The Meadows School maintains that education carries an obligation to community and it strives to instill this concept in its students. The School’s service program is designed to give students an understanding of the importance of contributing to the larger community, establishing a life-long pattern of community activity, and providing opportunities for service.
The Good Citizens assembly showcases Lower School classes through song, dance, and learning. Students gain experience in public speaking while presenting on a range of topical themes such as freedom, dreams, and diversity. Following the program, the Lower School Director presents students with Good Citizen Awards. These are given to students who go above and beyond in the hallways, in the classrooms, and on the playground to live the mission of the School.
Even at the youngest level, Lower School students see the importance of giving back. For over twenty years, the kindergarten classes have decorated pumpkins for Halloween and deliver them to sick children in the hospital. Other grades visit senior citizens, work with the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, organize book drives, and donate food to shelters. Service to the community is an ongoing priority and is a value maintained throughout all divisions.
The Middle School offers a variety of student groups providing members opportunities to give back to the community. The Picasso (Spanish) Club and Middle School Junior Classical League (Latin) combine a love of language with a commitment to helping others. The National Junior Honor Society is committed to scholarship, leadership, citizenship, character, and service. Each group has its own initiation ceremony.
Middle School students spearhead the recycling program at The Meadows. Seeing the importance for environmental care, the Middle School Science Club collects all paper, bottles, and cans on campus and coordinates with local recycling agencies to ensure The Meadows is a “green” campus. In addition, Middle School students often participate in local clean-ups of parks and conservation areas.
In addition to the rigorous course of studies Meadows students take, service hours are a requirement for graduation. Students help their community through school-organized service outings and events, or through service opportunities they find on their own. However the student finds the organization, they are encouraged to engage in projects that have personal meaning. Underclassmen must complete 16 hours of service per semester and seniors are required to complete 24 hours per semester. Most students significantly exceed these numbers.
When students reach the Upper School, service becomes second nature. In addition to memberships in national service organizations such as Key Club and National Honor Society, students have a wide array of other service opportunities provided by the School. Upper School students hold two “Children’s Night for Charity” events that benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation; the Meadows Mentors tutor at-risk youth at local elementary schools; and the Microbank Club, the first of its kind on any high school campus, gives microloans to help citizens of third-world countries start their own businesses.