Student Life

Leadership & Service

Growing into Responsibility

Leadership & Service

Leadership at Cedarwood begins with belonging.

As students grow, they gradually discover that they can contribute to something larger than themselves. They learn that leadership can mean listening well, welcoming a new student, caring for shared spaces, organizing an event, and stepping forward to help when help is needed. Throughout the grades, Cedarwood students are given increasing opportunities to take initiative, collaborate with others, and serve their community with purpose.

Learning to Lead

In the middle school years, students begin taking on formal leadership roles within the school community. Members of the Student Leadership Team work alongside faculty to organize Spirit Days, gather student ideas, and help shape school traditions and events.

These experiences give students a meaningful voice while teaching the skills of collaboration, responsibility, and thoughtful decision-making.

Creating the Traditions They Once Enjoyed

One of the joys of growing up at Cedarwood is experiencing traditions from both sides.

The same students who once wandered wide-eyed through Winter Faire or looked up to the older children during festivals eventually become the ones creating those experiences for the next generation. Older students help prepare activities, welcome younger children, and carry forward traditions that once inspired them.

In this way, leadership becomes an act of generosity—passing along the magic they themselves once received.

Service Beyond Ourselves

Service is an important part of a Cedarwood education.

Our eighth-grade class trip includes a service-learning experience that invites students to contribute to communities beyond our own. In recent years, students have partnered with organizations such as Deer Hill Expeditions, participating in reciprocal service projects alongside Indigenous communities in the American Southwest. These experiences combine outdoor adventure, cultural exchange, and meaningful service, encouraging students to develop empathy, humility, and a broader understanding of the world.

Students also help fund their class trips through fundraising efforts, often choosing to donate a portion of the proceeds to causes that are meaningful to them. In doing so, they experience the satisfaction of working toward a shared goal while recognizing that their efforts can also benefit others.

"One of the quiet gifts of growing up in a small school is that every child has the opportunity to become someone's role model. The older students never forget what it felt like to look up to those who came before them, and in time, they discover the joy and responsibility of inspiring the children who follow."

Inspiring One Another

By eighth grade, students undertake substantial independent projects that reflect their interests, perseverance, and growing abilities. They present their work to the school community, demonstrating not only what they have learned, but what is possible through sustained effort and curiosity.

Their work inspires younger students, who watch with anticipation as they imagine the projects they will one day create themselves.

Growing Through Contribution

Leadership at Cedarwood is not about standing above others. It is about learning to contribute with confidence, kindness, and integrity.

Whether organizing a school event, helping care for younger students, serving a community beyond our campus, or bringing an independent project to life, students discover that leadership is rooted in responsibility. These experiences prepare them not only for high school, but for lives of thoughtful participation in the communities they will continue to build.