Wooster School Launches Center for Social Impact and Innovation

Central to Wooster School’s ethos is the concept of “self-help.” Self-help is the idea that individuals are responsible for their own actions and for how those actions impact the community. At Wooster, we are responsible for improving ourselves and using our thinking, skills and energy in the service of the collective good. The life of the school has grown from the roots of self-help, our commitment to community service, and our student-centered culture through the years.

Because we are also a community of thinkers, learners, and innovators, we’ve recently been asking ourselves how we might create more opportunities for our students to extend the concept of self-help beyond the borders of Wooster. Our students and families are eager to help, and to learn, and there are certainly no shortage of people and communities with whom we might partner to make the world a better place. To that end, Wooster School is excited to announce the establishment of the Center for Social Impact and Innovation, which we’ve designed to help our students think about and engage in social actions which will positively impact their lives and the lives of others.

The Center will serve as a resource for students interested in developing the skills and dispositions of social entrepreneurs. An integral component of this effort will be the Wooster School Social Impact Fund. 

Through the Center, students will learn to evaluate and address social issues and challenges by investing in individuals or organizations already at work on creating solutions. Our ultimate goal is to also have Wooster students fund their own solutions and put them to work. Learning from philanthropists, leaders in the not-for-profit sector, and other social entrepreneurs our students will have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of people and communities beyond the borders of Wooster.

The Center will also be the clearinghouse for community service opportunities and student led fundraising. Through the Center, students -- and eventually Wooster parents and alumni -- will be able to access opportunities for community service throughout the year, and local organizations will be able to request volunteer help from the Wooster Community. 

To learn more about our plans for the Center for Social Impact and Innovation, please visit our website at http://woosterschool.org/centerforsocialimpact. In the meantime, community members, students, parents, and/or alumni interested in getting involved should contact Matt Honeycutt at matt.honeycutt@woosterschool.org

To learn more, visit http://www.woosterschool.org/ or contact Wooster School Admissions at (203) 830-3916.