Service is at the Heart of Millbrook's mission.
We believe in a world where an educated and informed public responsibly strives to improve the global community. In fact, Millbrook was founded on this belief with the motto, Non Sibi Sed Cunctis (not just for oneself, but for all), and the mission to educate our students to succeed and serve in college and beyond.
With a rich history of service at Millbrook, students and faculty alike are constantly developing new programs that serve the greater off-campus community. Recent programs have included “bright nights” runs, where students deliver hot meals to homeless populations in New York City and Poughkeepsie, food drives for local food pantries, and clothing drives for shelters that aid battered women.
As our students and faculty are always eager to serve even more communities, they have recently embarked on service learning trips to Ghana, India, Guatemala, Tanzania, New Orleans, and South Dakota, among other regions .
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Upcoming Trips 2019-2020
Inquiry, Conservation, & Sustainability in the Amazon:
An immersive field course for educators and students
Program Overview: Imagine your alarm clock is a Screaming Piha, your textbook is a million acres of conserved rainforest, your teacher is Victorino, an indigenous Maijuna leader, and your classmates are educators learning right along with you. Here, not paying attention means missing a pink river dolphin or a sloth hidden along the 1/4-mile canopy walkway. Here, stewardship of the natural world takes on new meaning and new urgency, as you experience our core value in this biodiversity hotspot. Here, your contributions matter, as you are immersed in a successful model of sustainability and become a global citizen along the way.
On this transformative field course students will have the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with indigenous conservation leaders and partner in their sustainable-development projects. Students will work collaboratively with educators and students from Millbrook and other independent schools on innovative investigations, citizen science research projects, inquiry-based field studies, and cultural exchange. The Millbrook team will return to further enrich and inspire our school's mission and core values.
Dates: March 6-16
Costs: $4,000, which includes program fees, hotel/lodging, on-site meals, trip insurance, and air and ground travel.
Participants: Students from the courses/programs listed below are eligible to apply to ensure that the experience is embedded in relevant coursework with the field course serving as an immersive classroom extension.
Prerequisites: General/honors biology, advanced biology, field biology, environmental science, botany, animal behavior, relevant ISR projects, anthropology, Spanish (any level), CES projects, Environmental Council, and Zoo Curators.
To apply: Students may send a letter of interest to Science Department Chair, Ava Goodale with answers to the questions, why do you want to participate in this program and what do you hope to gain from the experience? Applications are due October 31st.
For More Information, go to: https://morphoinstitute.org/independent-schools-in-the-amazon/ or contact Ava Goodale.
Community Projects in Ghana
Millbrook is planning another trip to Ghana West Africa with the Right to Dream Academy for 12 days in late June/early July in the summer 2019. Exact dates, chaperones, and costs will be determined soon. The trip is open to current Millbrook students and ’19 graduates. Students who play soccer, who are engaged in robotics and engineering, or who are pursuing leadership are especially encouraged to consider the trip. The primary purpose is cultural exchange and community engagement. This will include 4-5 days at the Right to Dream Academy, getting to know the students, learning from one another, and engaging in a community project together at local village schools. The group will also travel with guides from Right to Dream to important sites in the country, including a slave castle at Cape Coast or Elmina, the Kakum rainforest, and the craft markets of Accra. Please speak to Mrs. Keller-Coffey or Ms. Havard if you are interested.
Millbrook is planning another trip to Ghana West Africa with the Right to Dream Academy for 12 days in late June/early July in the summer 2019. Exact dates, chaperones, and costs will be determined soon. The trip is open to current Millbrook students and ’19 graduates. Students who play soccer, who are engaged in robotics and engineering, or who are pursuing leadership are especially encouraged to consider the trip. The primary purpose is cultural exchange and community engagement. This will include 4-5 days at the Right to Dream Academy, getting to know the students, learning from one another, and engaging in a community project together at local village schools. The group will also travel with guides from Right to Dream to important sites in the country, including a slave castle at Cape Coast or Elmina, the Kakum rainforest, and the craft markets of Accra. Please speak to Mrs. Keller-Coffey or Ms. Havard if you are interested.
Volunteering on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation
The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) Reservation in South Dakota is an autonomous nation within the borders of the United States. It is home to four bands of Lakota Indians. In an area of 1.45 million acres (roughly the size of Connecticut), the CRST Reservation is home to approximately 10,000 residents.
