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FROM OUR STUDENTS

My Time … Starts … Now: Enabling Voices of the Visually Impaired

For his summer grant project, Billy Tang ’25 will focus on providing speech and debate training to underprivileged kids throughout Asia…”I’ve decided to partner with a blind school in Shanghai that I worked with before I came to Deerfield. This blind school is called Orbis, and its goal is to provide English lessons to blind kids throughout Asia via online tutoring sessions with volunteers.”

July 11, 2022
CSGC Summer Grant Reflections

Learning About Architecture and Finding Ways to Improve Outdated Infrastructures in Rural China

Along the way, I have learned about the workings and the real-world application of architecture. The architecture I encountered is in sharp contrast with what I have learned in Deerfield, and it has reshaped the way I look at the field. Although the result was not something I had planned, I have discovered the flaws in my idealistic point of view from before. The biggest takeaway from this experience is just beginning to unveil, as I have evolved this summer grant project into a grander plan that I will be tackling throughout next year.

September 3, 2021
CSGC Summer Grant Reflections

Youth Advisory for Civic and Financial Growth

We are trying to build a community of students who could join us in future presentations, pamphlet updates, and discussions of topics regarding social, political, or economic issues in New York City or other cities.

September 1, 2021
CSGC Summer Grant Reflections

Bringing Smiles to Children Through Music

I was happy that I managed to provide a guiding resource to children who wish to start learning piano improvisation from a young age. My non-standard book will definitely help them overcome a common stereotype of Ukrainian society that improvisation and composition is only for adults.

September 1, 2021
CSGC Summer Grant Reflections

Advocating for Change

To me, it was pretty clear where the problem was coming from: people wanted to voice their concerns about the opioid misuse issue, yet their voices were gone unheard by the city council members. Surely enough, this issue was deeper than I thought. It turns out that the Koreatown community is split into four city council districts, weakening their say in raising issues of their community. Their voices are dampened by other well-off neighborhoods -towns that aren’t separated into districts hence having a strong voting power in solidarity, which rarely have issues with opioid misuse.

August 31, 2021
CSGC Summer Grant Reflections

Computer Programming for Campers at the Southampton Fresh Air Home (SFAH)

Spanning the eight, one-week camp “sessions” that SFAH offered this summer (campers could elect to be a part of any number of these week-long sessions), I worked with roughly 50 different campers. The majority of them had never coded before due to various reasons, the most common of which was because their school did not offer it. Fortunately, because of the grant I received from the CSGC, every single camper learned how to write and execute their own computer program; almost all for the first time.

August 31, 2021
CSGC Summer Grant Reflections

Addressing Food Waste

Over the summer, I worked on a project that addresses the issue of food waste and food insecurity. My sister, Lauren Stenger, and I went to restaurants and cafes in our hometown to ask if they would allow us to pick up their surplus food and deliver it to a local homeless shelter, instead of them throwing it away.

August 31, 2021

Increasing Civic Engagement and Financial Literacy in New York’s Inner Cities

Throughout August, Zhexuan Li ’23 and I began to coordinate with regional community centers about starting an inner city youth advisory board — one dedicated to researching and raising awareness about social, political, and economic issues in New York’s inner cities– from housing problems like lead and rats to grander issues like food insecurity — and giving local community members in the Bronx the drive and intellectual resources needed to properly advocate and lobby for change in a grassroots way.

August 31, 2021

Teaching Programming Courses to Middle Schoolers in My Community

Oftentimes computer science summer courses leave you in an awkward position where you know enough to code basic programs, but not enough to understand what the rest of the community is doing. My goal for the program was to be able to leave my students in a place where they would have the ability and tools to explore on their own.

August 31, 2021
CSGC Summer Grant Reflections

Symptoms Tracking App for Concussion Patients

This summer, I worked on an app geared towards helping students with concussions track their symptoms and navigate their concussion progress. Following a step by step process where I did research on similar apps, wrote out features for my app, made design mockups, help code, and now am able to run key features on the app, the path before the product was certainly rewarding but far from straightforward.

August 31, 2021
CSGC Summer Grant Reflections

Making Meaningful Connections with Nonprofits

During the summer I worked with three nonprofit organizations to create a fundraiser to both raise funds for the organizations and advocate for the specific issues they are each trying to solve. It was a very difficult, but incredible experience that ranged from contacting nonprofits to creating a website and selling custom-made bracelets. Throughout the process, there were many setbacks and problems that created unexpected situations. However, I embraced every opportunity as a chance to learn and hone real-life skills.

August 31, 2021

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Check out the Global Studies, Service, and Sustainability Summer Grants page to learn more!

For the past several years, Deerfield has participated in the Green Cup Challenge, an interscholastic energy conservation competition. The school that reduces its kWh usage by the largest percentage wins. The school that reduces GHG emissions by the largest percentage is recognized.

Deerfield runs an on-campus competition during the Green Cup Challenge. Through the month-long challenge, our students follow the success of their dormitory on our energy dashboard and compare their achievements to their on-campus peers and to other schools. The dorm that reduces its energy the most from an established baseline wins a significant prize—an on-campus activity for themselves and another dorm of their choosing, AND a cash prize proportional to dorm size. Because the Green Cup Challenge is a month-long event, we believe that the changed energy consumption practices are more likely to become a learned behavior.

