Community Service
Nearly 70 percent of Thacher students volunteer through our Community Service Program, working on projects that fulfill genuine needs in our local community.
The program aims to provide as many students as possible with structured, meaningful opportunities to engage with and give back to the community and to build compassion and empathy. With the exception of the required biannual Community Service Day, all of Thacher’s participation in community service opportunities is purely voluntary because we believe that involvement in the community should be built on individual passion, drive, and authentic engagement.
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Weekday & Weeknight Opportunities
Every term, interested students have the opportunity to make a trimester-long volunteer commitment to a program of their choosing in the local Ojai Community, offering the chance to make strong, sustained connections. During free periods in their school day schedule or spare time in the evenings, students head off campus to give back through a variety of programs, including:
Tutoring local elementary school students ; lending a hand at sustainable Earthtrine Farm and Poco Farm ; singing to or conversing with senior living facilities residents; helping out at a center for toddlers with special needs ; and serving food to individuals and families in need through the seasonal Ojai Homeless Shelter Program. -
Weekend Opportunities
Volunteer opportunities are made available on many weekends throughout the year, from one-off projects to ongoing partnerships that students can show up for again and again. Recent opportunities have included:Participating in trail, creek, and beach cleanups ; supporting/encouraging AYSO VIP program soccer players with special needs; helping out local athletes in the Special Olympics program ; introducing kids with special needs to watersports with Best Day Foundation ; and lending a hand at local community events throughout the year . -
Afternoon Program
Seniors may opt during the fall season to participate in community service during the required Afternoon Program. Students in this program spend their afternoons working on a variety of projects, including:Tutoring younger students after school at the Ojai Public Library ; one-on-one tutoring at underserved schools through Project Understanding ; and doing daily work at local sustainable farms . -
Community Service Day
Every year Thacher partners with organizations throughout Ojai and Ventura County for Community Service Day, which offers students and faculty members alike the chance to spend a day giving back. And every other year, classes are officially canceled so that every single member of the Thacher community can participate. Recent projects have included:Beach clean-ups ; helping out with community gardens ; offering tech help to older citizens at the Ojai Public Library; lending a hand at California Horse Rescue ; and working with REINS of Hope, an equine therapy organization.
—Ethan
“Thacher offers so many opportunities for community service—any student can definitely find a program that interests them. The School also makes volunteering really convenient, providing transportation whenever the student has availability. My favorite part of the program is that it’s a really good way to get out of the campus ‘bubble’ and meet new people in the Ojai Valley community.”
Vienna, Virginia
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Getting Active
Thacher volunteers partner with Best Day Foundation, the AYSO VIP Program, and the Special Olympics to help kids and adults with special needs gain confidence and build self-esteem through sports. -
Local Initiatives
Helping out in community gardens and volunteering during local community and school festivals allows Thacher students to get to know the surrounding community. -
Horse Rescue & Equine Therapy
Students put their equine knowledge to good use when they clean up the barns at California Horse Rescue and provide assistance at REINS of Hope, an equine therapy program. -
Sustainability Projects
In partnership with students in the Environmental Action Committee, volunteers work on projects that help make campus and the surrounding community more environmentally-friendly. -
Land Conservation
Cleanups and restoration projects on Ventura beaches, along local trails in the Los Padres National Forest, and in creeks and waterways in the Ventura County watershed are scheduled regularly throughout the year. -
Sustainable Farming
Relationships with local, sustainable farm operations in Ojai give students the chance to get their hands dirty and learn about food systems. Ethan ’18 says: “I love that BD, the farmer at Earthtrine, trusts me to do so many different kinds of work. I usually weed the fields, but I also harvest crops, plant seeds, label bags, load bags full of produce, and till the soil.” -
Supporting Seniors
For years volunteers have visited senior living facilities and the local library to converse with and get to know the residents or perform a wide-ranging repertoire of songs together. Rico ’18 says: “There has never been a single experience in which I did not take home new knowledge from the residents. Whether it be everyday life advice or a new joke, I come away with a broadened perspective.” -
Tutoring
Volunteers support younger students through a variety of tutoring programs. Jordan Perry ’17 says: “I’ve been a tutor at a nearby school once a week since my freshman year. It’s a lot of fun to spend time with the kids and it gives me time when I’m not thinking about work or school. Instead, I’m thinking about helping others.”
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Getting Active
Thacher volunteers partner with Best Day Foundation, the AYSO VIP Program, and the Special Olympics to help kids and adults with special needs gain confidence and build self-esteem through sports. -
Local Initiatives
Helping out in community gardens and volunteering during local community and school festivals allows Thacher students to get to know the surrounding community. -
Horse Rescue & Equine Therapy
Students put their equine knowledge to good use when they clean up the barns at California Horse Rescue and provide assistance at REINS of Hope, an equine therapy program. -
Sustainability Projects
In partnership with students in the Environmental Action Committee, volunteers work on projects that help make campus and the surrounding community more environmentally-friendly. -
Land Conservation
Cleanups and restoration projects on Ventura beaches, along local trails in the Los Padres National Forest, and in creeks and waterways in the Ventura County watershed are scheduled regularly throughout the year. -
Sustainable Farming
Relationships with local, sustainable farm operations in Ojai give students the chance to get their hands dirty and learn about food systems. Ethan ’18 says: “I love that BD, the farmer at Earthtrine, trusts me to do so many different kinds of work. I usually weed the fields, but I also harvest crops, plant seeds, label bags, load bags full of produce, and till the soil.” -
Supporting Seniors
For years volunteers have visited senior living facilities and the local library to converse with and get to know the residents or perform a wide-ranging repertoire of songs together. Rico ’18 says: “There has never been a single experience in which I did not take home new knowledge from the residents. Whether it be everyday life advice or a new joke, I come away with a broadened perspective.” -
Tutoring
Volunteers support younger students through a variety of tutoring programs. Jordan Perry ’17 says: “I’ve been a tutor at a nearby school once a week since my freshman year. It’s a lot of fun to spend time with the kids and it gives me time when I’m not thinking about work or school. Instead, I’m thinking about helping others.”
A college preparatory boarding school for grades 9-12
Notice of nondiscriminatory policy as to students: The Thacher School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other School-administered programs.