On the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation in South Dakota, children need an oasis - a place where kids can just be kids. A place that is safe. A place that inspires. A place where smiles are created. A place where dreams can begin and be nurtured. A starting point on the path to a bright future. Simply Smiles summer camp is that place.
Being a volunteer on the Cheyenne River Reservation is about bringing hope to a place that has been marginalized for generations. Through youth development and community building programs, you will create smiles.
Volunteer presence in this complicated and beautiful place is nothing less than vital.
Millbrook alums, students, and faculty have been a part of this mission for a number of years. Inspired to travel to South Dakota by alumnae, Olivia May, we have been fortunate to bring some of the following initiatives and activities to Simply Smiles: the construction of a Gaga Ball Pit, design and creation of a Doll House, including miniature furniture and “characters, improvisation, gardening, cooking/baking, STEAM projects, LAX lessons, face painting, and a ton of time just playing at the “park” on the Simply Smiles grounds and getting to know the wonderful kids who come to camp.
For more information please contact Elaine Lifter: elifter@millbrook.org
The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) Reservation in South Dakota is an autonomous nation within the borders of the United States. It is home to four bands of Lakota Indians. In an area of 1.45 million acres (roughly the size of Connecticut), the CRST Reservation is home to approximately 10,000 residents.
On the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation in South Dakota, children need an oasis - a place where kids can just be kids. A place that is safe. A place that inspires. A place where smiles are created. A place where dreams can begin and be nurtured. A starting point on the path to a bright future. Simply Smiles summer camp is that place.
Being a volunteer on the Cheyenne River Reservation is about bringing hope to a place that has been marginalized for generations. Through youth development and community building programs, you will create smiles.
The holistic nature of the Simply Smiles approach is proving to be the only effective means of changing life on the Reservation.
Volunteer presence in this complicated and beautiful place is nothing less than vital.
Millbrook alums, students, and faculty have been a part of this mission for a number of years. Inspired to travel to South Dakota by alumnae, Olivia May, we have been fortunate to bring some of the following initiatives and activities to Simply Smiles: the construction of a Gaga Ball Pit, design and creation of a Doll House, including miniature furniture and “characters, improvisation, gardening, cooking/baking, STEAM projects, LAX lessons, face painting, and a ton of time just playing at the “park” on the Simply Smiles grounds and getting to know the wonderful kids who come to camp.
For more information please contact Elaine Lifter: elifter@millbrook.org
Service Learning and Language Immersion: Puerto Rico
Online applications for the Spring Break Service Trip to Puerto Rico are due October 31st. The program, which runs March 6-14, fosters learning through Service Projects, Language Immersion, and Adventure Travel. Program highlights include service learning through home construction projects, guided tours through Old San Juan and El Morro, Bioluminescent Bay Sea Kayaking, exploring the El Yunque rainforest and relaxing after a day's work at various beaches. The trip facilitator is Global Works, a company based in Boulder, CO that has been running trips for students and groups for 25 years.
To sign up for the trip, you will need to complete an online application for your child. To access the application, go to www.globalworkstravel.com and click ENROLL NOW. A parent or guardian should begin the student application by setting up an account with an email and password. When following the prompts, choose the year 2020, and then the school name and destination country can be selected from a drop-down menu. This will be your personalized Login Page for you to access, edit and submit travel forms. This is also how you will access pertinent pre-trip information for our group.
The entire cost will be approximately $3500, which includes program tuition, all meals, travel expenses, and trip insurance.
Online applications for the Spring Break Service Trip to Puerto Rico are due October 31st. The program, which runs March 6-14, fosters learning through Service Projects, Language Immersion, and Adventure Travel. Program highlights include service learning through home construction projects, guided tours through Old San Juan and El Morro, Bioluminescent Bay Sea Kayaking, exploring the El Yunque rainforest and relaxing after a day's work at various beaches. The trip facilitator is Global Works, a company based in Boulder, CO that has been running trips for students and groups for 25 years.
To sign up for the trip, you will need to complete an online application for your child. To access the application, go to www.globalworkstravel.com and click ENROLL NOW. A parent or guardian should begin the student application by setting up an account with an email and password. When following the prompts, choose the year 2020, and then the school name and destination country can be selected from a drop-down menu. This will be your personalized Login Page for you to access, edit and submit travel forms. This is also how you will access pertinent pre-trip information for our group.
The entire cost will be approximately $3500, which includes program tuition, all meals, travel expenses, and trip insurance.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Joel Bergstedt at jbergstedt@millbrook.org.
