Community service was a 3-weekend program where students from government schools came to FS for 3 consecutive weekends to learn different activities like arts & crafts, dance, ICT, and more. Based on my interest, I chose to volunteer for arts & crafts, where I was appointed as the incharge.

Learning outcomes:

LO 1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

I have always had an interest in activities where I could express/use my creative side, so I knew art & craft would be the tailor-fit for me. Since I had already been a volunteer last year, I chose to level up and become the incharge this time. I realized my strengths were the following: I was extremely good at managing everything, keeping the schedule on track, and planning unique activities. I also managed to figure out my areas of growth, which were communication barriers and time management.

LO 2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

For me, the biggest challenge was communication and keeping their attention. Since most of the students from the government school spoke Gujarati, it was hard communicating with them, which made the teaching part harder. There were also some children who were easily losing interest. This made me develop a new skill: improvising. As one of the incharges, we made a spontaneous decision to also include games, which kept the children entertained.

LO3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
Initiating and planning the arts & crafts program for government school students required careful consideration of their needs and interests. Adapting to communication challenges led to innovative solutions, like incorporating interactive games alongside creative activities, enhancing engagement and enjoyment. This experience underscored the importance of flexibility and creativity in initiating and planning meaningful CAS experiences.

LO 4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences

Community service was a 3-consecutive weekend event, which was held in the mornings. Getting up at 7 am for 3 weekends was a strenuous task, while also working on studies, extracurriculars, and hobbies. This required a lot of commitment and dedication. Despite this, I managed to fulfill my role and responsibilities with determination.

LO 5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

Since I was an incharge, there were also 3 other members with me. We worked together to plan activities and arrange the resources. We also collaboratively worked with students, teachers, and support staff, which made the work easier and faster.

Overall, this was an enriching experience where I got to learn new things. The learner profile I developed was open-mindedness and risk-taker. I made sure that I, and all the other participants, were very open-minded towards all the children. I also became a risk-taker while handling unexpected events wisely. Lastly, this made me feel grateful and happy because I got to teach young children new activities which were uncommon to them, which developed their creativity and made them feel happy.