Community Service

Giving back to our school and community is an integral part of the JHCS mission. Service provides an opportunity for students to bring their academic, interpersonal, and character development to bear on their larger communities—a testing ground for the meaningful contributions they make upon graduation in Jackson and around the globe. During their time at Jackson Hole Community School, students learn the value of service work and reflect on how they can use their skills and passions to improve their communities. Our students and faculty take pride in contributing to our community in myriad ways: recent service work has involved building projects for nonprofit organizations in town, gardening and painting, relationship-building with our seniors at the Senior Center of Jackson Hole, and work in Grand Teton National Park.

Community Service Requirements:
All students: Annual September school-wide 1/2 day of community service
Freshmen and Sophomores: Annual spring 1/2 day of community service
Juniors and Seniors: 30 hours of independent community service

Current Service Opportunities

The JHCS Sage Living and St. John’s Hospital Volunteer Group connects JHCS students with the residents of Sage Senior Living and with the patients of St. John’s. Volunteering at these facilities can be greatly rewarding both for the patients and residents, who love social interactions, and for the volunteers themselves, who find great fulfillment and pleasure in assisting these people. As a part of this group at JHCS, students can learn about the amazing stories of the residents at these facilities, play games or make music with them, lead art or yoga classes, and much more, fostering deep connections both with each other and with the patients themselves. The group also makes volunteering a relationship-building and social experience: students can view a shared calendar and coordinate times to volunteer together. This service group fosters relationships among students and between students and Sage Living residents and the patients of St. John’s Hospital. If you are interested in joining, please email Vonn or Xander. SignUp Genius coming soon!

CarePax, founded by current JHCS student Lauren Guh-Siesel in 2022, is a nonprofit affiliated with the Community School that creates and distributes curated care packages for women undergoing breast cancer treatment at local St. John’s Hospital and other hospitals in Teton County, Wyoming. These packages are thoughtfully designed to provide comfort and support, and hopefully make treatment a little more bearable. To get involved, email Lauren. To learn more, visit the CarePax website HERE.

The Library Teen Advisory Board is a great opportunity for students ages 13-18 to serve the Teton County Library and have their voices heard: join by attending a meeting, held every third Thursday of the month from 5:30-6:30pm. As a board member, you will help design library spaces teens need, plan programming for people your age, make book recommendations to improve the Young Adult collection, and be an advocate for youth services and needs at the Library and in the community. The next meetings are Dec 19, Jan 16, and Feb 20.

If you have questions, contact Halie McGough Williamson, TCLIB Teen Programs Coordinator (and a JHCS alumnus!) at [email protected].

TCLIB offers a range of volunteer opportunities for high-school students. You can see those, as well as a range of events, on their calendar.