Service with Purpose: G-Force Makes an Impact Across the ISI Campus

Across the ISI campus, students are doing meaningful work to keep our campus a beautiful point of pride for our community. The students who are part of G-Force (short for the Gryphon Grounds Force) are fixing, painting, landscaping, and problem-solving. G-Force is an X-Block club where Upper School students contribute directly to the upkeep and improvement of the school, with the help of ISI parents and the Indianapolis community.

Led by Upper School teacher Zach Haley and Upper School Principal Richard Bruford, G-Force gives students the opportunity to take ownership of their surroundings through hands-on service projects. Whether they're fulfilling CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) requirements or Service as Action hours, participants are actively improving the campus while developing practical skills.

A Year of Impact

This year, G-Force students completed a variety of projects, including:

• Regular upkeep and cleaning of the school grounds
• Repainting safety posts in the Blackwell parking lot to reflect school colors
• Building a new protective fence around exterior utilities
• Designing and installing a flower bed and rock feature at the main entrance
• Starting drainage improvement projects for the Lower School playground and the road to the Blackwell building with the help of ISI Parent Paul Aikins
• Partnering with Farnsworth Metals on a metal recycling project 
• Building set pieces for our ISI theater department 

These projects go beyond surface-level improvements. They represent investments in the school community and give students a chance to take responsibility for shared spaces.

Learning by Doing

G-Force projects are hands-on and collaborative. Students learn to plan, build, and problem-solve in real time, developing teamwork, communication, and leadership skills along the way. It’s a practical and impactful way to learn outside the traditional classroom.

A Growing Initiative

What started as a small club has become one of the Upper School’s most popular extracurriculars. To accommodate growing interest, the club now meets three times a week. Students are drawn not just to the work but to the opportunity to make a visible difference across their campus.

G-Force isn’t about extra credit or checking boxes; it’s about showing up, contributing, and taking pride in the place where we learn and grow together.