Service
Instilling the lifelong value of service has long been a hallmark of a Shady Side Academy education. Students in grades PK-12 engage in service projects throughout the year that reach beyond our campuses to the greater Pittsburgh region and around the world.
SSA MLK DayS of Service
At the annual SSA MLK Days of Service, hundreds of SSA students, parents, faculty and staff celebrate the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday in January by serving others in the community. Country Day, Junior and Middle School students in grades PK-8 participate in MLK-related service learning activities during designated school days in the month of Janaury, while Senior School students, parents and faculty/staff perform hands-on service work at off-campus sites around the city on the MLK Day holiday. The inaugural SSA MLK Day of Service was held in 2011.
Year-Round Service Efforts
Country Day School
Each grade at Country Day School participates in an annual service project in addition to school-wide efforts. Projects include collecting food for Backpacks for Hunger, tennis shoe collection for recycling, Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart, collecting books to create Literacy Kits for the United Way, a Toy Drive for the Bradley Center before the holidays, collecting hats and mittens for the Homeless Children's Education Fund and fourth graders visiting elderly friends at Presbyterian Senior Care in Oakmont.
Junior School
Every grade at the Junior School participates in an annual service project in addition to school-wide efforts. Class projects include: delivering flowers to neighbors in the community (PK); the Salvation Army's Bounce for Bundle-Up (K); the "Hearts for Haiti" fundraiser and planting spring bulbs (grade 1); a Thanksgiving food drive for a local food bank (grade 2); a pajama drive for foster children (grade 3); a supply drive for Humane Animal Rescue (grade 4); and playing holiday music at a local nursing home (grade 5). School-wide projects include the annual Giving Tree and holiday toy drive, where students purchase and donate toys for needy children during the holidays.
Middle School
Middle School students participate annually in Global Action Day, a comprehensive day of service learning for the entire school that includes educational sessions with local nonprofits and hands-on service projects. Each year Global Action Day has a different theme, and each grade focuses on a different service effort related to that theme. Students meet in advisory groups to brainstorm service projects that they can carry out during the rest of the school year to continue supporting their cause. In addition, students can join the Community Service Committee to plan and lead various service projects in the community.
Senior School
A wide variety of service opportunities are available to Senior School students:
- Service Learning Club – Activities include volunteering at soup kitchens and food banks; hosting blood drives; restoring/rebuilding homes; mentoring through Big Brothers/Big Sisters; a holiday gift drive for needy children, and more. Learn more.
- Urban Pathways Tutoring – Students volunteer to tutor elementary students in grades 3-5 in math and reading on select Saturday mornings at Urban Pathways Charter School in downtown Pittsburgh. Learn more.
- Parkin Fellowships – Students may apply for summer fellowships to participate in service projects around the globe. Learn more.
- Student Clubs – A number of student clubs focus on service projects, such as CARE, the Chiapas Club, the Environmental Club, and Kids of Haiti. Learn more.