Verita Insights Magazine VIS magazine final | Page 18

SERVICE LEARNING SERVICE LEARNING AT VERITA In my career in education across four continents, I have been fortunate enough to witness real student change. The kind of change that excites and inspires. In each of these situations, the common element was service. Moreover, the new learning cycles for the IPC, and IMYC are encompassed by action. Action has been added around the cycle to reinforce the importance of learners acting on their learning at different points in the unit to understand that it is possible for learners to apply their learning in different ways to create positive change. Students were in situations where they needed to look outwards, to recognise the needs of another, and to respond. And in these moments they were deeply changed. Service-learning is defined as: "A form of experiential education where learning occurs through a cycle of action and reflection as students seek to achieve real objectives for the community and deeper understanding and skills for themselves." (Edutopia). Experience and heart-warming stories help staff and students embrace service-learning, but recent research has convinced schools that we ought to make service learning (both within and alongside the curriculum) a priority. 18 |   VERITA INSIGHTS Too often service is given a pat on the back for being ‘nice’ while being positioned somewhere to the left of the ‘serious business of education’. But both research and practice tell a different story. The case for student involvement in service is multi-faceted, rigorous and compelling. Service-learning is a key way for VIS to make our vision a reality. It helps our students grow into active, self-motivated, socially- responsible citizens.