Community and Service

Community and service starts in the classroom and extends beyond it.

Integrated in the curriculum

Giving importance to the sense of community throughout the programme encourages responsible citizenship as it seeks to deepen the knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

The emphasis is on developing community awareness and concern, and the skills needed to make an effective contribution to society. Students are encouraged to make connections between their intellectual and social growth thereby refining their affective, creative and ethical as well as cognitive development.

The active part

Besides the fact that it has an important part in the curriculum, Community and Service also requires students to take an active part in the communities in which they live.

Service involves interaction, such as the building of links with individuals or groups in the community.  The community may be the school, the local district or it may exist on national and international levels (such as undertaking projects of assistance in a developing country).  Service activities should not only involve doing things for others but also doing things with others and developing a real commitment with them.  The relationship should therefore show respect for the dignity of others. 

The school community may work together to identify a school project.  This project may be within or outside the school community.  Work may be chosen in association with an agency organization, government organization or with an individual.

By completing services to the community, students will develop attitudes and values that focus on the rights and responsibilities to care for and improve the communities in which they live.

What students think

Here are some comments of AICS-students:

“ My community is where I live.  That’s why I like it to be organized.”
“I think we should help people who don’t have a home.”
“I would like to help poor kids who have no education.”
“I care about the people around me because they are important to me and I respect them.”
“ I want to make poverty history, stop hunger in Africa and stop prostitution.”
“My parents split up…maybe I can be a listener for other kids whose parents are divorced.”
“My community is in my heart!”

Read about World Citizenship