Community Service

Service—to those in our PCD school community as well as in our neighborhoods and around the world—is an essential part of a PCD day and building a life of character with purpose. PCD students routinely give of themselves—whether by helping a fellow student with a difficult math problem, serving meals at a local soup kitchen, or sending supplies to refugees in Burma. 

PCD students are the largest group of donors to the East Bay Community Action Coalition, they are strong partners with the RI Food Bank, and each year the entire PCD community of students and teachers reaches out into the greater Providence area for a Day of Service. On a single day, almost 300 people demonstrate the power of working together to improve the lives of those in need. Just before students and faculty depart for their winter break you will find volunteers stocking shelves at a food pantry, performing a jazz concert at a senior center, and rolling up their sleeves in community centers, the Boys & Girls Club, and animal shelters. The comforting aroma of home cooking wafts from all the campus kitchens, as students bake bread for Amos House, simmer soups for a church outreach program, and bakes cookies for a shelter.

PCD's formal service requirement for Upper School students reinforces the importance of giving to others and recognizes the efforts of students who extend themselves to do so. The school's Upper School community service requirement is as follows:

• Students must complete a minimum of 45 hours of service prior to the beginning of their senior year, with the recommended amount being 15 hours per year.
• All students are expected to participate in school-wide Days of Service in each of their upper school years and will receive three hours of service credit for each day of participation. 
• Students will be able to apply up to five hours per year of internal service to their annual total. Internal service denotes participation in school-wide service events and activities that directly benefit PCD. Internal service includes the Admissions Ambassadors program, Peer Tutoring, or another approved activity.
• Students completing service in their communities must submit written verification to their advisors and the PCD Community Service Coordinator.
• The school maintains a “bank” of resources for students seeking areas of potential service.
• The school recognizes students whose service exceeds 100 hours or whose service, in the judgment of the faculty, reflects excellence in terms of its commitment and impact.