprised by how popular it was,” Oliver adds. “We ran it during recess each day, and it was tough to get everyone back to class on time.”

According to Mr. Phil Perreault, Dean of Students, that kind of ownership is intentional. Many of Rumsey Hall’s service projects and fundraisers, he notes, are entirely student-driven. “Our role as adults is to guide their planning and check in,” he explains. “But the ideas, the leadership, the work—that all comes from the students.”

This fall, initiatives such as the CAFAF fundraiser, the food drive, and the stocking stuffer project were conceived and led by students themselves, who were responsible for generating enthusiasm and participation across the school community. Collectively, student-led fundraisers raised more than $10,000 for community organizations during the fall term.

“It’s more meaningful when it’s their work. They’re taking the lead, getting buy-in from their peers, and seeing the impact of their effort.” – Mr. Phil Perreault, Dean of Students

These moments reflect Rumsey Hall’s broader approach to community service. Service is integrated into the school’s junior boarding and weekend programming, allowing both day and boarding students to opt in independently. Opportunities are offered consistently, and students choose when and how to participate.

As the semester closed, the lasting takeaway was not simply what students accomplished, but how they began to see themselves in relation to others. Service became less about an event and more about a habit, one built through attention, responsibility, and showing up.