How an 80-hour service requirement and a competitive summer fellowship turn civic values into real practice
Quick Answer for Busy Parents
The Norton Family Center for the Common Good anchors Loomis Chaffee’s 80-hour community service graduation requirement and runs the Norton Fellows program, a competitive summer fellowship open to rising juniors and seniors. Fellows design and implement a four- to six-week summer project connected to themes of the common good, then serve the following academic year as models of engaged citizenship, community-mindedness, and purposeful education.
An 80-Hour Requirement, Not a Suggestion
Many schools encourage community service; Loomis Chaffee requires 80 hours of it for graduation, a substantial, non-negotiable commitment woven directly into the path to a diploma. That structure treats civic engagement as a core academic requirement on par with coursework, not an optional extracurricular activity students can skip if they’re busy with other commitments.
Why 80 Hours, Specifically?
A requirement this substantial, spread across four years of high school, gives students enough sustained time to move beyond one-off volunteer events into more meaningful, ongoing community involvement, the kind of engagement that actually builds real skills and relationships rather than checking a box.
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Norton Fellows: A Self-Designed Summer Project
Beyond the graduation requirement, the Norton Center runs the Norton Fellows program, open only to rising juniors and seniors, who apply by designing their own four- to six-week summer project connected to themes of the common good. The selection committee evaluates project viability and scale for a summer break, alongside the applicant’s own character, maturity, dependability, and communication skills, not just the idea itself.
| Element | Detail |
| Eligibility | Rising juniors and seniors only |
| Project Length | 4 to 6 weeks, implemented over the summer |
| Application Requirements | Application, faculty recommendation, and a recommendation from an adult outside Loomis Chaffee |
| Post-Project Commitment | Serve the following academic year as a model of engaged citizenship |
Why Require Fellows to Lead After Their Project Ends
The Norton Fellows program doesn’t end when the summer project does. Fellows commit to serving the following academic year as models of engaged citizenship, community-mindedness, and purposeful education, a commitment the program describes as taking many different forms decided case by case. That structure ensures the fellowship’s impact extends well beyond a single summer, embedding what fellows learn back into the Loomis Chaffee community itself.
A Program Built for Sustained Impact
Requiring fellows to continue their engagement into the school year, rather than treating the summer project as a self-contained achievement, reflects the Norton Center’s broader goal: building lasting habits of civic engagement, not just a single impressive summer experience for a college application.
The Norton Family Center for the Common Good makes civic engagement a genuine, structured part of a Loomis Chaffee education, from the 80-hour graduation requirement to the competitive, self-directed Norton Fellows program.
Cardinal Education supports families by guiding students through project development and application strategy, ensuring they effectively align their personal values with Loomis Chaffee’s civic initiatives.
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