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Heart of Service

Service Learning Overview:

At Robinson School Service Learning is an integral component of our school’s mission, is embedded within the teaching and learning process of the Spiritual Life Program.

In addition, students are encouraged to continue to offer service to the community beyond the expectations of the Spiritual Life Service-Learning program. Service is an act of community, and as such, Robinson students are encouraged to support and participate in the learning experiences of their peers.

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Program Objectives:

Social Impact

To facilitate student-led investigation, design and implementation of meaningful service-learning actions and experiences that meet an identifiable need and have demonstrable social impact.

Reflection

To promote reflection on significant experiences throughout the program to inform problem-solving and choices.

Personal Development

To elevate the personal development of students as effective communicators and as principled, caring and open-minded members of the community that embrace a legacy of positive contribution to school, local and world communities.

Program Structure:

1st-5th

Grades

We encourage our youngest learners and their families to participate in all our service learning initiatives.

6th

Grade

PYP Exhibition Project – group-based community action initiatives with culminating Exhibition Showcase.

7th

Grade

Students create group-based or individual service-learning initiatives with a school-centric focus. One Spiritual Life class per cycle is dedicated to Service Learning.

8th

Grade

Students create group-based or individual service-learning initiatives with a school or local community focus. One Spiritual Life class per cycle is dedicated to Service Learning.

9th

Grade

Students create group-based or individual service-learning initiatives with a school, local and/or global community focus. One Spiritual Life class per cycle is dedicated to Service Learning.

10th

Grade

Each student’s MYP/PW Personal Project will feature an element of social impact/service-learning. Strongly recommended to include service-learning initiatives that can be continued as part of the 11/12th grade CAS Program. One Spiritual Life class per cycle is dedicated to Service Learning and mentored by PP supervisor.

11th

Grade

DP CAS or CP CAS – Individual experiences combining planned/unplanned singular and ongoing experiences across the areas of Creativity, Activity and Service. One Spiritual Life class per cycle is dedicated to Service Learning and mentored by CAS Coordinator, Chaplain or faculty mentor.

12th

Grade

DP CAS or CP CAS – Individual experiences combining planned/unplanned singular and ongoing experiences across the areas of Creativity Activity and Service. One Spiritual Life class per cycle is dedicated to Service Learning and mentored by CAS Coordinator, Chaplain or faculty mentor. Each student will prepare a CAS presentation during which they will showcase their CAS experience for peers and community.

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Legacy of Service:

Throughout an individual student’s progress through the Spiritual Life/Service-Learning program at Robinson, each student will develop and maintain a portfolio of meaningful service-learning experiences.

While the Department of Education requires a minimum of 40 hours of service to the community as a requirement for graduation, a Robinson student who participates fully in the Service Learning Program each year can expect to far surpass this minimum requirement while leaving a legacy of positive impact on the community and developing personally, ethically and spiritually.

CATEGORIES OF SERVICE

Service can take many forms. Usually the ” service ” in service learning can be
classified as direct service, indirect service, advocacy, or research.

Direct Service

Students' service directly affects and involves the recipients. The interactions are person-to-person and face -to-face, such as tutoring young children or working with refugees. Students engaged in direct service learn about caring for others who are different in age or experience, develop problem- solving skills by following a sequence from beginning to end, and see "the big picture" of a social justice issue. Interacting with animals is also included in direct service, as is on-site environmental work, such as beach clean-up, or constructing park benches.

Indirect Service

With indirect activities students do not see the recipients, however, their actions benefit the community or environment as a whole. Examples can include stocking a food pantry, donating picture books to a preschool literacy program, collecting clothing for families living in a shelter, or creating a news letter for a retirement community. Students engaging in indirect service learn about cooperation, working as a team, taking on different roles, organizing and prioritizing.

Advocacy

The intent of advocacy is to create awareness of or promote action on an issue of public interest. Central to the word is voc, which is Latin for voice. Through advocacy students provide a voice for an issue, particularly when members of a population may not be able to speak for themselves. Related activities include writing letters, sponsoring a town meeting, performing a play, public speaking. Student advocates learn about perseverance and understanding rules, systems and processes. They also experience civic engagement and working with adults.

Research

Research activities involve students finding, gathering, and reporting on information in the public interest. For example, students may develop surveys or conduct formal studies, evaluations, experiments, or interviews. They may test water or soil, check the speed of cars passing by their school, or conduct environmental surveys. By participating in research- based  service learning, students learn how to gather information, make discriminating judgement, and work systematically. This leads to enhanced skills in organization, assessment and evaluation.

Monitoring Service Learning - MobileServe App:

Students in Grades 7-12 maintain a service learning portfolio and resume through the MobileServe App.

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