What is Service Network?

Service Network Mission Statement:

Service is an integral part of a Westtown education and expresses our essential belief that there is that of God within everyone. To inspire and prepare its graduates to be stewards and leaders of a better world, the school provides students with opportunities to engage in meaningful service within and beyond the school community.

Service Learning

Dr. Andrew Furo, Director of the Service Learning Research & Development Center at Berkeley has defined service learning as "the teaching pedagogy whereby students gain a better understanding of academic content by applying skills and knowledge to benefit society." At Westtown, a growing number of teachers are recognizing the benefits of service learning. One 10th grade English class has paired up with the 1st grade in Westtown’s Lower School. The classes convene once a week and together, six and sixteen year-olds read and write stories and put on plays. The 9th grade Peace & Justice classes work on social justice projects that require students to research, write about, and then act on an issue in society that speaks to each of them individually. For example, a project might focus homelessness, environmental destruction, prison reform, or the Arab-Israeli crisis. At Westtown, we are finding that the incorporation of service learning into the academic curriculum is one of the most effective means of teaching students about the connection between what they learn in the classroom and the world around them.