Middle School
Middle School
At Lakeside Middle School, Global Service Learning (GSL) takes the form of a cultural and service immersion experience in communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. All 8th graders participate in the program, which draws on the knowledge and skills they have gained in the classroom and outside of it.
At the beginning of the school year, 8th graders make a weeklong trip to one of six locations in the Pacific Northwest: the Makah, Elwha, and Quinault indigenous communities on the Olympic Peninsula; Pasco and Cloudview Farm in Central and Eastern Washington’s agricultural region; and an immigrant and refugee community in Spokane.
Trips are led by Lakeside faculty and staff and include service; connecting with local community members of all ages; group bonding and discussions with classmates; and structured reflection and journaling. No technology is allowed on the trips, giving students an opportunity to be fully present rather than distracted by online activities.
The trips provide an opportunity for students to pause and reflect on their lives, learn new skills, and test themselves in unexpected ways. After they return, students follow up with local service and academic activities related to the theme of their trip.
Learn more on the Global Service Learning page.
Student Voices
When someone asks me what I gained on this trip, I will probably point to my increased knowledge of Senegalese culture, better French, or the relationships formed all throughout the village. However, when I think of this time, I will remember all of the amazing experiences I've had and the emotions that came with them; the things which I can't explain yet I cherish so much…they are what will make this trip unforgettable, and I'm so grateful I've been able to have them.– Taimur G. '27
Upper School
Upper School
Lakeside Upper School’s Global Service Learning (GSL) program combines service learning with cultural immersion, inspiring and empowering students to be agents of change.
The program brings students to live and work in rural communities abroad that they may not otherwise experience. Lakeside maintains long-term, collaborative relationships with community-based program partners in sites around the world. Locations change over time, but partner communities in recent years are located in Asia, Central and South America, North and East Africa, and the South Pacific Islands.
Cultural immersion is a major aspect of the program. Each student lives with a homestay family and participates fully in regular family life. Students not only experience a new way of life in a community very different from their own, but also form meaningful friendships and a deep personal understanding of another culture.
Students work on big and small projects that are identified as high-need by the host community. By working on these projects – some of which span multiple years of GSL – students come to understand a community’s priorities, as well as contribute to projects that their host communities would not be able to complete without assistance.
Learn more on the Global Service Learning page.
