To kick off the 2025-2026 school year, Packer faculty and staff headed out into the city to volunteer with more than 10 different organizations in a first-of-its-kind Community Engagement Day. In all, 250 Packer professionals volunteered with our community partners, getting just a small glimpse into the kinds of meaningful work our students are doing in Brooklyn and beyond every day.

Spearheaded by Packer’s Global Learning and Community Engagement team as part of our “Packer in Action” commitment, the initiative offered educators a hands-on opportunity to give back, deepen connections across departments, and experience the kind of community-based learning embedded in Packer’s student curriculum.

Throughout the afternoon, Packer professionals put the school's core values into action across Brooklyn and Manhattan. Volunteers tended native plants with the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, worked on sustainable green roofs at Brooklyn Grange, and assembled literacy kits with the Brooklyn Public Library. Others packaged nutritious meals alongside teams at God’s Love We Deliver and City Harvest, while colleagues on campus crafted handmade beanies for NICU infants with Madhatter Knits.

"I firmly believe that how we begin the year as Packer professionals sets the tone for how our students will learn: through authentic human relationships and real-world experiences."

— Dr. Jennifer Weyburn, Head of School

By building partnerships across New York City and working shoulder-to-shoulder outside the classroom, Packer educators set a collaborative, mission-driven tone for the school year ahead.