Module 8 Discussion Forum

[Kevin]

Right now, I am still looking at locating some local partnerships. It seems like we have had a bit of a defeatist attitude. Because there is limited non-profit or civil society in Saudi Arabia, that adage is that service can only be done for the ‘school’ community.

In December, I did a MYP site visit for a school an hour south of us. Unlike our school, this school serves mostly Saudi students. When discussing their service as action programme, they stated that they had numerous partners that they could describe. It would be a good resource to look into further.

[Laurence]

Kevin,

That sounds like a great starting point! i might have a couple options for you as well. I am currently working with paper airplanes do work something out (they need a cohort who can commit at last one semester). There are a couple other options as well and I can keep you up to date as I stumble into things.

[Ian]

Before COVID, our GIN club students, with guidance, were starting to build some good partners (eco store educators, a children’s hospice, local schools for migrants, gender equity activists). As a very young school, in previous years, we had mostly fundraised, but students are starting to understand the benefits of sustainable service-related partnerships. We’ve been knocked back a step due to COVID, but through some strong student leadership in the student council, and through some good opportunities in GIN club, and “Impact Week” at the end of the school year, we’re in a promising position to keep pushing forward come the new semester. How we can better integrate these partners into curriculum from extra-curricular will be a goal for 1-2 years in the future..

[Laurence]

Ian,

it sounds like you are well on your way, my friend. A longer term plan such as yours sounds both visionary and doable. A great balance.

[Jeremiah]

We are currently ‘partnering’ with a local NGO. This NGO is helmed by a lady and her husband. They take on a variety of project such as purchasing medical equipment for patients suffering from Muscular Dystrophy, sourcing employment for special needs people and bringing clean water to people living in the mountainous regions in Gansu, China.

There have been opportunities for our students to develop agency and student leadership as students suggest ideas on how they wanted to support the NGO in the course of a unit such as when the students were inquiring into the use and need for clean water.

However, in our interactions with them, reciprocity hasn’t been evident. For example, when we planned a school event to promote these causes and raised funds for them, they were invited to come but declined our invitation. Even after the funds were donated to them, there was nary a word from them. Moving forward, I would like to seek out other NGOs or local partners that would be able to reciprocate in this service learning partnership.