Service Learning
TJ gives its students an awareness of the larger community beyond their school and their individual social circles.
Building Responsibility Through Community Service
Service at TJ combines a clear expectation with room for students to decide where they can contribute.
High school students complete a service requirement before senior year, but the program is designed to be more than a set of hours. Students are expected to seek out opportunities, make commitments, and follow through on work that matters beyond campus.
TJ provides opportunities throughout the year and introduces students to local organizations through All-School Service Learning Day. Most service hours, however, come from opportunities students pursue themselves. |  |
Requirements
The number of required service hours depends on when a student enters TJ. All service hours are completed during grades 9–12
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Students entering TJ after ninth grade may discuss previous volunteer work with the Service Learning Coordinator to determine whether any of it can count toward the requirement.
One Day, the Whole School
All-School Service Learning Day gives students a shared introduction to organizations and needs beyond campus.
Students and faculty leave campus to work with organizations that rely on volunteers. Different groups take on different projects, giving students a chance to see several kinds of service in action across the wider St. Louis community.
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Service work changes depending on the organizations TJ partners with each year. Students might spend the day outdoors, help prepare or organize materials, support a community program, work on a preservation project, or contribute wherever an organization has identified a need. | Students take on different kinds of work across St. Louis, all with a shared purpose: contributing where their time and effort are needed. |
What the Hours Are For
Service asks students to make room in their lives for other people. Finding a place to volunteer, contacting an organization, committing to a schedule, and continuing to show up are part of the experience. TJ can open doors, but students are expected to take increasing responsibility for the work themselves. By senior year, the hope is that contributing to a community feels less like a school requirement and more like something natural to you. |
