Service Learning at The Storm King School is back in full swing this semester! Following an extended pause in off campus travel due to the pandemic, every SKS student will once again complete 20 hours of community service as a requirement for graduation this year.

Through partnerships with local organizations, our students will have the opportunity to engage with our local community in a range of ways, from working with kids at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center (NAUC), maintaining trails in nearby Black Rock Forest, to helping out at a local food bank. According to Director of Service Learning Ben Harnick, completing their hours won’t be a difficult task, and students have been eager to participate in the exciting options available to them.

“It is very exciting to have the opportunity to get back into the greater local community, with caution, of course,” explained Mr. Harnick. “So far this semester, our students have volunteered to help at the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley and the reopened Newburgh Armory Unity Center.  Many students are already committed to serving most, if not every, Saturday. It’s heartwarming to hear from some of our juniors and seniors just how excited they are to go back to NAUC, and re-establish their connection with some of the young students that they have grown to know well and missed over the last year and a half.”

In cooperation with the School’s neighbor, Black Rock Forest Consortium, students will also have the opportunity to volunteer for outdoor projects including trail maintenance and combating invasive species. “In past years, we also helped to prepare a site in Black Rock Forest for a major reforestation project. Last year, our senior class helped to plant 60 trees in this area as a way to give back to the Mountain and leave a long-standing legacy,” explained Mr. Harnick. “Throughout this year, we plan to grow willow saplings taken from Black Rock Forest in the School’s greenhouse, and plant them as part of the NY DEC’s Trees for Tribs initiative along with SKS’ Green Team.”

“There are still more exciting opportunities to come as we return to some of our favorite organizations like Beautiful People Adaptive Sports, Saddle Brook Farm Rescue, Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Habitat for Humanity, and more,” continued Mr. Harnick. “At the same time, we realize not everyone is comfortable returning to public spaces, and many of our students have busy schedules. To accommodate them, we are continuing to offer remote volunteering opportunities that were introduced and encouraged last year during the pandemic.”

The renewed excitement around Service Learning is great news for both Mr. Harnick and for our student-volunteers. “However the students choose to fulfill their graduation requirement, it is a great pleasure to facilitate the good-natured work they engage with to make their world a better place and grow as individuals,” said Mr. Harnick with a smile.