Community Service Programme 2017
Through the Community Service programme at SOTA, students have the opportunity to use their artistic talents to contribute to society. In their third year, students are introduced to local service learning community projects in the Service, Action in Community (SAC) programme. This leads to more rigorous Local Service Learning (LSL) and Overseas Service Learning (OSL) programmes at Year 4.
These programmes pave the way for the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) or Service Learning (SL) projects students undertake in Years 5 and 6 as part of the core components of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma or Career-related programmes respectively. Year 5 students can also choose to go on Global PerspectiveS (GPS) trips, which are extensions of the Year 4 OSL projects from the previous year.
Take a look at some of the community service projects by our students below!
"The project journey has been arduous but also rewarding as I am able to impact the people around me, while honing my skills at the same time. I have not only been able to develop my teamwork and management skills, but have also created close bonds during the project."
- Arielle Jasmine Van Zuijlen (Year 3), Project Bite-sized – a Community Problem Solving project that promotes oral care in Singapore
"The Service, Action in Community programme has given me the opportunity to use my art and creativity to come up with activities for the elderly. Working with the elderly has been inspiring, fruitful and has allowed me to give back to the community and gain a greater sense of self and community awareness."
- Glenn Paul JunJie (Year 3), volunteering at NTUC Silver Circle @ Serangoon
"The most memorable parts for me were the cards and letters we wrote to the students on the last day of this project, and when an extremely quiet girl finally opened up to sing and dance with us at the farewell party. It was a really enriching experience for us as we were able to spark an interest in the arts among the students and forge new friendships with them!"
- Kavya Danani (Year 3), volunteering at MINDS Towner Gardens School
"After this trip, I have learnt that even the smallest of acts can create an impact on the community, and that anyone and everyone can do so. For example, as an artist, I can use my art to help raise awareness for a cause, or choreograph a piece about a social issue. One way our team used our artistic skills to help the community during the OSL trip was when one of the Visual Arts students in my team created a colouring book with hand-drawn illustrations for the children, which helped teach them basic English."
- Natasha Tan (Year 4), Overseas Service Learning in Vinh Long
"The privilege of receiving an education rooted in the arts became clear to me when I saw how the students grew within just the few hours that we spent with them. What I thought was simply a transfer of knowledge and an exposure to the arts was, in fact, nurturing them and giving them a sense of fulfillment. Through this, I am inspired to continue to share the love for the arts with those around me. Arts is not about the individual but about enriching the community, and as an artist I understand that this is my responsibility."
- Christian Liu (Year 4), Overseas Service Learning in Kampong Thom
"As an individual in a large community, we might feel insignificant in the larger scale of things, and perhaps we are. But if one insignificant person can influence another insignificant person, who then goes on to influence others, the influence is not so insignificant anymore."
- Tan Qiao Lin (Year 4), Arts Trail – a Local Service Learning project that aimed to create awareness of and appreciation for Singapore's history, heritage and art culture
"This experience has taught me how important it is to put the needs of community above the wants and preferences of individuals. Despite the hard work, in the end, the experience is satisfying and enriching, knowing that you have made the lives of these people just a bit better."
- Isha Gupta (Year 4), volunteering at Willing Hearts, an organisation that provides meals for free to individuals who are unable to afford food
"Through my community service, I've learnt to be aware of the impact of our actions on other people and the environment. During the various coastal cleanups my CAS group organised, the many individuals I interacted with gave me hope that there are changes in the attitudes towards the world we live in, and I am inspired to change my own lifestyle."
- Tang Hanyu (Year 5), Beach and Youth (BAY) – a CAS project that aimed to help the community by cleaning public beaches and educating the public on how to prevent the buildup of waste materials at the beaches
"To me, service is the action of helping someone, out of favour and kindness. Having the opportunity to share my passion in dance with the patients with Parkinson’s Disease gave me an unexplainable joy. I am immensely grateful to be working with a diligent team, always striving to share happiness."
- Francine Ho (Year 5), Parkinson’s Grooves – a CAS project that aimed to create a community of movement for people with Parkinson's disease, allowing them to remain active and to keep in touch with a reliable support group
"My team re-decorated and re-organised a section of the SiloamXperience. It was a very fulfilling experience because we learnt the skills needed to carry out a project, and we became more aware of problems that the community faces."
- Keryna Chandra (Year 5), volunteering at SiloamXperience – a thrift store in Yishun that caters to underprivileged Singaporeans by selling various items at very low prices