The School's Community Service Program encourages all Lawrentians to connect with the greater community, giving them the opportunity to engage with a variety of people outside the students' immediate world. Because we want students to have a common service experience that enhances their Lawrenceville education and builds community within and beyond the gates, the Community Service graduation requirement is not based on a certain number of hours that a student must complete. Instead, students participate in three different types of community engagement.
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Lawrenceville Community Action Project (LCAP) to be completed in 9th, 10th, or 11th grade. LCAP examples include: a one-term weekly project (coordinated by CS office); being a counselor at Lawrenceville School Camp or Performing Arts Camp; or participating in a Harkness Travel Program Service Trip.
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Annual participation in the School’s Martin Luther King All-School Day of Service.
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One-time events (All-School, House, club or team sponsored): 1-3 times before graduation depending on student’s entering year.
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Students may choose from over 30 different weekly projects in the Trenton-Princeton-Lawrenceville area. Typically, students do these projects during the evening or on Sunday afternoons if they are playing a School sport, or on a Wednesday or Friday afternoon if they are involved in House or lifetime athletics.
A Sample of Weekly Community Service Projects:
- Helping with homework and recreational activities in local after school programs
- Playing with preschoolers from underserved communities
- Teaching computer skills to senior citizens
- Teaching children to ice skate on our rink or play golf on our golf course
- Teaching adults with developmental delays to play tennis on our courts
- Coordinating on campus weekly activities for elementary school children
- Knitting with adults at a senior center
Students also sometimes develop their own weekly projects based on their interests and talents. Past student-initiated projects include on-campus squash, dance, chess and art programs for children.
Community Service News
Slides, ponies, games, and prizes galore awaited the nearly 300 local children who came to Lawrenceville today for the School’s annual Springfest carnival held in The Circle.
Ready, set, go … register for the 20th annual Lawrenceville School Big Red Race (either in-person or virtual) happening on May 7! All proceeds the Lawrenceville School Camp, a residential summer camp for children of low-income families from surrounding communities.
Lawrenceville’s food service provider, Sustainable Fair, received a Certificate of Support for its purchases of locally grown food for the School’s dining halls.
By Emma Kim ‘23
Welcome to Villeage Voices, where community members are invited to share their thoughts each month on a variety of topics relevant to life at Lawrenceville and beyond. In this edition, Emma Kim ’23 discusses the importance of a more sincere and helpful approach to community service.