Community Service & Service-Learning
Community service and service-learning at Mounds Park Academy offer students the opportunity for personal growth that comes from making a positive difference in the world without direct personal compensation. As our motto calls us to, these opportunities allow students to use their knowledge to make the world a better place. As we are all part of multiple communities, helping one another allows us to feel connected to others and build positive relationships.
Connecting Learning To Community
At Mounds Park Academy, service-learning is an integral part of how students in grades PreK-12 come to understand themselves, their communities, and their ability to make a meaningful difference. Service-learning connects academic study with real-world experiences, encouraging students to engage with authentic needs through thoughtful, sustained action. Beginning in the earliest grades, students participate in projects that are intentionally woven into the curriculum—whether organizing initiatives to support local community partners, exploring issues through research and discussion, or reflecting on the impact of their efforts. These experiences are not one-time events, but part of an ongoing process that helps students develop empathy, responsibility, and a deeper awareness of the world around them. Through age-appropriate opportunities across divisions, students learn that service is not simply about giving back, but about building relationships, understanding complexity, and recognizing their role as engaged and compassionate members of a broader community.
Service As Part Of The Upper School Experience
Each Upper School student is required to complete a minimum of 60 hours over four years in order to graduate. The first step in fulfilling the community service commitment is to complete the Upper School Community Service Contract below. Each Upper School student is asked to print a copy of the contract, complete it, and submit the signed document to the Upper School Office.
The following are guidelines for how students should consider approaching the hours throughout Upper School:
- Grade 9 = 10 hours
- Grade 10 = 10 hours
- Grade 11 = 10 hours
- Grade 12 = 30 hours (senior service program)
Hours are documented regularly using the second page of the service form below and turned into the Upper School Office. Hours submitted will not be tallied retroactively, but will be added to the current academic year.
Service Contract And Hours View Career Totals In PowerSchool
Senior Service Project
The Senior Service Project is an opportunity for students, individually or in groups, to propose and carry out a service project with an organization or for a worthwhile cause.
All seniors submit a proposal individually, complete a minimum of 30 hours of focused service, keep a record or journal of their experiences, and prepare an end-of-year presentation based on their experiences. Thirty hours of service are required for the Senior Service Project regardless of how many hours a student has completed during the first three years. The vast majority of MPA students contribute far more than 30 hours on the Senior Service Project.
We recommend that students use service opportunities in the first three years to explore possible Senior Service Projects and to build a positive legacy of helping others.
