COMMUNITY SERVICE IN SCHOOL
Recently, our school organized a community service for underprivileged children from nearby government schools. The aim was to provide them with an opportunity to learn something new, which would be facilitated by FS students.
I decided to volunteer for this community servieand help teach football to these underprivileged children. Football is a sport that I am passionate about, and I was excited to share my knowledge and skills with these children.
On the day of the community servie, I arrived at the venue early in the morning, feeling both excited and nervous. I was assigned to a group of around 15 children who were eager to learn and play football. Some of them had never played before, while others had some experience but lacked proper training.
As a volunteer, my first task was to introduce myself and get to know the children. I made sure to create a friendly and inclusive atmosphere where everyone felt comfortable and encouraged to participate.
I started by teaching them the basic skills of dribbling, passing, and shooting. We played a few warm-up games to help them get comfortable with the ball and understand the rules of the game. I also shared some tips and tricks that I had learned from my own experience of playing football.
As the session progressed, I could see the children’s confidence and skills improve. They were excited to learn and practice more, and I was happy to see them enjoying themselves.
The most rewarding part of this experience was seeing the children’s smiles and hearing their laughter. It was evident that they were having fun and learning something new. For me, this was a great reminder of the power of sport to bring people together, regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances.
LO1-Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
Initially, I was excited about the opportunity to teach the children something new, but I was also a bit nervous. I had never taught anyone football before, and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to effectively communicate the rules of the game and help the children develop their skills. However, I decided to view this as an opportunity to identify my own strengths and develop areas for growth.
One of the strengths that I identified was my enthusiasm for the game. I have always enjoyed playing football and watching matches, so I was able to share my passion for the sport with the children. This helped to create a fun and engaging learning environment, and it helped the children become more interested in the game.
However, I also realized that I had some areas for growth. One area was my communication skills. At times, I found it difficult to explain the rules of the game in a way that the children could understand. I also struggled with managing the children’s behaviour and ensuring that everyone was following the rules.
To address these areas for growth, I began to research different teaching strategies and techniques for communicating with children. I also sought feedback from other volunteers and my supervisor to help me improve my communication and behaviour management skills. Over time, I was able to develop a more effective teaching style and become more confident in my ability to teach the children.
LO2-Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills
At first, I was faced with the challenge of communicating with the children, as they came from different backgrounds and spoke different languages. However, I soon realized that football is a universal language that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers. I used my knowledge of the sport to demonstrate the rules and techniques of the game, while also encouraging the children to practice and develop their own skills.
Over the course of the community service project, I developed new skills such as patience, communication, and leadership. I had to be patient when the children struggled to understand certain aspects of the game, and I had to communicate effectively to ensure that they understood my instructions. Additionally, I had to take on a leadership role to coordinate and organize the sessions, making sure that each child had a chance to learn and participate.
LO4-Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience
Initially, it was challenging to teach the children, as they had never played football before. But, I persevered and remained committed to the cause. I had to constantly come up with new ways to teach them the basics, including dribbling, passing, and shooting. I also had to ensure that they understood the rules of the game and the importance of teamwork.
I remember the first day of teaching, where the children were shy and hesitant to participate. However, as I continued to show perseverance and commitment, they began to open up and actively participate in the sessions. I was thrilled to see the children grow in confidence and ability as the weeks progressed.
As a result of my efforts, the children were able to learn and play football with enthusiasm and skill. Moreover, they learned about teamwork, discipline, and perseverance, which are essential life skills. Seeing the children improve and develop their skills was a rewarding experience.
For this particular event, my commitment to arrive early every weekend to teach underprivileged children was substantial, as it required me to dedicate my working hours to their education. Despite the difficulty of maintaining this commitment and not missing any sessions, I persevered with my determination and was somewhat successful
LO5-Demonstrate skills and benefits of working collaboratively
Working collaboratively with other volunteers allowed us to pool our resources and ideas, and to delegate tasks based on our individual strengths. This not only helped us achieve our goals more efficiently but also allowed us to develop new skills and learn from each other. For instance, while I was responsible for designing the training plan, another volunteer took charge of organizing logistics and scheduling practice sessions.
Moreover, working with other volunteers helped me build social skills, such as effective communication, active listening, and empathy. I learned to be patient and accommodating while working with people from diverse backgrounds, which is an essential skill in today’s globalized world.
Finally, seeing the children enjoy and learn from our sessions was a truly rewarding experience. Through our collaborative efforts, we were able to help the children gain confidence and develop new skills, while also fostering a sense of community and inclusivity.
LO6 – Engagement with issues of global significance
The idea behind this was to provide an opportunity for children who may not have access to extracurricular activities to learn something new and participate in a fun activity. Football is a popular sport globally and can bring people together regardless of their background.
By facilitating this program, I aimed to engage with issues of global significance, particularly the issue of education inequality. Education inequality is a global issue that affects millions of children around the world. By providing underprivileged children with access to extracurricular activities like football, we can help bridge the gap in education and provide opportunities for a better future.
Through this, I also aimed to develop my communication, leadership, and teamwork skills. As a facilitator, I had to communicate effectively with the children, create a safe and inclusive environment, and work with my fellow IB DP students to plan and execute the program successfully.
LO7-Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
During this, I was able to recognize and consider the ethics of my choices and actions, which is one of the learning outcomes of the IBDP CAS program. I had to ensure that I was respectful and mindful of the cultural and social differences that these children might have had. I also had to make sure that my teaching methods were appropriate for their age and skill level.
Moreover, I had to consider the ethical implications of volunteering in community service. It is crucial to recognize the power dynamics that exist between the volunteer and the community they are serving. I had to be aware of the potential for unintentional harm and ensure that my actions were beneficial to the children I was teaching.
Overall, this community service was a valuable learning experience for me. It allowed me to give back to the community and develop my leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of it and look forward to participating in more CAS activities in the future.
