Over the years, Kent’s community service program has grown significantly, thanks to Mrs. Sokolnicki, Director of Community Service, and her dedication to provide students with the opportunity to give back to the larger community of Kent.

Last year, community service as an afternoon activity became available to eager Kent students upon request. This school year, due to heightened interest, Mrs. Sokolnicki officially offered this activity as an option students could sign up for at the beginning of each term. The change was well received, as a full roster of ten students signed up this fall.

For four days a week, the volunteers split up into smaller groups and engage in various events that help the Kent community. Often, the students volunteer at the neighboring Early Learning Center and the Kent Center School, where the staff always welcome a helping hand.

More recently, Mrs. Sokolnicki has been trying to arrange a larger variety of activities, including clearing trails and bushes at Emery Park for the Kent Land Trust as well as picking apples for the Food Bank at Ellsworth Farm. The group also traveled to the nearby MountainView Farm to prepare the land for the coming winter.

“Interacting and helping kids is a very rewarding and enriching experience,” says Sid LaFontaine ’18. Mrs. Sokolnicki expresses her enthusiasm towards the potential of the program: “I am excited to see what the winter and spring terms will bring.” She hopes to show how even a small group of ten are able explore and participate in a great range of activities. “These small acts, when consistently carried out, really do make an impact and benefit all types of people in this community.”