Service learning has been a cornerstone of an NGFS education since we opened our doors in 1971. Service begins in kindergarten and continues throughout a student’s time with us. Learning occurs through active engagement with the concerns of others. 

At NGFS, in our daily practice, we help students learn to listen and see the concerns of others. Students come to own these skills, and as they grow, they become aware of the needs of the community. No longer content to simply learn about social issues, they take initiative and want to become active participants in solutions. Service is an integral part of the NGFS experience, and many of our former students point to these experiences as the beginning of a lifelong commitment to "mending the world."

Every Friday in the Lower School and once/month in the Middle and Upper School, students give back to the communities they are a part of through service learning projects. Totaling upwards of 5,000 hours of service each year, the integration of service into everyday life becomes something that is taught early on.