This article appeared as "Going for Impact" in the Spring 2023 issue of Independent School.
Community service has always been a cornerstone of an independent school education, but usually it’s relegated to a few hours after school or on the weekends—and students aren’t necessarily invested in the work. But The Hockaday School (TX) has been taking a different approach with its immersive Institute for Social Impact, which recently celebrated five years of inspiring students to find their purpose.
The institute was created as a way to combine student interests, hands-on opportunities, community service, and leadership opportunities. It offers students a “chance to test what they are learning in the classroom, tackle tough problems, learn to work in teams, cultivate empathy and respect for others with different backgrounds and expertise, build character and confidence, and explore their purpose in the world,” says Laura Day, the institute’s executive director.
The institute’s work is a key part of learning at every level. At the lower school it is introduced through themes for the entire grade, with special initiatives to explore them; at the middle school level with social impact classes and clubs and class projects; and at the upper school level with 20 specifically designated courses that align with the core values of the program: community engagement, community service, service learning, and social entrepreneurship.
Related to their “Animals in the Community” theme, first graders have learned about animal rescue and adoptions, and they volunteered to read to animals at a shelter, which is thought to decrease animal anxiety (while improving the students’ new reading skills). Middle school students took a course that connects learning to solving problems in the world and then involves the students in several projects to use skills throughout the year. In a science class, for example, students this year are growing microgreens for a local nonprofit that provides employment for young people who have been detained and food for those in need.
“Through my work with the institute, I’ve discovered the power of my voice to make concrete change,” says Zoya Haq, a senior who was named as an Ashoka Young Changemaker and has directed programs to provide books to students in need and fought to combat prison recidivism and requirements on job applications that applicants reveal certain information about criminal records. “I came to high school as a shy kid. I had never been told my ideas could make an impact. But through my work with the institute and Ms. Day, I was treated like an equal—like someone whose opinion had value.”
Upper school dancers worked with students at a local elementary school, teaching them a piece that the dancers choreographed.
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