Many international schools in Singapore offer service learning opportunities and community work projects where compassion and selflessness are taught, practiced and ingrained. From working with local NGOs to teaching the less privileged, we hear from students about the meaningful community projects they’ve been involved with.
Tanglin Trust School – local community work project
Tanglin nurtures a sense of service in children from age three, developing understanding of local and global issues and how everyone can make a difference. There are many opportunities for meaningful engagement with the local community and beyond. By Senior School, charities and organisations are not only supported through year group, class and student-led initiatives, but also through the International Duke of Edinburgh and Creativity, Activity and Service projects.
A student shares….
“Personally, Wheels of Hope has been a very rewarding and fulfilling experience. This was where I collected abandoned and broken bikes that were piling up at various places in Singapore to repair them. These were distributed to needy persons and families to use the refurbished bikes as delivery riders to earn additional income or save costs on transport. I’m grateful for the support through the Deirdre Lew Service Award grant through Tanglin, which allowed me to cover the cost of repairs and delivery. I also want to thank all the social workers who have been very helpful in the coordination of requirements and deliveries. I sincerely hope that other students will take on similar community work initiatives and continue rolling the Wheels of Hope to help underprivileged sections of our society and bring a positive change to their lives.” – Yash P, Year 13
95 Portsdown Road
6778 0771 | tts.edu.sg
Dulwich College (Singapore) – service learning at all ages
A key focus of service learning for Dulwich students is to understand world issues. They’re encouraged to proactively make informed choices and decisions throughout their lives so that they can have a positive impact on people and the planet. Students are involved in service learning programmes at all ages, from working with local NGOs in providing meaningful service to the less privileged to spearheading community projects that allow them develop the skills to lead projects in areas they’re passionate about. Senior School students have the opportunity to increase their involvement through co-curricular activities, the DCSG Changemakers programme, the International Award and through Creativity, Activity and Service projects.
A student shares….
“I realised that many of my peers didn’t read conventional news platforms. Instead, their primary source of information and news updates would normally come from personalities and social media influencers, despite knowing that these sources cannot be trusted. So I created LearnGenZ to transform media and reimagine learning. The website and app provides content from the sciences, economics, finance and even politics in a simplified style through podcasts and short articles. My goal is to gather passionate and intellectually curious Gen Zs to share their thoughts with other Gen Zs. With this, everyone across the globe has an equal opportunity to educate and engage themselves in various avenues of interest.” – Jian Moon, Senior School student
71 Bukit Batok West Avenue 8
6890 1003 | singapore.dulwich.org
International Community School (Singapore) – service learning that benefits the community
Service is at the heart of everything at International Community School (ICS). It’s an essential part of the ICS experience and helps students grow into well-rounded, compassionate individuals. Starting from the early years, elementary students are taught to recognise the needs of others and show appreciation through simple acts of kindness. As they progress to high school, students tackle larger community projects and face real-world challenges, putting their time, talents and abilities to good use. Service learning is a tangible way for ICS students to make a difference and have a positive impact on the world around them.
A student shares….
“ICS provides students with many great opportunities to serve on campus in various ways. These include Week Without Walls (WWW), planning for chapel or other great events led by students themselves. The school also allows students to serve in the community, such as volunteering for Willing Hearts, Genesis School, St. Luke’s Eldercare, beach clean-ups and many more. Of all those experiences, being able to participate in WWW was the one that helped me realise what service truly meant. During the week, middle and high school students served together, sacrificing their time and energy to make an impact on the community. Through this, we learned how to live closer with God and we were also able to bond together as a team and a family.” – Stephanie Kim, Grade 8
27A Jubilee Road
6776 7435 | ics.edu.sg
Singapore American School – student-led service learning
At Singapore American School, there are many opportunities for service for students, from kindergarten through to Grade 12, both at school and in the community. Many student-led initiatives have flourished over the years and new ones are constantly being created in response to local and global needs. Students are empowered to make a difference in their communities and develop a commitment to be a responsible global citizen from a young age.
A student shares….
“Over the past few years, I‘ve had the opportunity to work on the Executive Service Council, Singapore American School’s student government counterpart for service. It hasn’t been easy for service club officers with fluctuating regulations. Nevertheless, our service community emerged with innovative and creative solutions. This year, SAS took part in leading the IASAS Service Convention, a service-learning conference led by APAC regions schools and focused on reconnection and transformation during the pandemic. SAS’s Masks for SG, Code for All and Gawad Kalinga service initiatives all lead their own workshops. This conference is being instituted as an annual event, furthering the tenets of meaningful service and, in turn, inspiring the next generation of leaders.” – Ashley Entwistle, Grade 12
40 Woodlands Street 41
6363 3403 | sas.edu.sg
Read more about living in Singapore and here’s our big guide to international schools in Singapore.
