Harborfields Central School District

Student-led initiative inspires Class of 2025 to give back across Greenlawn

Monday, June 9 looked a little different for the Harborfields High School Class of 2025. Instead of their regular schedules, seniors spread out across the greater Greenlawn community to participate in a Day of Service, an event created by Bridget Hickey as part of her Capstone Project for Civics Awareness and Community Action. 

Bridget didn’t want the project to be a solo endeavor. She challenged her entire class of 258 students to join her in giving back and they responded in full force. 

With support and assistance from Mrs. Patricia Taylor, seniors were assigned one of 13 volunteer sites throughout the community. The Day of Service projects included cleaning up and painting lamp posts on Broadway, designing a mural at the Northport VA Hospital, donating items and crafting with residents of Paumanack Village, collecting food donations and stocking shelves at HACO’s food pantry, and much more. Some chose to serve within the school district itself, collaborating on a project with students at Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School and cooking and crafting alongside students in the Career Transition Class at the high school. 

Remarkably, the number of students not participating was smaller than the size of an average class roster.

“I wanted seniors to participate in community service beyond the hours they need for different clubs,” shared Bridget Hickey. “I hoped they would discover a  love for volunteering and feel inspired to stay involved in their communities long after high school.” 

Bridget not only encouraged her peers to give back, but she did so in a way that directly reflects the values of the Haborfields Central School District. Harborfields is committed to developing life-long learners with the intellectual, social and emotional skills necessary to achieve success as active citizens within their local community and in an ever-changing diverse global society. Her project exemplifies how student leadership can bring the district’s Strategic Plan to life through meaningful action. 

The Day of Service left a lasting impression on the seniors who participated, the staff and students who worked alongside them, and the community members who benefitted from their efforts.