News
Jan 19 2024
Learning with Impact
At BCIS, learning extends beyond traditional confines. The Impact-Based Learning approach is achieved by empowering students' initiative, encouraging learning by doing, prioritizing social and emotional learning, and reinforcing knowledge, concepts, and context. The approach allows students to explore their own personal learning pathways, face personalized challenges, and demonstrate success in various ways. Through the IMPACT-BASED approach, students acquire competencies and capabilities essential for adapting, thriving, and contributing to an uncertain future. The significance of this approach at BCIS becomes evident through student-led Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) projects...
In the Secondary School, CAS provides students with an opportunity for self-directed practical projects that integrate widely varying aspects of creativity, activity, and service. CAS projects showcase students' ability to explore new ideas, find solutions, and apply knowledge to real-world problems.
As core members of the BCIS HOPE project, Ivy and Cynthia shared the initiative's origin, focused on providing rehabilitation therapy for children with autism and special needs. Ivy's passion for psychology, combined with her personal experience with mental health issues in children, fueled her commitment to combat the stigmatization of autism and reintegrate these children into society.
The planning and execution of goals present significant challenges, as acknowledged by students. Through effective communication and coordination with collaborating organizations, members dedicated their free time to develop specific monthly plans. These plans encompassed activities such as art, physical training, and horse riding, including the procurement of necessary supplies. Furthermore, they identified collaboration platforms to promote the project.
Ivy and Cynthia highlighted a milestone event that filled them with pride - a collaborative art exhibition with the Awesome Place autism school. Their involvement in organizing the exhibition not only attracted a large audience but also successfully raised funds for children with special needs, fostering understanding and inclusivity for this group.
According to Cynthia, the support received from CAS teachers, advisors and external professionals was integral to the success of their service efforts. She emphasized the development of leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving skills throughout the process. The students also highlighted how the project contribute to raising awareness of psychology. For instance, through interactions with children with Downs syndrome, autism, or cerebral palsy, they gained insights into behaviors and used activities like horse riding therapy to address specific needs, enhancing awareness and understanding.
Katie Petch, the CAS program coordinator, outlined the initial phase workflow succinctly. In this stage, teachers guide students to articulate their strengths while identifying target issues. Recognizing the connection between the two empowers students to leverage their strengths effectively for meaningful outcomes. Katie also highlighted the transferable skills gained in CAS, including creating timelines, team management, and establishing working norms. Additionally, service learning enhances understanding of both class-based knowledge and unexplored subjects.
Katie underscores the potential frustration students may experience in the face of delayed results. She places significant emphasis on the importance of guiding them through a process of reflection, aiding in their comprehension of how to navigate challenges and compensate for any deficiencies in skills and resources when problem-solving.
She highlights commitment and perseverance as key outcomes of a CAS project. "So, as a teacher and CAS coordinator, helping them to overcome challenges, problem-solve, and come out successfully on the other side actually ends up being far more rewarding than they've even considered. It's not just a case of switching projects. They're happy that they've persevered through it, and they've had an impact on their communities. That, she emphasizes, is the success that they feel and see. ”
Catherine and Kara, key members of the "Memory Cafe" project, are dedicated to assisting elderly individuals with Alzheimer's. Through therapeutic activities and one-on-one conversations in nursing homes, they strive to slow memory loss and improve the quality of life for the elderly. Despite initial challenges, they candidly shared, "In the beginning, we grappled with finding meaning in our role, which mainly consisted of sitting and attentively listening to elderly individuals repetitively uttering the same phrases for hours."
The challenge was successfully addressed as students acknowledged the teacher's support and the strong connection between BCIS and the nursing home. Numerous meetings with individuals from the Alzheimer's therapy group provided a platform for exchanging ideas, receiving valuable feedback, and gaining guidance. Over time, the positive impact of the project became apparent. The students observed that certain elderly individuals began to recognize them, and the sheer joy on the faces of the elderly during these encounters brought immense satisfaction to the students.
In BCIS elementary school, service learning is also an integral part of the curriculum. Teacher Weiwei, leading an ecology project, shares that every Thursday after school, teachers guide students in exploring ecological topics. Students have the autonomy to choose activities, such as observing campus plants to understand conservation measures and waste recycling methods. Weiwei mentions a recent initiative led by the BCIS EcoWarriors team, where students independently learned about classification and created a promotional video on garbage sorting for the community.
Through questioning, investigation, practice, and reflection, knowledge and critical thinking expand, fostering impactful change. Weiwei notes that unlike the middle school section, elementary school learning is often teacher-led to provide opportunities. Only through hands-on experiences do students realize that embodying BCIS' emphasis on global citizenship, caring, and taking positive action for community and global issues goes beyond classroom discussions. This approach subtly nurtures their sense of responsibility, transforming teacher-supported actions into spontaneous learning.
BCIS empowers a plethora of inspiring learning stories, ranging from the impactful Unlock project to the biodiversity garden, and from rescuing stray animals to collaborations with the Migrant Children's Fund (MCF). Numerous projects that initially took root as course endeavors have organically transformed into regular service activities.
The core mission at BCIS is to inspire, challenge and empower students into active, compassionate and engaged citizens within our interconnected world. This involves instilling values of embracing diversity, fostering self-enrichment, and encouraging proactive impact to the surrounding world. The mantra of "changing the world" is not a lofty, unattainable slogan; rather, these transformative efforts unfold each day in our midst and will persist into the future.
Click here to find more student-led service projects!
For those interested in participating in CAS projects, please contact CAS Coordinator Katie Patch via email: Katie.Petch@bcis.cn.
