Each member of the Bay School community recognizes a personal and social responsibility to promote a better world. Our service learning program grows directly from the Bay School mission, recognizing that the health of our school community is strengthened by our ability to look outward as well as inward.

Service learning at the Bay School occurs in several dimensions: curricular, extracurricular, and institutional. For example, all sophomores take Research in the Community, a one-trimester course focused on opening students' eyes to the needs and issues of our regional community. Working with local agencies and companies, students strive to produce work that responds to the needs of specific neighborhoods and groups. All seniors undertake an individual Senior Signature Project,
a two-trimester graduation requirement, and these projects often incorporate service objectives in their work plans.

Outside of the classroom, many Bay School students identify and respond to local and regional needs through participation in the Community Service Club, International Aid Club, and the Eco Club, which are all student-driven organizations under the guidance of faculty advisors. In addition, the entire school engages periodically in projects designed to enhance and protect the resources of the Presidio.

Service learning projects at the Bay School are intentionally planned to enhance the academic curriculum and to offer students structured opportunities to learn about and directly experience the realities of important social issues. Built into these activities are opportunities for personal reflection-the process of thinking, talking, and writing about their service
that enable students to process and to learn from their experiences.