Recognizing that service comes out of our faith commitment set by the example of our patron saint, St. Martin de Tours, we are called to integrate service learning into the community life of our students, faculty and families. Our student-led service programs help others today and build bold leaders tomorrow. Our students impact the community positively through their engagement in important outreach programs. In every division, St. Martin's treats its commitment to service as a flagship aspect of our educational commitment and an essential element of our curriculum.

Service learning begins in the Lower School where every student from prekindergarten to fifth grade is involved in giving back to the community by collecting canned food, coats and blandest, holding a sock drive or making valentines for the patients at Children's Hospital.

Our entire Middle School student body participates in the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure (where we consistently have the most student volunteers of any local school) as well as Second Harvest Food Bank.

In Upper School, service learning is an integral feature of the Life Skills curriculum, which encourages students to gain awareness of the pluralistic nature of society. Students are required to spend 50 hours in direct community service at hospitals, nursing homes, schools or other community agencies. On our annual Upper School Service Day, every student in grades 9 through 12 participates in a city-wide series of service projects by grade. A typical Upper School Service Day might see our students helping to re-build homes for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina; mentoring students at an inner-city partner school; cleaning up at City Park; and working in a community garden.

In addition to the service projects in each division, the entire school joins together in a service project each year in connection with St. Martin's Day. Recent St. Martin's Day service projects have included gathering school supplies for our troops to give to students in Iraq and Afghanistan; raising money for coastal restoration in Louisiana; and collecting Pennies for Peace to build schools in regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

St. Martin's Episcopal School is building community-minded leaders who understand the importance of giving back, and our students have the unique opportunity to help others while building their own character and leadership skills.