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Cultivating Compassion
Service learning programs from ECLC-Grade 8 support our guiding principles and our mission to prepare students to be engaged citizens and thoughtful leaders. Through studying various subjects related to conservation, sustainability, poverty & inequity and more, students gain empathy for others, while understanding how they can personally make an impact through service in the community.
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Preschool/PreK: Creating a Community of Welcome
In Preschool and Pre-K, students begin their service learning journey by exploring what it means to create a welcoming community. Through stories, conversations, and classroom experiences, they practice empathy and respect as they learn to greet newcomers, help friends, and make others feel included. Students build important social and emotional skills while discovering that their words and actions can help create a caring community. These early experiences lay the foundation for service learning that continues to deepen throughout their years at Graland. -
Kindergarten: Stewards of Sustainability
In Kindergarten, students learn about the importance of reusing, recycling, and composting as they discover ways to care for the environment. They practice sorting waste responsibly and learn which items can be composted, recycled, or sent to the landfill. Through the “Buddy and a Bucket” program, students care for the Graland campus by picking up litter with a friend during recess. They also plant flowers in the spring, discovering how their everyday choices can make a difference in their community and the environment. -
Grade 1: Birds Enthusiasts
First graders study birds through a comprehensive unit that connects science, literacy, Spanish, Tinker Time, and more. They research birds and write reports to share at the end of the year, observe the development of chicks, and take on science challenges that deepen their understanding. Students also visit the Bird Conservatory at Barr Lake to learn about bird conservation and consider ways to make the Graland campus more bird-friendly. Along the way, they discover the important role birds play in healthy ecosystems through pollination, seed dispersal, and other natural processes. -
Grade 2: Pollinator Garden
Second-grade scientists learn about the important role of pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds and use this knowledge to plant and care for a campus pollinator garden throughout the year. The unit connects learning in science, Tinker Time, art, and other subjects as students consider what pollinators need to thrive. Students also learn from community experts, including partners at the Denver Botanic Gardens and Butterfly Pavilion. Each year, they find new ways to care for the garden, from releasing ladybugs to help manage aphids to planting milkweed for monarch butterflies. Through these experiences, students discover how caring for pollinators supports biodiversity and healthy ecosystems. -
Grade 3: Understanding Who Comes to Colorado and Why?
Throughout Grade 3, students learn about immigration, refugees, and the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect. They learn to conduct interviews with empathy before meeting and listening to the stories of immigrants in our community and beyond. As an outreach element, third graders partner with Project Worthmore to create care packages filled with household and hygiene necessities for local refugee families. Through these experiences, students deepen their understanding of the many reasons people come to Colorado and consider how they can help create a welcoming community. -
Grade 4: Exploring Local, State, and National Parks
In Grade 4, students explore the role local, state, and national parks play in our communities through learning in social studies and science. Experiences such as geocaching and raising and releasing trout help students consider questions including, “How do parks strengthen communities?” and “What responsibilities do we share in caring for public lands?” As they study how parks protect natural resources, provide opportunities for recreation, and serve communities, fourth graders consider their own role in caring for these shared spaces. -
Grade 5: Growing a Tower Garden
Fifth-grade students use hydroponic Tower Gardens to learn how to grow a variety of produce while exploring sustainability, food systems, and food insecurity. Across science and math, students study plant growth, collect and analyze data, and use what they learn to support the broader community. They harvest greens to help provide fresh produce for local families experiencing food insecurity, while visits to urban farms and agricultural innovation centers deepen their understanding of food production and access. Through the unit, students consider how their knowledge and choices can contribute to a more sustainable and equitable food system. -
Grade 6: Responding to Hunger and Food Insecurity
In Grade 6, students learn about poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity across math, science, art, English, and history. Throughout the year, they connect their classroom learning to service by assembling toiletry kits, organizing food drives, and working with local organizations such as Jewish Family Service's Weinberg Food Pantry. The year culminates with “Empty Bowls,” an event where students share what they have learned and showcase ceramic bowls they create in art class while raising awareness about hunger in our community. Through these experiences, students deepen their awareness of poverty and food insecurity and consider how they can make a difference in their community. -
Grade 7: Building Intergenerational Connections
In Grade 7, students build connections with older adults while exploring the importance of stories, memory, and relationships across generations. In English, students conduct interviews and write biographies; in history, they study oral histories and consider how individual experiences connect to American history; and in science, they learn about memory formation and conditions such as dementia. Students also design and build memory boxes in the Gates Invention and Innovation Lab, applying math and engineering skills to their work. Through a partnership with A Little Help, students connect with older adults in the community, assist with home and outdoor projects, and share their memory boxes. The experience culminates in a campus celebration centered on storytelling, service, and connections across generations. -
Grade 8: Global Citizens
In connection with their Capstone projects, eighth graders explore the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and consider how global challenges are addressed within their own community. After months of research and preparation, students put their learning into action during a Capstone Day of Service, working alongside organizations focused on issues such as environmental protection, education, public health, and food security. Students also participate in grade-level service experiences throughout Denver, deepening their understanding of how local action can contribute to broader change. The year concludes with final Capstone presentations, where students share their learning, reflections, and the impact of their work.
Other Service Learning Opportunities
In addition to opportunities at each grade level, students can enjoy more service activities throughout the year:
- Middle School service councils become advocates for various causes such as environmental stewardship.
- The Graland Parent Association organizes outreach opportunities for our community.
Eagle Fund Change Makers
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
