Service as action is a foundational element of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP). It seeks to develop caring members of the community who act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and their environment. Service as action requires students to engage with their local community through community or personal projects and provides opportunities for students to explore, design, implement, and reflect on their efforts to positively impact their local environment. Through service as action experiences, students learn the value of community participation and gain a deeper understanding of the issues facing their immediate surroundings.
Learning Outcomes
With appropriate guidance and support, Hundred of Hoo 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.
Direct Service is a service that directly affects the person, animals or parks we want to impact. This may include volunteering or cleaning up a park.
Indirect Service might take the form of fundraising or collections. It is the type of service in which pupils are not in the presence of the person or thing you are impacting.
Research involves finding out new information that informs or demands action, for example, collecting scientific data or surveying a group.
Advocacy is when pupils speak up for or against an issue or solution. When we use our voices, we are being advocates. To learn more about Advocacy and Action.
Examples of Service as Action
Letter to Kelly Tolhurst, MP
Year 8 pupils have been studying a book called Stone Cold that explores the issues of a young person coping with homelessness in London. We used this novel to look at homelessness in Medway and the support and help that is available for them. This led to students writing letters to Kelly Tolhurst, MP, to request greater help for the homeless. We were so impressed with the standard of these letters that we sent ten off to Kelly Tolhurst, MP, and we received a great response from her. Well done Year 8 pupils for being such great and concerned citizens!
Spanish School Visit
Following our continued links with Concorde International, at the end of term 1, the Academy welcomed 25 Spanish pupils from the region of Vigo to year 9, 10, 11 and sixth form. Hoo pupils were ‘buddied up’ with their Spanish buddies and spent the week teaching our visitors all about life in the UK, whilst also using this as an opportunity to practise their Spanish skills as well as building their confidence in speaking Spanish. Hoo pupils demonstrated their open minded and principled IB learner profile traits, ensuring that their buddies felt welcomed and comfortable so far away from home. The Spanish buddies were overwhelmingly positive about their experience at the school, and they all thoroughly enjoyed their time spent in the local area, so much so that they wished that they could have stayed longer! Thank you to everyone who took part and supported the buddies whilst they were here. We are looking forward to welcoming more pupils through Concorde International from Spain and Taiwan later in the year.
