A Spirit of Service
Service to the larger community has been a cornerstone of Garrison Forest School since its earliest days, and the drive to serve others continues to be a key part of the GFS experience.
It isn’t about checking a box; it’s the authentic desire to help, serve, connect and improve. Meaningful service learning opportunities abound, and students often bring their own passion projects and interests to the forefront.
Service Learning Highlights
Kenya Connect
For nearly a decade, Garrison Forest School has partnered with Kenya Connect, whose mission is to engage and empower students and teachers in rural Kenya to succeed. GFS students have created reading guides; held art supply drives; collected materials for the Wings Poa program, which helps girls stay in school while on their period by providing sanitary products; raised funds to build a borehole to provide clean water, and more. In addition, each year, the entire Lower School participates in a two-mile walk around campus, symbolizing the daily journey many students in Wamunyu make to get to school, and raises funds for special projects in Kenya.
The Elsie Foster Jenkins ’53 Endowment Fund for Service Learning
In addition to supporting the Service League’s community outreach program, the Jenkins Fund brings noted community service leaders to campus to speak and sponsors the Jenkins Fellows Program funds Garrison Forest students to do summer community service projects around the country and globe.
The Jenkins Fund provides substantive support for service learning in the Upper School through Service League’s year-long efforts; an all-US “Day of Service”; class, club, and team advocacy and hands-on service activities; and speakers, shadowing, and learning-focused field trips. Of special note is the Jenkins Service Fellows program, which provides modest grants that enable students to research, propose, and pursue summer and school-year multi-week service projects in Baltimore, around the country, and across the globe. Established 20 years ago, the program has funded service learning experiences for over 130 students, with travel to over 30 countries.
Most recently, in Summer 2025, 24 Jenkins Service Fellows in grades 9 - 12 dove into research and learning about issues and needs of concern to each of them, as an initial step towards designing and implementing school-year service projects on topics ranging from battling childhood cancer to supporting armed services veterans.
Service League
The Upper School Service League manages several initiatives throughout the year, including blood drives, holiday toy donations, and more! Middle Schoolers can get a jump start with the Junior Service League.
Baltimore Hunger Project
Each year, families donate snack packs and deliver materials to Baltimore Hunger Project to help fight food insecurity for children in Baltimore and the surrounding communities.
Senior Dog Rescue
Lower Schoolers partnered with a local dog rescue to help senior dogs find a forever home, writing persuasive paragraphs about adoptable dogs for social media and embroidering bandanas for each dog.