As an SYA member school, Deerfield is able to offer a wide range of study abroad options. In addition to spending school years living and learning languages in foreign countries, Deerfield students can also participate in faculty-led trips during the spring and summer, which allow students to use their language skills in practical settings, under the guidance of Deerfield language faculty.

Think 80|20 is Deerfield’s campus recycling program, which has the goal of changing our habits so that only 20% of our campus waste ends up in a landfill. Think 80|20 signs are posted in all campus buildings and on all recycling/compost/landfill receptacles to educate people on how to dispose of their waste appropriately.

The Energy Dashboard displays daily, weekly, and annual energy consumption information in a building-by-building format. In addition, you can track the performance of solar power systems on two buildings. The Dashboard is an integral part of coursework in many classrooms, and it is wildly popular during the Green Cup Challenge each year.

Environmental proctors are student leaders in sustainability efforts at Deerfield Academy. Working with the Sustainability Coordinator, e-proctors participate in a variety of projects, including dormitory recycling and energy conservation challenges, and promote sustainability around campus.

Upperclassmen can apply to become e-proctors each fall. E-proctors are required to attend biweekly meetings, be involved in one “project” per term, post sustainability announcements and educational materials in dorms, and be a role model for their peers. They will play an important part in helping Deerfield to be environmentally sustainable. A complete list of e-proctors’ duties is available online.

A variety of faculty-led trips allow students to travel under the guidance of a Deerfield teacher without having to spend the entire year living and studying in a foreign country. These trips, which usually take place during spring break or the summer, often include a homestay, and are a great way to improve language skills and experience a different culture.

Language requirements vary by program. Consult individual program websites for more information.

Deerfield’s study abroad partner schools offer a comparable set of courses, so students can fulfill Academy requirements with little or no penalty to their academic progress. All students who are thinking about studying abroad should meet with Director of Studies Lydia Hemphill for assistance in planning their study abroad experience.

Study abroad is available to all students from their sophomore to senior years, although typically students who choose to go abroad will do so during their junior year.

Deerfield has a wide net of international associations, and therefore has the ability to offer a broad spectrum of study abroad opportunities. Semesters abroad in Jordan, Costa Rica, and the Bahamas are highlights of Deerfield’s international programs, which also include Round Square service trips, a variety of School Year Abroad opportunities, exchange programs, and faculty-led trips to places such as the Dominican Republic, Tanzania, Colombia and China.

The Center for Service and Global Citizenship offers two types of grants: CSGC Grants and Micro-Grants.

CSGC Grants: These grants invite Deerfield Academy students to serve others during their summer months. The grants are offered through the generosity of the Cost, Earle, Mendillo and Workman families, and the funds are provided to honor the call in our Mission Statement:

A vibrant, ethical community that embraces diversity, the Academy prepares students for leadership in a rapidly changing world that requires global understanding, environmental stewardship, and dedication to service.

Micro-Grants: Through the CSGC, students can apply to up to $150 to fund student-generated projects on and off campus during the school year.

The annual Spring Term Community Event, hosted at the Deerfield Academy Track, draws the largest number of students to any one service event.  Each year, the CSGC Student Board determines which organization will be the focus of our fundraising and awareness efforts, and the spring term event is the culmination of this year-long effort.  In the recent past, the American Cancer Society and Cancer Connection of Northampton have been the organizations the Deerfield Academy community has supported.  Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County is the service program with the largest participation, calling on approximately seventy juniors and seniors to serve as “Bigs” who spend Friday evenings with a child from Franklin County to serve as mentors and role models. Deerfield Academy also hosts several Red Cross blood drives, which collect blood for use in local hospitals, and students participate as donors and volunteers.

Students can pursue service as a co-curricular option, engaging in community service projects one to four days a week. Projects include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County, Second-Helpings (a food kitchen and food distribution program), Musica Franklin (music instruction to middle-school students), and after-school programs at two local elementary schools. In addition, students can engage in service abroad in the Cambiando Vidas program in the Dominican Republic, and a variety of other CSGC service trips. Students have the opportunity to design their own programs in their local community and abroad, utilizing funding from the Charles Cost Award, or David Workman Grant to be used in the summer or during the school year.  Every athletic team also participates in at least one day of local community service at some point during their season.

Deerfield’s varied and expansive community service programs require a great deal of planning and organization. Most programs are planned through the CSGC Student Board. The board handles all event planning and fundraising and serves as a liaison between the school and other Franklin County and regional service organizations.

The legacy of Frank L. Boyden means that service is an intrinsic part of a Deerfield education. Every year students are reminded of the words of Mr. Boyden: “The test of the worth of any school is, in the last analysis, the record of her alumni… it is our sincere hope that the tradition of service instilled and nurtured here… may endure always to the lasting benefit of the country and the world.” With such a powerful call for service at the heart of its mission, Deerfield places a strong emphasis on service in all its forms. As such, there are a plethora of service opportunities at Deerfield, and students are enthusiastically encouraged to participate as much as they can.

Contact the Center for Service and Global Citizenship

413-774-1435

Boyden Library

7 Boyden Lane, PO Box 87
Deerfield, MA 01342

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