A group of Upper School students and staff marked 20 years of service work with a small West Virginia community by helping to renovate and build local homes.

The town of War, West Virginia, is only a half-day’s drive from Sidwell Friends School, but can seem like another world entirely. For 20 years, Sidwell Friends has partnered with a local nonprofit organization called Big Creek in Action to bring students to participate in service projects while also learning about the economics and politics of the Appalachian coal-mining region once nicknamed “Miner’s City.” 

Over the years, the Sidwell groups have built wheelchair ramps and porches for local homes, renovated aging houses and structures by putting up drywall, insulating walls, building ceilings, painting interiors and exteriors, fixing roofs, and planting trees and flowers. 

This year, a group of 23 rising juniors and seniors made the trip along with chaperones Cate Woodward, assistant director, Auxiliary Programs; John Goldberg, former assistant director, Admissions; Christian Baker, assistant director, Admissions; and Dean Hampers, Upper School math teacher.

“We even had a 25-student waitlist,” says Woodward who organizes the annual service trip where students can earn service hours necessary for graduation. “We are hoping that we can have two groups next year that include students from all of Upper School, not just those heading toward their junior and senior years.”

For Sidwell student Manka M’mari ‘27, one of the most meaningful parts of the experience was seeing the impact of Sidwell students across the decades. At the end of the week-long trip, students sign their names or create a small mural on one of the long corridor walls inside Big Creek in Action’s offices. This year M’Mari helped paint a Sidwell fox. “It felt amazing to leave my mark for such a special cause—and among the names of 20 years of other Sidwell students. I realized that the trip wasn’t just about getting my community service hours done; it was about connecting with others, hearing their stories, and creating a real, lasting impact on the lives of others.”

Other students clearly feel the same way. Cooper Dwight ‘27, who returned for a second year this summer, plans to write his college essay about his experience. Brennan Kneller ‘27, who has been at Sidwell for 12 years and also an Appalachian trip “returner,” says that the experience the last two summers has been one of the highlights of her Sidwell journey. “​​Returning this year, I was able to reconnect with the people we helped last year, and it made me see how much we positively impacted their lives.”

Although the students worked hard on their assigned project sites, there was plenty of downtime. Big Creek in Action Program Director Scottie Perez took the group on hikes and taught them about Appalachian history and current affairs. In previous years, students have heard from a local historian and watched a performance of Appalachian step-foot dancers. While living in the dorm-style building at Big Creek in Action, the group cooks their own food, washes dishes, and cleans up their shared spaces. 

The trip can also get emotional. Students have time to reflect on their lives and their myriad opportunities while also realizing that, no matter one’s circumstances, most people are just doing the best they can. 

Upper School math teacher Jon Mormino remembers the first Appalachia service trip to McDowell County 20 years ago. “I was a chaperone on the very first trip to Carretta, West Virginia. A lot has changed since then; happily, the positive soul of this trip has not. It continues to be about connections and relationships within the Sidwell group and between our group and the McDowell County residents.”

“The magic of this trip is palpable,” adds Woodward. “It makes me, and others, feel honored not only to be a part of the Sidwell community, but also of our community of humans.”