LEARNING JOURNEYS
Global Education Programme ( GEP )
The Global Education Programme is an extension of the CAS component of the IB . It is designed to provide opportunities for physical challenges , cultural engagement and community service during a 7-day trip outside Singapore . The aim is for students to acquire the knowledge base and understanding of global issues and develop skills to take action towards creating a better world . The programme embraces both SJI and IB ’ s vision of developing caring global citizens who will be a catalyst for change and make a difference to the world . This year , the school had numerous teams going to different parts of the region .
Dong Nai , Vietnam Upon touching down in Ho Chi Minh City , we were greeted with a warm welcome and smiles of the volunteers from Frogsleap Foundation at Tan Son Nhat International Airport . Like long lost brothers and sisters meeting after a long time , we gleefully embarked on a two-hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh to the Dong Nai Province . There , we were given the opportunity to offer our services to painstakingly install solar panels and water filtration systems in each of the residents ’ houses . This back-breaking construction work , through blood and sweat , occurred over two days . We put in time and effort into learning certain skills from the Froggies ( nickname for the locals ) required to carry out the construction , like joining wires , setting up electrical appliances and assembling metal frames to mount the water filtration system .
One memorable part of our service learning trip was the visit to Le Qui Don Primary School , where we organised and played some games with the students from Grades 3 to 5 . We were greeted with screams and shouts of excited children as we alighted from the bus . The primary school even organised a performance especially for us . The next few hours of spending time with the children was challenging but really fun . We felt our childlikeselves showing through as we played our childhood games with them . Despite the language barrier and the short time we spent with the children , we had developed a bond with them and as we said our tearful goodbyes .
The remaining days of our trip were spent in Ho Chi Minh City , where we visited the famous Cu Chi Tunnels . Here we learned about the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese perspective and saw many remnants of the war , such as displays of bomb craters and demonstrations of the traps used by the Vietnamese soldiers .
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