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Community Engagement

Students speak in front of a crowd at the Climate Strike

Colonel Francis W. Parker believed that students should “learn by doing.” Over a century later, community engagement is still at the core of our curriculum.

Community engagement at Parker has 3 parts:

  1. Connecting service to academic instruction
  2. Partnerships with local nonprofits
  3. The Think, Act, Reflect approach
     

Our goal is for our school and students to build meaningful partnerships with non-profit organizations rooted in humility and long-term commitment.

Kevin Dunn Director of JK-12 Community Programs

Think, Act, Reflect

A girl places a sticky note on a wall
Think

Through proper preparation, students come to understand the real needs and assets of nonprofits and partners.

Boys look up from sorting tomatoes to smile at the camera
Act

Students take a leadership role in choosing activities that are meaningful and personally relevant. Acts of charity are not the goal–acts of solidarity through direct service, indirect outreach, and advocacy are.

A girl in a teal polo with an arm cast focuses on her schoolwork
Reflect

Reflection prompts students to think deeply about complex community problems and encourages them to explore and understand their roles and responsibilities as citizens. 

Students dressed in "wildfire" costumes perform in the Grade 5 play

 

Lower School

Each year, Parker's Lower School supports organizations such as Rady Children's Hospital to Reach Out and Read San Diego. Students are introduced to the "Think, Act, Reflect" framework to begin to explore challenging issues both intellectually and emotionally.

Explore the Lower School

A group of girls paints a "Welcome Volunteers" sign

 

Middle School

Community engagement in Middle School ties in with each grade’s theme: Self Awareness, Community Awareness, and Global Awareness. Grade 7 students travel to various nonprofits throughout San Diego, continuing to practice the “Think, Act, Reflect” approach. Grade 8 international trips also include service-learning in developing countries.

Explore the Middle School

Upper School

All Upper School students must prove that they are engaged with the community. However, we do not measure student impact by logging “volunteer hours.” Instead, students learn the process of investigation, planning, action, reflection and demonstration (IPARD) to engage in a way that is meaningful to them.

More Stories

Questions about our community Engagement Program?

Fill out our inquiry form to connect with our admissions team and ask any questions you may have. Plus, you can register for on-campus events, information sessions, campus tours, and more.