Community Service
Dexter Southfield’s mission statement says, in part, that the School helps students “lead with confidence and serve with compassion…”
This is most visible in Dexter Southfield’s commitment to community service. Students fully embrace every opportunity to help others by engaging in age-appropriate projects within the three different divisions. In the Upper School, students complete 40 hours of community service as one of their graduation requirements.
Lower School
In the Lower School, community service is primarily initiated by adults and takes place during school. In recent years, students and families have made holiday decorations for local homeless shelters, conducted food drives for local community organizations, and collected toys and clothing for Cradles to Crayons and Toys for Tots. Each fall, Class 5 students also organize a division-wide UNICEF drive.
Middle School
In the Middle School, community service is a co-ed leadership opportunity, with ideas, execution, and follow-up initiated by the Student Council. Students collaborate across grades and gender on projects, which in the past have included Toys for Tots, candy grams to benefit Australian wildfire relief, and writing notes of support for Operation Gratitude and patients at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Upper School
In the Upper School, the Community Service Club offers numerous opportunities for students to help the local community. The club has held drives for communities impacted by natural disasters, organized teams and raised funds for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, and served meals at Community Servings, Rose's Bounty Food Pantry, Friday Night Supper Program, and Brookline Food Pantry.