Service and Action

What is Service as Action?

During Community and Service time we work together or alone on various projects within the school and wider community.

Community “a group of people living in the same place or having particular

Service “the action of helping or doing work for

Service “the action of helping or doing work for

 Why do we do Service as Action?

We do service as part of our development as balanced, caring, internationally-minded students. This develops from action we take in PYP to CAS (Creativity, Action, Service). In thinking about others and interacting with the community it gives us opportunities to become part of our local community and to reflect on how we are connected with those 

What is action?

Action is learning by doing and experiencing

What types of action can we take?

There are four types of action that we can take:

Direct service
Students have interaction that involves people, the environment or animals.
Examples include one-on-one tutoring, developing a garden alongside refugees, or teaching dogs behaviours to prepare them for adoption.

Indirect service
Though students do not see the recipients during indirect service, they have verified that their actions will benefit the community or environment.
Examples include redesigning an organization’s website, writing original picture books to teach a language, or raising fish to restore a stream.

Advocacy
Students speak on behalf of a cause or concern to promote action on an issue of public interest.
Examples include initiating an awareness campaign on hunger in the community, performing a play on replacing bullying with respect, or creating a video on sustainable water solutions.

Research

Students collect information through varied sources, analyse data and report on a topic of importance to influence policy or practice.Examples include conducting environmental surveys to influence their school, contributing to a study of animal migration patterns, or compiling the most effective means to reduce litter in public spaces.

Service And Action In The MYP

Action (learning by doing and experiencing) is a key component in constructivist models of education, including the kind of teaching and learning common to all IB programmes. Service, as a subset of action, has always been a shared value of the IB community. IB learners strive to be caring members of the community who demonstrate a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

Service requires that students are able to build authentic connections between what they learn in the classroom and what they encounter in the community. When connected to classroom learning, the experience of service offers opportunities to apply concepts, both skills and knowledge, as students explore the community in its complexity, gain personal insight, develop existing and new skills, and grow in confidence and responsibility as they become “actors” in the “real world” beyond school. Teachers in our school engage students in applying subject matter to developing plans and partnerships to meet real identified needs using a service learning model. Experiencing a service learning approach within an academic class becomes a critical and essential process for students.

Guided or classroom learning that leads to action addressing an authentic community need is most meaningful when allowing for student initiative that incorporates their interests, skills and talents.

By reflecting on their service experience, students may gain a greater awareness of the community and world they live in, and their role and responsibility in improving the lives of themselves and others.

Service For and With Others

Service activities should evolve beyond simply doing for others to engaging with others in a shared commitment towards the common good. Meaningful service requires understanding of an underlying issue such as poverty, literacy or pollution, and authenticating the need for this service. Meaningful service includes interaction, such as building links with individuals or groups in the community.

MYP Learning Outcomes for Service

With appropriate guidance and support, MYP students should, through their engagement with service as action:

• become more aware of their own strengths and areas for growth
• undertake challenges that develop new skills
• discuss, evaluate and plan student-initiated activities
• persevere in action
• work collaboratively with others
• develop international-mindedness through global engagement, multilingualism and intercultural understanding
• consider the ethical implications of their actions.

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As a student what do I need to do in order to for fill my service and action requirements?

■   Service and Action is an area in which each student is assessed and where a passing grade is needed in order to receive the MYP Diploma at the end of Grade 10.

■   In Grades 6-10, students are encouraged to participate in community and service-based activities. 

■   By Grades 9-10, students should be able to show personal initiative through their S&A choices and activities.

■   Each student is required to complete three S&A activities per year, with at least one of these activities reflecting on a service activity.

Students in Grade 9 and 10 will also be interviewed, at the end of the year, by their homeroom teachers, Service and Action Coordinator and/or the MYP Coordinator. The students should be able to report and highlight their activities in Service and Action, and support their arguments with evidence, such as photos or supervisors' statements

What Service and Action has already occurred at 

A.I.S?

The service and action that has occurred at A.I.S has been mostly teacher driven which has meant students have participated / assisted but they haven't initiated it. This is ok in the earlier MYP years as it is hopefully a stepping stone to allow them to take more ownership in the future years. 

Under 8's Day

Year 6 / 7 ran a active, fun filled day for years 1 and 2. Students had to design a station that students could enjoy while being outside in the sun. Below are photos of the planning process and the actual day.

Peacelympics

 Service and Action at A.I.S already displayed in the school

Our first form of completely student driven action. Jessica has been volunteering to play piano at retirement homes. She was even in the newspaper. Well done Jessica!

Teachers demonstrating Action in the Local Community

Students in other MYP schools demonstrating Service and Action

Unsure of what you could do. Here are some ideas.

Students thinking of possible ideas for service and action connected to their subjects

Other examples of possible 

Service and Action Activities

Road duty.

Run after school MYP clubs (teacher as helper).

Buddy system – Be a “buddy” for new students or EY during break and lunch.

Picking up rubbish around school on a certain day of the week.

Visiting a Care home.

Helping teachers supervise at school.

Be a part of the school marketing team and help with things such as designing banners and if

Organize sporting events within houses.

Invite and organize a visit of an expert (inside and outside of school) to talk about issues

 Teaching a group of students, possibly your house group or other houses, a new skill.

 Any meaningful activity that has been initiated by a student e.g. visiting an orphanage or a

children’s hospital.

What is not Service and Action?

Babysitting or cleaning for family

Donating money

Playing on a sports team, performing arts team, fulfilling household chores/duties, attending

Projects or activities in which students receive money, a gift or prize do not fulfill the 

requirements of service