Pingree School has been the site for events such as meetings, workshops, athletic competitions, receptions, exhibitions, and staff development days for various town and school departments. In support of community organizations, the school’s facilities have hosted the Hamilton-Wenham Rotary Club, Habitat for Humanity fundraisers, the Hamilton Public Library, the Wenham Museum, Beverly Hospital, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Essex County Community Foundation, the Cape Ann Youth Symphony Chorus, the Special Olympic Assessment Tournament, and the American Red Cross, among others. In addition, the school is the site for an emergency broadcast antenna serving the towns of Hamilton, Topsfield, and Ipswich.

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Each year, Pingree’s playing fields are used by thousands of young athletes participating in the Essex County Youth Soccer tournaments and regional field hockey and cross country tournaments. In addition, Babe Ruth teams from the towns of Hamilton, Wenham, Manchester, Essex and Topsfield use Pingree’s baseball field at no cost, and the Hamilton-Wenham Youth Lacrosse program plays on Pingree’s fields for a nominal fee. Masconomet and Hamilton youth basketball teams use Pingree’s basketball courts at times during the season as needed. During the year, the Hamilton-Wenham Recreation Department uses Pingree's gymnasium for its volleyball teams. In addition, the H. Alden Johnson Ice Rink hosts numerous tournaments, teams, and clinics conducted by local schools and organizations throughout the year. Rink time has also been donated for local fundraisers. Each fall, the school hosts the regional Special Olympics soccer assessment, Shore Tour de Cure. Pingree’s Athletics Department also offers intern positions to Endicott College students each year.

Pingree School works with local residents through cooperative efforts and open dialogue to ensure that the quality of life in the surrounding neighborhoods is not adversely affected by the traffic patterns that are inherently part of a day school. The school has worked cooperatively with the Hamilton Conservation Commission and the Essex County Trails Association to complete a beaver mitigation project needed to deter beavers from building dams that adversely affect both horse riding and cross country trails. In order to protect the Essex Watershed, only organic fertilizers are used on the school’s grounds and fields. The school is routinely notified when “the hunt” will be coming through, and all Pingree drivers are respectfully aware of the possibility of horses crossing the property.

Theater

Pingree’s theater program is very active in the community at large, producing shows that are advertised as family entertainment along with stage tours, study guides, and special events. In past years, students have brought theater workshops and performances to local elementary schools. Groups from local educational organizations, social service agencies, assisted-living facilities, etc. are given a significant discount on ticket prices.

In recent years, the North of Boston Arts Center and Fred Films have used our theater to showcase their work. Colleges and universities also host student receptions here.

Arts Service

Service to the community is an integral part of Pingree’s arts program. Community service and interaction in other areas of the arts include an Empty Bowl Event in which Pingree student and adult potters create ceramic bowls that are purchased at a special dinner to raise money for local homeless shelters and soup kitchens. Pingree musicians perform at holiday fundraisers at the House of Seven Gables in Salem; are invited to perform for benefit events for the Samaritans, an organization dedicated to preventing suicide; and supply holiday caroling at Beverly Hospital. They also participate annually in Shore Country Day School's Acapalooza and have appeared at auctions to support the Beverly School of Kenya and Homes for Our Troops.

Always seeking new ways to connect with the community through music, Pingree students create programs and concerts to benefit local organizations and to share their love of music with children from neighboring towns. These events, frequently organized as senior projects, have included an Art Day for Wellspring House and an introduction to Mozart and other classical music for younger students from Lawrence.

The Bertolon Family Art Gallery at Pingree School mounts several shows each year, often featuring the work of local artists. The Gallery is open free to the public every day during the school year.

Additionally, the two-month Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree is a free, public outdoor exhibition of 50+ pieces created by artists from across New England, many from the North Shore region. Local community and school groups are invited to attend and to meet the artists at an opening reception each fall.

Pingree Day Camp provides vouchers for free camp sessions to local public and private schools and other community organizations. Families who apply and qualify for financial aid are granted a free session of Pingree camp.

Pingree also hosts classes that are open to non-Pingree students throughout the year, including SAT/ACT test prep courses and college application guidance.

The Malcolm Coates Prep@Pingree program provides an ongoing academic and cultural enrichment program for talented students from underrepresented communities. Several Prep@Pingree alumni are enrolled as full-time students at Pingree School. Through Prep@Pingree, Pingree School enjoys partnerships with several Lawrence and Lynn middle schools, Boys & Girls Clubs and various other agencies that support Lawrence and Lynn children.

Pingree's Service Learning and Civic Engagement program allows students to get involved with a number local service institutions, including but not limited to Beverly Bootstraps, the Cape Ann Food Pantry, Wellspring House, Northeast Animal Shelter, and Open Door Food Pantry. Pingree students also coordinate food drives and clothing drives as well as seasonal outreach to local agencies supporting those in need. Moreover, students are involved in environmental initiatives, building awareness of important global issues.

Volunteerism is encouraged and valued at all levels by all members of the community. The school sees these opportunities as concrete ways to fulfill our mission of instilling compassion in our students as well as honoring our commitment to the world at large.

The economic impact of Pingree School to the local community can be quantified in several ways. The school’s operating budget includes a total yearly payroll and benefits of $5,853,598, and Pingree has approximately 100 employees, a number of whom reside in Hamilton or Wenham. Both resident and non-resident members of Pingree’s student body and faculty and staff frequently patronize local restaurants and merchants, and the school makes an effort to utilize local businesses for its needs. Each year, Pingree educates between 30-40 students who reside within the Hamilton-Wenham school district. The school paid $633,280 in taxes, utilities and fees last year, and paid $225,000 in interest to a local debt holder. The school maintains its property and grounds with the utmost care, and capital expenditures during the last five years have totaled over $12 million.