Whether in the classroom or learning through experience; every lesson matters.
John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School has always been a keen supporter of Anglicare WA, however, in recent times have dedicated more time for service learning; encouraging students to be educated in regard to local communities in need and working to make a positive global impact.
Students continue to support the work of Anglicare through various opportunities such as Young Hearts Bags of Hope and Y-Shac eco-friendly cleaning packs.
Young Hearts’ goal is to provide a safe living environment for women and children experiencing an unsafe home life; especially in family and domestic violence situations, while Y-Shac assists young people aged 15 – 25 years old who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Both organisations offer crisis accommodation and transitional housing with 24-hour onsite support from specialised youth workers.
This year’s service learning initiative involved Year 7 Pastoral Care Groups curating over 40 cleaning and care packs for communities in need through Y-Shac and Young Hearts. Students participated in scenario driven learning; immersing themselves in communities which allowed them to identify specific items that would be beneficial in cleaning and care packs, then working to curate them.
Some students went one step further and wrote cards of hope and compassion that were inserted into the care bags and cleaning packs. This self-driven extension exemplifies how students intrinsically grow in compassion through these activities.
When students understand their cause, they are able to better empathise with the communities they are supporting. We often don’t understand how fortunate we are until we gain a true understanding of what it means to be in need or to go without. The development of all aspects of global citizenship is such an important part of a JSRACS education, where every lesson matters.
The School supports the continued growth of service learning in the coming years and in generating future leaders and role models who lead through service.
