An integrated approach to service learning
An integrated approach to service learning involves embedding service projects within the academic curriculum so that students connect their classroom learning with real-world applications. Rather than simple community service, students engage in a thoughtful, structured approach that includes investigation, preparation, action, reflection, and demonstration of impact. This process allows them to apply their academic knowledge to address community needs, ensuring that students' efforts are meaningful and lasting as they gain practical skills and develop a sense of civic responsibility and global awareness.
Service learning in practice
This integrated approach is prioritized at The International School Yangon (ISY), where authentic connections are made to link academic learning with meaningful action. This approach empowers ISY students to become active, compassionate citizens prepared to address complex issues locally and globally.
The Chinthe Fund plays a crucial role in supporting service learning initiatives. This fund focuses the school's work and helps students make real contributions to their community. ISY supports three service organizations through the Chinthe Fund: Care for the Least Center (CLC), Yangon Animal Shelter, and Kalihtaw School. The students partner with these organizations for hands-on opportunities to conduct needs assessments, plan projects, and build connections, enriching their education and the lives of those they serve. For example, students have been involved in planning and building two new dormitories and addressing health needs by organizing and participating in mobile health clinics, all significantly improving the health and living conditions of the children at CLC.
Similarly, at the Yangon Animal Shelter, students gain hands-on experiences and learn about animal welfare and responsible community engagement. The ISY student-driven solar energy program also greatly enhances the lives of those we serve, bringing much-needed electricity to the communities. By also aligning the many school projects with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), students at ISY gain a local and global perspective on the issues they tackle.
Preparing students for a global future
Nick Sturmey, the Service Learning Coordinator at ISY and a school veteran, says, “ISY's long-standing commitment to service learning both enhances students' academic learning and equips them with the knowledge, skills, and values to make a difference in the community. Students gain essential skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking as they engage with real-world challenges.”
The International School Yangon has committed to prioritizing service learning so that the school's mission and vision—centered on compassion, global citizenship, lifelong learning, and the empowerment of students to be a force for positive change, are fully realized.
