Student Life

Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement

List of 1 items.

  • Building Character

    At Gould Academy, we believe that civic engagement builds character and our goal is for all our students to actively participate and engage in service projects throughout the year. Service supports our mission of developing independent and ethical-minded students who are performative in our dynamic world and as such, we are intentional about the organizations which we support.

Civic Engagement Focus

Our program aims to promote:
Social and civic responsibility by making students aware of the needs in our community and many of the larger issues facing society.
Building character by instilling a sense of civic-mindedness and developing moral and ethical values.

Multicultural understanding through collaborating with others in our community, often bridging cultural, partisan, and economic divides to address common issues of concern.  

Partnerships

Here are just a few of the organizations where Gould students have volunteered
  • Maine Immigration and Refugee Services
  • Immigrant Resource Center
  • Bethel District Exchange Food Pantry
  • Good Shepherd Food Bank
  • Partners for World Health
  • Maine Adaptive
  • Preble Street

Partnering with Mobilserve

MobileServe is a resource available to all Gould students that easily tracks and shares all of the volunteer work students do. Students will also use the app to discover opportunities like the programs listed below.

Current students can access the MobileServe App here.

Summer Service Learning Programs
Download the PDF to learn about all the volunteer opportunities available to Gould students.

Potential Civic Engagement Opportunities

(All service will be organized as either No-Contact or Low-Contact Opportunities until circumstances dictate that we can safely resume in-person activities)

Archival Work
  • YWCA: Historical materials/records project.
  • Safe Voices: Assist in cataloging historical documents
  • MBHS (Museums of the Bethel Historical Society): Community programs, lectures, and community events. 
The Arts
  • ArtVan & Arts Programming at Hillview Family Development: Mobile arts therapy work 
  • BAAM (Bethel Area Arts and Music): Helping to create an arts-inspired community.
Curriculum/Outreach Material Development
  • Boys and Girls Club: Youth programming.
  • The River Fund
  • Mahoosuc Kids: Enrichment activities for elementary school students.
  • Maine Mineral and Gem Museum
  • Bethel Library Association: Literacy programs and community engagement.
Food Accessibility
  • Bethel District Exchange Food Pantry
  • Hope Haven Gospel Mission
  • Trinity Soup Kitchen
  • Lots to Gardens: Community gardening.
  • Good Shepherd Food Bank
  • Preble Street
  • St. Mary’s Nutrition Center
  • Calvary Methodist Church
Fundraising
  • Team Hailey Hugs: Fundraising in support of families living with childhood cancers.
  • Bethel Outing Club: Fundraising to support local access to outdoor activities for all community members.
  • Rotary Club of Bethel: Help with community fundraisers.
Immigrant Integration Programming
  • Immigrant Resource Center of Maine: English conversation partners and clothing drive organization.
  • *MEIRS (Maine Immigration and Refugee Services): English conversation partners and citizenship classes to a largely refugee/immigrant population.
  • YWCA: Conversational English with non-native speakers. 
Marketing and Social Media
  • Community Concepts: Help with the annual campaign, photography, videography, editing videos, etc.
  • Literacy Volunteers: Provide technical support for tutors regarding the use of Zoom as a teaching tool for adults.
Mentoring
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters: One-on-one weekly one-hour matches with elementary school children.
  • The Telling Room: Mentoring young writers by helping them to develop their stories and poems. 
Sports Programming
  • Lewiston Recreation Department: Assistance and expertise from student-athletes for soccer, field hockey, volleyball, and basketball.
  • Maine Adaptive: Recreational programs that teach adaptive sports activities to people with disabilities, ages four and up.
  • Maine Ski and Snowboard Museum: Help with the creation of exhibits and displays focused on the rich history of snow sports.
  • Dempsey Center: Annual run/ride fundraising drive.
  • Portland Gear Hub: Help running programs and events as well as recycling gear.
Tutoring and Enrichment Programs
  • Tree Street Youth: Tutoring and college prep for middle- and high-school students
  • Lewiston Public Library: homework help for high school students and reading through the BookReach program to preschoolers.  
  • Root Cellar: Tutoring youth, English and Enrichment classes for refugees.
  • Promise Early Education: Head Start program. 
Volunteer Work
  • New Beginnings: Diverse work for a teen shelter.
  • Community Youth Services: Assistance to at-risk youth
  • Partners for World Health: Sorting, evaluating, and repackaging medical supplies.
  • Hope Association: Service in support of an organization for those with developmental disabilities.
  • River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition: Projects focused on community initiatives and quality of life issues.
  • Rumford Group Homes: Projects to benefit emergency shelters.
  • Mahoosuc Land Trust:  Work on conservation of habitat and recreational areas.
  • University of Maine 4-H Camp & Learning Center at Bryant Pond: Work on projects to facilitate and support young campers and programs.
  • Inland Woods and Trails: Trailbuilding and event support.
Work with Animals
  • Sunday River Wildlife: Rescue and Rehabilitation of injured wildlife.
  • The Whole Horse Experience & Educational Equine Sanctuary: Helping people through work with rescue and rehab horses.
39 Church Street P.O. Box 860 Bethel, Maine 04217  |  Phone: 207-824-7777
Independent High School for Boys and Girls | Grades 9-12, Postgraduate and Winter Term for Grades 7-8 | Boarding School in the Mountains of Maine

Gould Academy guides students to be creative, courageous and resilient and to lead lives of fulfillment and purpose.