The Eastside Prep community promotes an ethic of citizenship. We believe that respect for self, for learning, and for others is essential to prepare students for a life of change, challenge, and active citizenship.

We work with students throughout our program to develop intellectual character, which is more than an aggregate of academic knowledge and skills—it is a commitment to take active charge of one’s learning and to use it for the purpose of making the world a better place. Being a citizen of a democracy means learning to carry on positive discourse with people who hold diverse views. This discourse begins in the classroom where students are encouraged to express their views, listen to others, and take risks. Students learn to trust and respect multiple viewpoints and one another. All members of the community are expected to be conscientious about creating an environment that nurtures open discussion and encourages action based on deliberation.

Recent learning experiences at Eastside Prep have included: participation in the national Penny Harvest coin drive which included the process of awarding these funds to Camp Korey, a non-profit organization offering camp experiences to seriously ill children and Eastside Domestic Violence Services. Students have also had the opportunity to serve lunch to the homeless at the Family and Adult Services center in Seattle , volunteer at the Treehouse Warehouse, which serves children in foster care, engage in the environmental restoration work at the nearby Watershed Park in Kirkland, build a cob oven at Islandwood, and paint a school in Costa Rica.