Beyond The Hilltop

Like all good neighbors, we care about our community: Those folks who live in our own neighborhood, the residents of our Region, and fellow citizens of the world. As active community members, we know that we have much to gain and much to contribute to our community. That’s why Service Learning is woven into our lives on the Hilltop and part of every student’s education in both the Middle School and the Upper School.

By graduation, Hilltoppers must complete a total of 60 hours of service.* Postgraduate students must complete 15 hours of service. Our Coordinator of Community Service Opportunities is always ready to help Hilltoppers find the role that resonates with their particular interests, and service-oriented clubs abound, making those 60 hours melt away. As a matter of fact, a full one third of our senior class regularly receives the President’s Volunteer Service Award, given in recognition of giving more than 100 hours of service during high school. As you can see from the many projects and clubs referenced throughout this page and the entire website, Service Learning is a natural part of every Hilltopper’s life.

Collectively, Hilltoppers contribute thousands of hours each year in the greater Worcester community and beyond. They mentor and teach, work countless hours in hospitals and shelters, host benefit concerts, organize food and clothing drives, and make an impact!

*To be eligible for the Bernon Family Community Service Award, at least 30 hours of community service must be completed by the end of 11^th grade.

MIDDLE SCHOOL
Our middlers get out-and-about to learn more about themselves and their community. Here are just three examples of going beyond:

• Our signature Market Guidebook Project takes our Middlers all over Worcester, sampling the exotic tastes of our city’s many ethnic markets. This cross-disciplinary project culminates in a Guide Book, complete with customer comments, photos, and reviews of delectable prepared foods. 
• Building Bridges walks our middlers across the street to Union Hill Public Elementary School where our outstanding students reinforce their own knowledge by working with younger students on their basic skills. 
• Our best and brightest participated in Springfield College’s Leadership Training - a transformational learning experience that explores ways to lead in your community.

UPPER SCHOOL
Our older students get around as well! Take a look: 

• Leftovers in Adams Dining Hall were being composted, which was good, but not nearly as rewarding as it could be. Several astute students and faculty members (including our varsity basketball players!) came together to bring this nourishing food to a local shelter – every day of the week. 
• Our Post Grads organize a Spring Field Day every year for the students of the Union Hill School, our neighboring public elementary school. PG’s often tell us that, looking back on it, it was their favorite Worcester Academy day ever! 
• Our Habitat for Humanity group travels to help build homes in other states every year, but here on the Hilltop, you don’t have to go very far to find folks who need housing. Creating a Win-Win situation, Worcester Academy purchased a home just off campus, donated that home to Habitat for Humanity, and just like that, created a Service Learning opportunity for our students right here in our own backyard.

Massachusetts is full of great places to go, people to see, and lessons to learn. Here on the Hilltop, we try to take advantage of our great location as much as possible.

• When Boston’s Museum of Science brought Da Vinci, The Genius to town - a vibrant, interactive exhibition that explored every aspect of Leonard da Vinci’s world-changing innovations in the arts, science, medicine, engineering and design – we brought the entire school to check it out. Back on campus, we wrapped interdisciplinary lessons around the trip, making it a great and possibly life-shaping experience for all. 
• Hilltoppers head off campus regularly – not only to learn about what’s out there, but also to learn about each other. Take our seventh grade trip to Nature’s Classroom, for example: This fabulous residential environmental education program give our middlers a chance to live and learn together - develop a sense of community, a confidence in themselves and an appreciation for others. 
• Every once in a while, our outreach lasts for years to come! A large group of Hilltoppers participates in the amazing Pan Mass Challenge, the annual bike-a-thon that crosses the Commonwealth and raises vital funds for Boston’s Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The camaraderie is so significant that our graduates come back to ride year-after-year, growing the group and building great relationships.

And, of course, every once in a while, you just need to get-up-and-go!

• Our 8th graders head off on the most exciting trek of their lives! Outward Bound’s NYC Urban Expedition provides the backdrop for discovering firsthand what shapes an urban landscape. 
• And our Upper Schoolers trot the globe! Recent excursions have included Peru, China, France, Italy, and, of course, Denmark to visit our sister school Haderslev Katedralskole.

Driving Distance from Worcester:  1 hour
Airlines:  American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, Swiss, United, Virgin America, and more including international airline carriers.  This is the airport used most by families coming to Worcester Academy. The airport is 1 hour directly east of Worcester, and there are convenient airport limousine services that shuttle travelers from Boston to Worcester.
 
WORCESTER AIRPORT
Worcester, MA
888-359-9672
 
Driving Distance from Worcester Academy:  15 minutes (~8 miles)
Airline:  JetBlue flies direct to Orlando, FL and Fort Lauderdale, FL on a daily basis. Connecting flights are also available from those cities.
Driving Distance from Worcester:  1 hour
Airlines: Air Canada, Delta, Southwest, United, and others. This airport is becoming increasingly popular and is 1 hour southeast of Worcester. It is an easy trip by car and is also served by convenient limousine services.
Driving Distance from Worcester: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Airlines:  Air Canada, American, American Eagle, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, United, and more including international airline carriers. This airport is a little bit further than 1 hour away from Worcester, but it is generally an easy trip by car.