Urban Engagement Program

Our School, Our Community, Our City

The Urban Engagement Program connects our school to the wider city and community through experiences in the arts, civic life, service, social justice, urban environmentalism, business and entrepreneurship. Our program includes an internship opportunity for high school students, a Community Salon for our entire community, school-wide Days of Service, and supports curricular service learning activities and sustainability initiatives.

 

 

Urban Engagement Internship

The Urban Engagement Internship allows high school students to explore work beyond the school through shadowing and internship opportunities. The program entails an introductory course in the fall for all of Grade 10, which gives students an overview of the kind of projects, skills, and experiences that an internship can offer. Students identify their passions and envision a specific project, and ultimately secure a short internship for the spring or summer break. The program gives students real-world experience in student-defined areas of interest, as well as provides a springboard for potential internships or career development opportunities in Grades 11 and 12.

 

 

Community Salons

At our Salons, parents, faculty, alumni, and high school students get together to share and discover over drink and food in a round-table setting at the Arts Pavilion. In the spirit of learning and exchange, each Salon has a thought-provoking theme, such bio-technology, political engagement, or intellectual property.

These free community events include food and drink, are part of our wider Urban Engagement Program, and feature members of our school community who share their expertise and spearhead conversation. See what's in store for our Salon Series this year!

 

Engagement + Service

On school-wide days of service, parents, students of all ages, faculty, staff, and alumni, share in service towards the wider urban community.

During the 2023-2024 school year, we have scheduled two opportunities for days of service with a community partner, Glide Memorial Church, which oversees one of the largest free-meal programs in the city, serving over 2,000 meals per day in the Tenderloin. These will be opportunities to help make and serve food, and be of service in different ways.

Mark your calendar for our upcoming Day of Service on Saturday, November 18. More information coming soon!

 

Sustainability

Our school is also committed to sustainability and environmental protection, as evident through initiatives such as the entirely "plastic-free" high school and our use of energy-saving solar panels.

The 630 solar modules on the roof of our main campus have produced over 1 billion watt-hours of power to-date. That's more than equal to the energy of 588.9 barrels of oil, 674.1 trees saved, or 626,865 miles driven.

 

Service Learning

In addition to our Urban Engagement Program, students, faculty, and staff have the opportunity to serve others through in-school service learning programs. You can read more about those programs here. Students from the Maternelle through High School contribute to fundraising and volunteer efforts that support both the San Francisco community and communities across the globe.

Students spend the day at the LinkedIn offices in San Francisco. 

Grade 10 students meet with parent speakers about different career paths. 

Students reflect on their own passions in order to shape their internship proposals.

Students enjoy a lunch and learn session at business offices in downtown San Francisco. 

Students reflect on their own passions in order to shape their internship proposals.

Our November 2018 Salon explored the theme of intellectual property in business, law, and technology with parent speakers Brian Ferrall (Partner, Keker, Van Nest & Peter) and Ximena Ares (Business Development, Merck)

The October 2018 Salon examined the upcoming election and featured two parents active in the arena of civic and political engagement: Andrea Steele (founder, Emerge America) and Mark Mullen (founder, Be The Wave).

Salons offer an opportunity for our entire community to connect over shared interests and new ideas.

The February 2019 Salon titled "New Frontiers in the Sciences - From Biotech to Particle Physics" featured parent speakers, Philippe Grenier (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory) and Amanda Kahn-Kirby (BioElectron).

Families volunteer at a food bank in Potrero Hill.

Each year, parents volunteer to make sweets for those in need across our city on Valentine's Day.

Parents volunteer together at GLIDE.

Bagging rice at a food bank in Potrero.

Bagging rice at a food bank in Potrero.

Spreading the love!