Christopher Coates, Secondary Principal
Many schools, especially international schools, have well organised programmes that provide opportunities for students to participate in volunteer service activities. These experiences can happen within the school, within the local community, or within a broader international scope that involves travel. In many educational institutions, participation in service work is an essential condition of graduation.
Currently at TIS, some of our students participate in community service work through our Service Club. Others get a taste of volunteerism on Experience Week trips. Like other international schools in the region, promoting the continued development of a ‘service culture’ at TIS is an important goal for our school community.
Much of the academic research about service clearly articulates that the motivation for involving students in service work is inspired by five key developmental outcomes:
1. Social Development
2. Personal & Moral Development
3. Vocational Development
4. Academic Achievement
5. Community/Citizenship Development
Social Development
Students who do volunteer service work show increased levels of personal and social responsibility, higher self esteem, improved peer relationships, enhanced leadership skills, career awareness, and identity development (Conrad & Hedin).
Personal & Moral Development
Service related activities can lead to the development of positive character traits (namely, feelings of empathy), growing self esteem, improved creativity and problem solving skills, higher levels of resilience, and increased levels of tolerance and social responsibility (Rutter & Newman).
Vocational Development
Engaging in volunteer work can stimulate career and occupational direction, provide the opportunity to develop leadership skills, and involve students in life-relevant learning that often has a persuasive impact on post-secondary academic and career choices (Wade & Saxe).
Academic Achievement
Service work can lead to improved academic and life skills (i.e,. problem solving, organisational skills and time management), increased subject knowledge (especially when the service work is connected to specific academic subjects), improved higher order thinking skills, more confidence when encountering unfamiliar problems, and even improved attendance and grades (Shumer & Belbas).
Community/Citizenship Development
Volunteerism helps develop ‘active’ citizens who become future policy developers and implementers. It socialises youth into productive roles in society and can help to meet the needs of a community (ie. public safety, education, environment, health care, human needs). It strengthens the bonds of a community by developing community relationships. It promotes a more global perspective of the world and a strong sense of international mindedness (Yates & Youniss).
As the research suggests, without a well developed service programme at a school, students may never tap into these productive and rewarding experiences that can have a significant positive impact on their lives. If we value character development as well as academic achievement, service work should be an equal partner in a balanced educational programme.
While schools, churches, and families all play an important role in shaping volunteerism, the most predictive variable is attending a school that encouraged or required community service (Sundeen & Raskoff).
As we move towards the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) at TIS, we all need to recognise the value this programme places upon service to the community. A critical component of the IBDP is the CAS Programme (Creativity, Activity, Service). CAS is an important part of what is known as the CORE of the IB Diploma. CAS requires that students achieve specific outcomes in the area of Service if they are to obtain their IB diploma. The IBDP formalises this requirement as a ‘condition’ of completing a very rigorous and balanced programme. At TIS, participation in ongoing service work and the service activities associated with Experience Week is an expectation.
In my view, establishing service work as a prerequisite for graduation is extrinsic in nature. It pushes students to engage in wonderful experiences that they might normally avoid. Sometimes, mandatory participation is the necessary impetus to involve students who might otherwise miss out. I am supportive of such policies if needed; however, I’m much more drawn to the intrinsic rewards associated with participation in a community service programme. Volunteerism is challenging, rewarding, and fun. Furthermore, achieving a service culture at TIS will help our community strive toward building empathy, compassion, and sound character. To the point…it makes us all better people.
Sources
Conrad, Dan & Hedin, Diane. School-based Community Service: What We Know from
Research and Theory.
Raskoff, Sally A. & Sundeen, Richard A. Community Service Programs in High Schools.
Root, Susan C. School-Based Service: A Review of Research for Teacher Educators.
Rutter, Robert A. & Newman Fred M. The Potential of Community Service to Enhance
Civic Responsibility.
Shumer, Robert & Belbas, Brad. What We Know About Service Learning.
Sundeen, Richard & Raskoff, Sally. Teenage Volunteers and their Values.
Wade, Rahima C. & Saxe, David W. Community Service-Learning in Social Studies:
Historical Roots, Empirical Evidence, Critical Issues.
Yates, Miranda & Youniss, James. Community Service and Political-Moral Identity in
Adolescents.
Yates, Miranda & Youniss, James. A Developmental Perspective on Community Service
in Adolescence.
澳門國際學校推廣「服務文化」
中學部校長Christopher Coates
許多學校，特別是國際學校，都會為學生設立特別課程，讓同學參與在校、社區性甚至是海外的志願服務。對許多教育機構而言，參與社會服務是畢業條件之一。
本校有一部份學生透過義工組參與社區服務，亦有一部份是透過學校體驗週來認識志願工作的意義。正如鄰近地區的國際學校一樣，促進「服務文化」是本校的教學重點。
眾多針對「服務」的學術研究清楚顯示，驅使學生參與服務工作的動機源於以下五項關鍵的個人發展成果：
1. 群體生活技能發展
2. 個人及德育發展
3. 職業技能發展
4. 學業成就
5. 社區／公民發展
社會發展
Conrad和Hedin：「有參與志願工作的學生對於個人及社會責任、自尊、改善朋輩關係、增強領導才能、生涯發展意識以及自我認同等方面，均表現出較高的水平。」
個人及道德發展
Rutte和Newman：「〖服務」有助發展積極的態度（即情感或同情）、發展自尊、提升創意和解決問題的能力、增加個適應能力以及包忍度和提升社會責任感。」
職業發展
Wade和Saxe：「參與志願工作除可對生涯規劃及職業方向起促進作用外，還可發展領導才能、讓學生參與跟實際生活有關的學習，這種學習往往對其將來的高等教育及職業取向具有利的影響。」
學業成就
Shumer和Belbas：「參與服務工作有助提升學術及生活技能（如：解決問題的能力、組織能力和時間管理等方面）、增進學科知識（尤其服務與特定科目有關連）、有條理的思考力、自信地面對困難、以及改善出勤和成績。」
社區／公民發展
Yates和Youniss：「志願服務有助學生發展成為「積極」公民未來政策制定者和實施者，讓年輕人在社會定位，滿足社會需要（如公眾安全、教育、環境、健康以及人性需求）。它透過發展社區關係加強互動，更促進了其世界觀和國際視野。」
如研究顯示，若學校教育缺乏完善的服務性質計劃，學生可能就此錯過了對他們的生活具正面影響的寶貴經驗。若我們視個性發展與學術成就同樣重要，那麼志願服務便是均衝教育課程的重要一環。
Sundeen和Raskoff：「雖然學校、教會和家庭都對志願服務項目貢獻良多，但最重要還是由學校提拱及鼓勵學生參與服務的機會。」
當本校朝著實施IBDP國際文憑課程時，我們有必要認同服務社區的價值。CAS（創造力、活動、服務）除了是組成IBDP的重要部份外，更是課程的核心價值。CAS要求修讀IBDP課程的學生在服務領域上取得特定的成績。這些要求會被視作為完成IBDP的「條件」。學校期望學生參與志願服務工作及於體驗週中進行相關活動。
於本人看來，以參與服務工作作為畢業的先決條件很合理，這有助推動學生參與一些能獲得寶貴人生經驗的活動，而他們一般都選擇避免參與這些活動。有時候為免學生錯失機會，強制參與是必要的。如有需要，本人也支持這種政策。只是相對而言，我更傾向於以奬勵的形式鼓勵學生參與社區服務計劃。志願服務是一項具挑戰性、有回報以及有趣的活動項目。除此之外，志願服務還有助我們建立更富同情心和具良好品格的學習型社區，最終讓我們成為更好的人。