Though the Episcopal Academy provides an array of service opportunities to the student body, these efforts have proven futile, and far too few members of the community participate. Since 2009, Episcopal has tried to increase service efforts through the mandated Day of Service for each grade in the Upper School; however, this attempt has simply brushed aside the reality that the Episcopal Academy does not, in fact, house a thriving community service program. Many students find the Day of Service either disruptive to their academic schedules or an excuse to stay home and not miss classes. Most homerooms now neglect the morning bulletin and students seldom examine the Community Service Board, leaving students not only unaware of service opportunities, but also uninterested in participating at all. While the community service sports option has recently been restructured, there has been no improvement in participation, as currently only four of 83 students have elected to partake in this opportunity. Instead of alternating days between fitness and service, students are now forced to choose between four days of service with two off-campus ventures and five days of fitness. To stay in shape for the upcoming sports season, most students choose fitness, leaving Episcopal with even fewer students participating in community service than before. Episcopal has failed to publicize a viable community service option for the student body. Many of the current community service options are too time-consuming and others fail to give the students a sense of accomplishment. Moreover, some students claim that they only “serve” for the period of 15 minutes per day, indicating that on-campus service is an insignificant expenditure of time and effort. In fact, some activities have been labeled as service, but the extent to which they actually aid the “community” is questionable. For example, according to the Episcopal Academy website’s Community Outreach Program Descriptions, one of the “On Campus Community Service” options is “Middle School Sports Management,” an activity in which students “run the clock [and] keep the stats for the Middle School sports teams.” This service’s time commitment is rendered as valuable to the community as Bryn Mawr Tutoring because both activities constitute “service.” It seems that the only meaningful service opportunities exist off-campus; however, all off-campus options include a long commute, often exceeding the duration of the service itself. This problem, however, arose from Episcopal’s move to Newtown Square that distanced our community from the city. The issue currently debated by the administration is whether to impose a community service requirement for graduation. While it would greatly increase service participation, it would also be burdensome to much of the student body. Susan Swanson, Director of Community Outreach, noted that Episcopal “can’t keep piling on our students.” For a typical high school student, the only realistic impetus for service is derived from the collegiate benefits. The Community Service Board, when promoting service opportunities, emphasizes the positive effects and the sense of accomplishment. However, if greater participation is the end goal, the Service Board should utilize the most effective means. Though this notion should not be the sole reason for participation, the student body should be informed of all the benefits that can be reaped from service, be they collegiate or moral. The primary responsibility for changing the status quo lies in the hands of the student body itself. Students should take a vested interest in solidifying Episcopal’s reputation as a private institution that genuinely cares for its community. Two of Episcopal’s stripes are gratitude and generosity, standards that the current student body does not completely uphold. While the administration is at fault for not promoting service adequately, it ultimately falls to the students to fulfill their moral obligation to give to those in less fortunate circumstances. While students have remained apathetic, the administration as a whole has yet to act upon its own duty to creatively advocate for student service. The responsibility does not solely lie in the hands of Swanson, but with the entirety of the staff. In order to effectively entreat students to serve the community, new measures must be taken. Regular email updates on upcoming community service opportunities could prove more efficacious than the intermittent chapel or bulletin announcement. “We would like to think that our school—being a religious school—would care about other people,” articulated Swanson.

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