Hands-to-Work

At Darrow, learning is not limited to the classroom. Since the early days of the School, the Hands-to-Work program has been a distinguishing feature that offers students hands-on learning opportunities that also make our community a better place.

Through Darrow's Hands-to-Work program, awareness of the meaning of purposeful work and connection to place are developed. Students, teachers, and staff, as equals, perform various tasks, while bonding, interacting, finding personal satisfaction, and sustaining the common resources of the community. This collaborative work is embraced as a way to help build and maintain the Darrow School community and assist with service projects in the local area.

Students sign up for crews and usually rotate through three over the course of a year. This allows them to explore different tasks and learn additional skills. Often, a student will discover a new passion and work to develop abilities and interests in areas they had never before experienced.

Preserving facilities, supporting programs, and fulfilling the very philosophy of the School require that work be a cooperative endeavor. Side by side, Darrow's students and staff share responsibilities that are essential and make the Shaker legacy relevant to campus life today. Regular community-wide reflection and recognition of the importance of both the process and product of shared work ensure that Hands-to-Work is a meaningful skill and value-building experience for all.