Putting Community Into Action: Smith-Moore Service Learning Day

Following Tuesday morning’s all-school conversation with A Long Talk, New Hampton students spent the afternoon putting ideas about allyship, action, and community into practice during Smith-Moore Service Learning Day.

Across 58 groups, student and their advisors traveled throughout the Lakes Region to lend a hand at nearly 30 community organizations and public spaces. Their work looked different from place to place: students removed invasive species along the waterfront, worked on local trails, cleaned up beaches and public spaces, helped farms prepare for the changing season, and took on projects at community centers, churches, and other local organizations.

Others spent the afternoon building connections—supporting residents at senior living communities, working alongside youth programs, visiting the New Hampshire Veterans Home, and helping at the New Hampshire SPCA through animal enrichment activities and shelter work.

Some projects were visible immediately: a cleared trail, a cleaned-up shoreline, a freshly painted space. Others were quieter, measured in conversations, shared activities, or simply showing up where help was needed.

At the same time, our student leaders continued their work with A Long Talk, taking on a different kind of service: helping cultivate the skills and conversations that strengthen the New Hampton community itself. Their ongoing role reflects an important part of the day’s message—that leadership is not simply about holding a title or leading your peers, but about recognizing where you can contribute and taking responsibility for the community around you.

Together, the afternoon offered a tangible reminder that community engagement is not always about finding the biggest way to make a difference. Sometimes, it begins with paying attention to what a community needs, offering your time and skills, and being willing to get to work.

For all New Hampton students, Smith-Moore Service Learning Day was an opportunity to turn that morning’s conversation into action—and to see themselves as people who can contribute to the communities around them.