Beyond the Classroom

Learning regularly extends beyond the classroom in ways that help students to value the relationships uniting us as a school and connecting us with our local and global communities.

Whether through service learning, participation in actual scientific lab work, recognizing and honoring the heroes among us, taking part in a master class with professional artists, our students benefit from the inventive ways teachers and administrators make it possible to bring classroom lessons to life.

Learning outside the classroom

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Connected Classrooms
Service to Others

Connected Classrooms

By making connections in the classroom to real-world actions taken outside the classroom, students develop the skills they will need to engage meaningfully with others and make an impact wherever they find themselves in the future—skills like creativity, empathy, problem-solving, and resilience.

Master Classes

for Upper School students with the cast of “Hamilton,” Broadway actress Christy Altomare, Grammy Award-Winner Gil Shaham, and violinist Ray Chen, to name a few.

Science Research

Science-minded seniors participate in ongoing novel research started at Berkely Labs to create a physical model of the polypeptide chain.

Global Understanding

Liaisons representing 34 countries work with seventh graders each year to deepen their learning and global understanding.

Senior Externship

One-day mentoring experience that exposes seniors to a variety of professions. Since 2017, we have partnered with 100+ employers in 20 different industries.

Trout Unlimited

Every year, Lower School students hatch trout eggs in conjunction with Trout Unlimited to help restock North Carolina’s streams.

World Leaders

Middle and Upper School students regularly meet and engage with dignitaries and leaders from countries around the world.

Service to Others

We prepare students to be engaged citizens, learn about what it means to belong to a community, and the impact our actions can make. While longstanding partnerships with Special Olympics and Big Brothers Big Sisters serve as flagship programs, you can find examples of our service in action throughout the year, including the Upper School's community service day, Middle School's visit from the Learning Collaborative, The Parents' Association's Run for Good benefiting Roof Above, and our annual Empty Soup Bowls Event for Hospice.

Service Learning Partnerships

Country Day has longstanding service learning partnerships with nearly 20 organizations, including Goodwill Industries, Heifer International, The Learning Collaborative, and more.

Friendship Trays

Lower School students know that when they plant and tend our community garden, they are helping to grow food for Friendship Trays.

Honoring our Veterans

Every year, students in all divisions take part in educational and service activities to learn about and honor all the veterans who have sacriﬁced to serve and protect us.

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Nearly half the members of the junior and senior class mentor and volunteer one lunch hour a week to Rama Road Elementary School students through Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Loaves and Fishes

Before second-grade students visit Loaves and Fishes, they spend time discussing what it feels like to be hungry and why some people don’t have enough food.

War Bonds

Our commitment to social responsibility began with second graders who sold war bonds in 1942.

Special Olympics Cultivates Many Champions

Every April, the entire Upper School—students, faculty, and staff—takes a two-day break from academia to host the Special Olympics Mecklenburg County Spring Games. Students serve as buddies, timekeepers, and event assistants at this special event, which has taken place on Country Day’s Cannon Campus since 1983. After participating in Special Olympics, our students walk away with a new appreciation for the power of inclusion, acceptance, and respect.

Natalie HutchinsonUpper School Dean of Students

This time-honored tradition has become part of our identity shared by nearly four generations of Country Day families. Students experience the joy of giving and are inspired by the dedication and abilities of the athletes."

Senior Externship: Real-Work Experiences

We take pride in providing our students with enriching, leadership experiences that expand their education beyond our classroom walls through experiential learning and community collaboration. The Senior Externship Program is a one-day shadowing and mentoring experience that exposes seniors to a variety of professions that match their own passions and interests with employers, organizations, alumni, and parents. Since 2017, we have partnered with 100+ area employers in 20 different industries.

Matt LessHead of Upper School

The externship is a unique, professional opportunity for students to express how their interest potentially relate to a particular profession, articulate what a 'day in the life' would look like, and experience the value of making connections."