Service to others is basic to the education that takes place at OES. It is our goal to help students understand that we all have an obligation to contribute to the betterment of our community, and through our involvement, we help to foster that sense of community. As a way of encouraging students to be involved in their community, all students in the Upper School must complete a service requirement.

OES defines Service as learning and developing through active participation in thoughtfully organized volunteer experiences. These experiences must be unpaid and donated to a non-profit organization and/or people who are truly in need.

All students who spend either three or four years in the Upper School are required to complete and document 120 hours of service, of which a minimum of 40 hours must be contributed to the OES community and another minimum of 40 hours to the community at large. Campus jobs for which students may volunteer include tending the student store, assisting teachers in the Lower School, and serving as department or library aides.

Off-campus service, which is done for non-profit agencies or people in need in the community beyond OES, may include activities such as volunteering at nursing homes, parks or hospitals, working as a counselor at Outdoor School, participating in international service programs, or serving meals to homeless people. One of our important Middle School service partners is Neighborhood House Inc., which provides services and resources to foster self-reliance, economic independence and dignity in people of all ages and backgrounds in Southwest Portland.

Each grade level also participates in the Service program by involving its class members in at least one project during the course of the year. Service is also an element of many trips, and the entire Upper School participates in a full day of service to the Portland community each May.