ISPP acknowledges its place within the Cambodian community, both for the distinct needs of that community and the rich experiences we gain from our engagement within it. We are a community-centred school and encourage all students, staff and their families to participate in our community through learning and action. In doing so, ISPP aims to foster a lifelong commitment to service beyond school and to contribute to a better, more peaceful world.
Through community service initiatives, International School of Phnom Penh aims to develop caring, principled and responsible young global citizens. Community service projects at ISPP build relationships between the school community and local communities in need. By engaging in active service our young people are empowered to become informed, purposeful and active citizens who effect meaningful change.
Action (learning by doing and experiencing) is a key component in constructivist models of education, including the kind of teaching and learning common to all IB programmes. Service, as a subset of action, has always been a shared value of the IB community. IB learners strive to be caring members of the community who demonstrate a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.
Service requires that students are able to build authentic connections between what they learn in the classroom and what they encounter in the community. When connected to classroom learning, the experience of service offers opportunities to apply concepts, both skills and knowledge, as students explore the community in its complexity, gain personal insight, develop existing and new skills, and grow in confidence and responsibility as they become “actors” in the “real world” beyond school. Teachers in our school engage students in applying subject matter to developing plans and partnerships to meet real identified needs using a service learning model. Experiencing a service learning approach within an academic class becomes a critical and essential process for students.
Guided or classroom learning that leads to action addressing an authentic community need is most meaningful when allowing for student initiative that incorporates their interests, skills and talents.
By reflecting on their service experience, students may gain a greater awareness of the community and world they live in, and their role and responsibility in improving the lives of themselves and others.
Service activities should evolve beyond simply doing for others to engaging with others in a shared commitment towards the common good. Meaningful service requires understanding of an underlying issue such as poverty, literacy or pollution, and authenticating the need for this service. Meaningful service includes interaction, such as building links with individuals or groups in the community.
Fulfillment of the school’s expectations for service as action is a requirement of the ISPP MYP Certificate.
(Adapted from International Baccalaureate’s Middle Years Programme MYP: From principles into practice, 2014).
The Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) component of the Diploma Programme at the International School of Phnom Penh serves an important role in helping to fulfil the school’s mission statement.
CAS is at the heart of the Diploma Programme. It involves students in a range of activities alongside their academic studies. CAS enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning. Each individual student has a different starting point, and therefore different goals and needs, but for many their CAS activities include experiences that are profound and life-changing.
Creativity: Arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking.
Action: Physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work.
Service: An unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student. The rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved are respected.
Click on a topic below to learn more about our secondary education programme.