Ashoka
The first racially integrated school in Washington, DC, Georgetown Day School (GDS) identifies itself as “a private school with a public mission.” To that end, GDS has developed a robust service-learning program that spans prekindergarten through twelfth grade. The youngest students learn one-to-one correspondence by making sandwiches for a local nonprofit that serves the homeless. High school students complete at least 60 hours doing either one or two projects of their choice between the beginning of ninth and the end of twelfth grade. Beyond service learning, opportunities to step into another’s shoes are built into the curriculum. For example, third grade teacher Todd Liu leads an immersive experience at a nearby farm in which students experience colonial life for three days.