Service Learning

The Service Learning Department is a resource for all Falmouth Public School students and teachers. The Service Learning Coordinators organize a large number of volunteer opportunities for grades K-12 and provide support for incorporating them into curriculums. Started over 16 years ago, Service Learning in Falmouth connects students and teachers with a wide variety of community partners for engaging and meaningful learning experiences through service.

Some of the Service Learning Opportunities for each school are described below. We are lucky to have so many community partners throughout the greater Portland area that support connections with our students in kindergarten through high school.

Service Learning Community Connections

Florida Habitat for Humanity Trip

Elevan students and staff members smiling with a house under construction behind them

A group of Falmouth High School students and staff members volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Florida.

Parents Night Out Fundraiser

high school students at a table helping elementary students with crafts

Parents Night Out raises over $1,500 for the Maine Community Foundation's Lewiston-Auburn Relief Fund

Maine Huts & Trails

two students next to stack a wood with snow on it

15 FHS students helped Maine Huts and Trails by stacking the winter firewood supply for one of the huts.

Elementary School

Falmouth Elementary School students participate in Service Learning activities throughout the school year such as:

Senior Teacher visits to local retirement communities.
Connections with the elders throughout our community including writing cards to Veterans to celebrate Veterans Day and decorating placemats for in room meals.
A Changemakers unit with students identifying a problem within the community, problem solving, and creating a solution.
The Growing Valentine's Project which has students grow bulbs and decorate containers to distribute to local retirements communities.
A school-wide every other month collection for the Falmouth Food Pantry has students bring in donations the Pantry has identified as their most urgent need for local families.

Middle School

Falmouth Middle School students participate in Service Learning activities throughout the school year such as:

Grade-wide efforts including Solutionary Project, Changemakers, and 8th Grade Discovery are supported and give students an opportunity to explore local and global challenges and people and organizations addressing them, develop their own ideas for solutions, and learn what they can do to help their community by exploring a variety of social service organizations.
8th graders are matched with 4th grade students to provide free after school tutoring in our Students Helping Students program.
The FMS Service Club provides ongoing opportunities for students to engage in service activities.

High School

A large variety of opportunities are offered for in-school and out-of-school service to help students gain new experiences, contribute to the community, learn about themselves, develop new skills and confidence, and reach their service hour graduation requirements.

On campus examples include making monthly cards for local elders, sorting clothes donations for distribution through a variety of nonprofits, volunteering at FES recess, kindergarten library time, Pre-K lunch, and in elementary and middle school classrooms.
Elevate, where High School students volunteer twice a week with a group of 5th grade students before elementary school starts their day. Along with the guidance of the Service Learning Department, high school volunteers guide and interact with fifth grade students through various exercises to elevate their heart rate. Research indicates that exercise helps students think, problem solve, and help them prepare for their school day.
Out-of-school service includes supporting local organizations such as Furniture Friends, Animal Refuge League, the Falmouth Food Pantry, Preble Street, Habitat for Humanity, and Falmouth Land Trust. Multiple opportunities are also available for connections with local senior living facilities.
Weekend and week long service trips are run throughout the year to support organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Safe Passage in Guatemala, and Maine Huts and Trails.
The HS Service Club has over 100 members who are involved in service activities on and off the school campus.

Read about the Community Service high school graduation requirements.

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Service Learning