- How do we live in relation to each other?
- How can I contribute to the community?
- How can I help others?
One of the main goals of the Baccalaureate School for Global
Education’s Middle Years Program is the promotion of
responsible citizenship that deepens students’ knowledge
and understanding of the world around them. Students
are encouraged to make personal connections with their intellectual
and social growth and what they can contribute to local and
global communities. This Area of Interaction reaches
far beyond the classroom, fostering an awareness of international
social realities, reinforcing the importance of community as
well as recognition and respect for human rights.
Community and Service develops:
- Sensitivity to the needs of the community and society in
general
- Awareness of the role of the individual within a community
- A willingness and the skills to respond to the needs of others
- An unselfish attitude which enriches the life of the student
through enhanced insight into different social patterns and
ways of life
- Intercultural awareness, encouraging respect, empathy and
understanding for all people regardless of ethnicity, race,
gender, class, sexual orientation, nationality and/or physical
disability
Students participate in interactive activities that engage them
in constructive and positive action working in diverse social
and cultural environments. These activities will enhance
their education at BSGE and enrich their lives socially, politically
and culturally. Students engage in developmentally appropriate
activities over 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th grades.
The Baccalaureate School for Global Education requires students
in the Middle Years program to complete 100 hours of Community
and Service. Students who later enter the diploma program
are expected to fulfill 150 hours of Creativity, Action and Service
during their junior and senior years. In order
to receive credit, all activities and volunteer service must
be approved by Peter Wilson.
Central Elements of Community and Service in the Middle Years
Program
- Awareness
- Involvement and Service
- Reflection
Community Awareness:
Before students can participate in activities in relation to
their respective community and the global community, they must
develop an awareness of what community is on varying levels.
Fundamental Questions:
- What does community mean?
- What makes a community?
- How are communities similar?
- How are they different?
- What is my role in my school community?
- What is my role in my local community?
- What is my role in the global community?
- How can I make a positive change in these communities?
Through BSGE’s curriculum and school activities outside
of the classroom, students will be given opportunities to develop
an awareness of different communities and their needs. Students
will begin to recognize their own strengths and interests, developing
ways they can contribute positively and practically in their
respective communities. Teachers are all responsible for
the integration of Community and Service by stimulating awareness
and helping students develop their Approaches to Learning skills.
Community Involvement and Service:
Through an increased and substantive awareness of community
issues and challenges, students should develop a desire to respond
to these needs and challenges in a responsible and sincere way. The
student will see himself/herself as an active agent of change,
increasing levels of responsibility and action. At the
same time, by encouraging students to use the talents and skills
they’ve developed at school outside of the classroom, participants
will also build self-esteem. Students in BSGE’s Middle
Years Program are required to become actively engaged in service
activities individually and in groups.
Basic Principles:
- Community and Service activities are a requirement of the
MYP for all students. These activities lead students
through the stages of growth of awareness to responsible
and meaningful autonomous action.
- Each year BSGE students are engaged in a Community and
Service based activity in order to encourage students to
develop a positive response to community needs.
- Activities chosen by students and accepted by BSGE as Community
and Service should reflect the maturity level of the students
and should respect their individual interests and preferences.
- BSGE recognizes and celebrates students for their community
involvement without awarding grades for Community and Service.
Reflection:
Reflection is an essential part of Community and Service. It
encourages a better awareness of local and global community needs
as well as a stronger, more substantive level of response. Through
reflection, students can develop positive attitudes towards their
activities in their respective communities. Reflection
also helps students become more aware of their strengths and
challenges. It allows BSGE staff to efficiently monitor
the quality of Community and Service on individual and school-wide
levels.
To monitor Community and Service at BSGE, students are required
to complete Community and Service intake forms, recording their
monthly activity hours as well as their total service hours for
the semester or year. Students must have their supervisor
approve their calculated hours for each activity they participated
in during the school year and, in some cases, during the summer. Students
are also required to complete a Community and Service reflection
form for each activity, answering the following questions:
- By participating in this activity, what did you learn
about yourself?
- What were the most valuable or rewarding aspects of this
activity?
- What did you find challenging or uncomfortable? Why
did it occur?
- How might this experience change your life?
- Would you recommend this activity to others? Why
or why not?
All Community and Service reflection forms require a supervisor’s
signature. A copy of both the intake and reflection
form must be submitted to BSGE’s Community and Service
coordinator, Peter Wilson. |
