In a food bank in Providence, students stock shelves and sort donations, moving quickly through boxes of packaged goods headed to local families. Across town, another group works with recent refugees, helping support ESL instruction as new arrivals begin building their lives in the area. Closer to campus, students clear brush and collect debris along local roads and community spaces, while others spend the morning maintaining trails and working alongside conservation groups like the Audubon Society.

The scenes vary, but the purpose is shared. What began as a QUEST initiative more than a decade ago has grown into Pomfret’s annual Day of Service, sending students to more than thirty organizations across a region stretching from West Hartford to Providence. The scale is intentional, built on sustained community partnerships.

“Service learning is a really valuable part of the Pomfret experience,” says Director of Wellbeing and Service Coordinator Erin Fisher. “It gets students off campus and into the community, where they can see the impact they can have, build relationships, and recognize that the world is so much greater than themselves.”
 

Working in mixed groups across grade levels, students collaborate with peers they may not typically interact with, alongside faculty members who are equally part of the effort. The dynamic shifts, becoming less hierarchical and more collaborative. In just a few hours, groups are able to take on physically demanding projects that many partner organizations would struggle to complete due to limited staffing, resources, or the nature of the work itself. 

The experience often stays with students long after the day ends. Some have asked to return to sites like the Gengras Center, a school serving students with special needs, after forming connections that stayed with them. “Inevitably, kids tell me how amazing it was and that they wish they could do it more often,” Fisher said. “It becomes something real to them, not just an idea.” That transformation is exactly the goal, and while the day is designed to serve others, its impact runs both ways.

“We often think about the impact we’re going to have on the community,” she said. “But the reality is, it changes us just as much, and that’s incredible to witness.”

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