The Potomac School

Potomac School’s service learning program

• Exemplifies a K-12 approach by creating experiences for students across all grade levels and providing multiple touch points to our community partners over time, helping students develop a deeper understanding of needs in our community.
• Is integrated into the classroom experience and the Advisory program as well as interconnected with our school’s focus on developing life skills, including cultural competence, financial literacy, and real world problem solving.
• Supports Potomac’s commitment to character formation and our school’s mission to prepare students to live lives of purpose, achievement, and generosity of spirit.

All Potomac students, from Kindergarten to grade 12, participate in foundational service learning experiences connected to four community needs: hunger, homelessness, and poverty; literacy; the elderly; and the environment. Grade-level initiatives in Kindergarten to grade 6 are led in the classroom and foundational initiatives in grades 7-12  are led in Advisory groups. Each grade-level experience connects our students with local community partners and is intended to provide a foundation for service for every student at Potomac.

Responding to the needs of community organizations is at the heart of our service learning program. Our partnerships with over 50 local nonprofits help students deepen their knowledge, broaden their perspective, and build habits of service throughout their Potomac journey. The partner relationships are defined by reciprocity, as students both contribute to and benefit from meaningful experiences with the community organizations.