MYP Service as Action

Service as Action at ACS Egham

Service is an important value in the IB community. In the MYP at ACS Egham, each student has the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others or the environment through our Service as Action programme and through their individual commitment to service. Each student in grades 6 - 10 will undertake an Service Project independently, which is chosen by the students in advisory. Students can choose a project that relates to a local, global, or environmental issue. Service learning offers a reliable process for applying accumulated knowledge and skills to meet authenticated community needs. MYP students also engage in a Service as Action activity within the currriculum. In each year of MYP, there are service opportunities built into the curriculum. Service activities should evolve beyond doing for others to engaging with others in a shared commitment towards the common good.

Through your MYP Service you will be able to positively influence your school, local, and/or global community.

ACS Schools value service with others as an important way to engage in principled action across a range of overlapping local and global communities. Through responsible service and action, tightly connected with sustained inquiry and critical reflection, students can develop the kinds of attributes described by the learner profile that are essential for success in future academic pursuits and for adult life.

When done well, Service Learning moves the curriculum forward integrating essential skills with content knowledge, advancing competencies and confidence.

In this 5 stage design, Service Learning is seen as an engaging dynamic building on the core curriculum.

What is Service?

Your service project choices should be an interesting variety of activities that you find worthwhile and rewarding, and that are mutually beneficial to you and to your community. Generally, your service activities should be active and involve interaction with others. Service activities should also allow for personal growth. You can watch the online presentation What is Service as Action for more information. All online tutorials are in the Resources section of this site.

A good service activity…

is a new role for you
engages you in a real task…
…which has real consequences
helps you to develop into a more active, aware, responsible and compassionate citizen
meets the needs of others
does not generate expectations that can be disappointed in the future
clearly respects the rights of all involved
actively involves people from different backgrounds and age groups

Examples of activities which would NOT qualify as service

any class, activity or project that is already part of your studies in one of your MYP subjects
simple, tedious and repetitive work
a passive pursuit, e.g. museum, theatre, exhibition or concert visits
family duties
work experience that only benefits you, or that involves financial gain
fundraising with no clearly defined end in sight
an activity where there is no responsible adult on site to evaluate your performance
activities that cause division amongst different groups in the community

Self-Assessment Rubric for Service

For students: If you are unsure about whether an activity you have chosen will be appropriate for service, use this self-assessment rubric to help you gauge its suitability.

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