Many GDS High School student clubs feature community service projects for which students can receive school credit if they commit to participating regularly. While students can fulfill their community service requirement through these club projects, more significantly they find the work to be fun, worthwhile, and rewarding. Participation in community service clubs fosters the development of leadership skills and enables students to work together to help solve some of society’s most pressing social problems.

In addition to formal clubs, several groups of students meet after school at community service sites. These ongoing projects offer students the support of and social interaction with their peers while providing the service organization with a steady group of volunteers. Students are invited to participate in any of the following activities or to create their own. For information, they should talk to the student or faculty club chair or to Elsa Newmyer.

Teaching & Tutoring

Galveston Tutoring
Using a curriculum developed by For Love of Children, students provide one-on-one tutoring to 20 children who are reading two levels below grade, on Mondays from 5:45 to 7:15 p.m at GDS High School.

Hardy Tutors
Hardy DC Public Middle School
35th Street & Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Tutor 6th–8th grade students in math in a structured setting, after school on Thursdays.

Meridian Tutors
Meridian Public Charter School
1328 Florida Avenue, NW
Tutor an elementary school child in basic reading comprehension and math skills at this new, innovative public charter school, on Saturday mornings, between 9:30-11 p.m.

Food Kitchens

DC Central Kitchen
Working in this enormous, impressive food kitchen, students prepare food for thousands of the District's neediest citizens. Two Saturdays a month, from 9:00 am - noon.

Luther Place Night Shelter
Prepare and serve dinner for 30 homeless women on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 5:30 - 8:00 pm.

Children

Sports for Our Community
GDS students, many of whom are athletes, invite kids from SE, DC to visit the Lower/Middle School one Saturday a month to play sports, providing one-on-one attention and mentoring, arts & crafts and a hearty meal.

Construction

GDS Carpenters Club
Learn how to demolish, renovate, and build low-income housing, under the auspices of Richard Feldman of the DCJCC and Rebuilding Together. Two Sundays a month.

Environment

Environmental Club
Participate in a variety of green activities over the course of the year.

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