Campus Life

Community Service

Service is considered an integral part of the way we live in a decent and caring community, and involvement in service is one the School's highest priorities. Students are encouraged to participate in service activities throughout their time at The Hill, and the School supports students who wish to pursue their own service interests if they feel that there is a need that's not being met. The Hill School strives to ensure that each and every student has many occasions during their time here to put others first and to help to solve problems faced by the community, and we welcome suggestions for new ways the School can get involved.

Students may choose to spend up to two terms each year in daily afternoon service activities.  If a student has a specific interest, we’ll do our best to accommodate that. Students will participate in three or four days of service each week and are also required to complete two one-hour fitness workouts each week. This program is available all three terms.Students benefit from the strong relationships the School has nurtured with many outstanding organizations in Pottstown and the surrounding region. More recently, Hobart’s Run – Hill’s distinctive neighborhood improvement initiative – oversees Hill’s Community Service program. Students are engaged with Pottstown’s revitalization in a variety of ways, from helping to beautify the historic Edgewood Cemetery located near campus, volunteering at the Ricketts Community Center, participating in the Pottstown Area Social Innovations Lab run by Hobart’s Run, as well as assisting with other service projects benefitting local nonprofits.

Part of being a student at Hill is acknowledging that our campus is a community itself, and so, for all students, service begins "at home." As part of the Campus Service program, students may set the tables for meals in the Dining Room, assist with office tasks, help prepare science labs, and more. Students also serve the campus community in a number of other ways, including taking the lead in overseeing the dorms as prefects, planning student activities as members of the Student Life Association, and promoting the student-written Honor Code as members of the Honor Council.

Pottstown CARES

Pottstown CARES provides another opportunity for volunteer service through a variety of projects completed in collaboration with students from the Pottstown School District. CARES stands for Community, Awareness, Responsibility, Empowerment, and Sustainability.  Projects range from fundraisers for local homeless assistance agencies and serving in a Pottstown soup kitchen, to building literacy support awareness through representation in the Pottstown Halloween Parade.  

Students during Pottstown CARES

Students help stock shelves at Operation 143

Hill School Community Service Opportunities

  • Latinos Unidos at First Baptist Church in Pottstown: Hill students tutor bilingual children during this after-school program held Tuesdays through Fridays.
     
  • Operation 143: Hill students assist with inventory management and weekly preparations for this organization that provides weekend meals for children at area schools.
     
  • Olivet Boys and Girls Club: Hill students work with the after-school program, providing homework assistance, overseeing activities in the gym and game room, and helping students rehearse carols for the club's annual holiday party.

Past short-term projects in which students have participated include:

  • Setting up for a used book sale at the Pottstown Public Library
  • Cleaning, raking, and landscaping in preparation for the opening of an art exhibit celebrating veterans
  • Preparing equipment for a community-wide cleanup event