During the summer, 17 Upper School students participated in the Community Engagement Fellowship program. Exemplifying the RCDS motto, Not for Self, but for Service, they partnered with various community organizations to develop and implement innovative projects that address each organization’s needs. 

The students began preparing for their four-week summer projects last spring and winter, with Ms. Drago, Ms. Morano, and Ms. Bell offering a series of seminars on public purpose project design and ethical engagement.

2025 projects included hosting English Language Learning classes for community members at Building One Community; designing a music education class at the Port Chester Recreation Center; leading a culturally-relevant dance class at the Don Bosco center; facilitating digital literacy workshops at Broadview Senior Center; and creating a pollinator garden at the Greenburgh Nature Center to name a few. 

The fellows will present their purpose-driven projects at the Community Engagement Symposium on September 30.

⁠⁠Thank you to our community partners and to the RCDS faculty mentors who made these meaningful experiences possible for our students.

RCDS Community Engagement Fellows spend the summer completing their service projects with funding provided by the Rye Country Day community, allowing the community organizations to benefit from the students' enthusiasm and passion at no cost, and enabling Upper School students from all socioeconomic backgrounds with a commitment to public purpose to participate.

Community and academic partnerships are at the heart of this program, and a commitment to service is the fellows' guiding principle as they bring together innovation, hard work, interdisciplinary thought, awareness, empathy, and decision-making skills to complete impressive purpose-driven projects.

View the 2025 projects here.