Service Learning enhancing presentation

1. Service'Learning'Enhancing'
'Language'Learning:'The'Senegal'Project'
'
Delinka'Fabiny'
American'International'School'of'Budapest'
'
ECIS'Conference'November'2013'
!
The'Senegal'project'is'a'studentIinitiated'connection'between'the'
American'International'School'of'Budapest'and'“Les'Cajoutiers”,'a'school'
for'deprived'children'in'a'rural'village'in'Senegal.'
!
Service'+'Learning'='Authentic'experiences'
Addressing!the!MIND!and!HEART:!investigation,!analysis,!and!evaluation.!!
The!classroom:!place!to!look!outward,!to!provide!students!with!tools!to!
understand!the!world.!
!
Knowing'and'doing:!through'service'that'is'knowledge'based,'
students'learn'responsibility!and!commitment,!compassion!and!caring,!critical!
inquiry,!respect!and!appreciation!of!other!cultures,!understanding!between!
people.!
Combining'service'and'learning'in'the'French'classes:'
authentic'experiences'
Linked!with!the!standards!of!Communication,!Culture,!Connections,!
(Comparisons),!and!Communities.!
Trip'to'Senegal:!helping!and!meeting!kids,!meeting!people,!meeting!a!culture.!
Connecting'across'levels:!example:!when!learning!the!past!tense:!6th!grade!
intermediate!class!interviewed!High!School!students!who!traveled!to!Senegal.'
IB'French'B!students!exposed!to!global!issues!topics!of!poverty/health.
Connecting with other topics in the curriculum - culinary heritage: fundraising
lunch to sponsor the schooling of a child.'
Connecting across the curriculum: geography, history, art, and “Peace One
Day” project.
Middle School students: pen pals in Senegal, all letters are linked with the
topics of the curriculum.

2. Elementary students: presentations about Senegal (awareness raising),
students brought in toys for the kids at “Les Cajoutiers”.
As!a!goal!of!the!education!in!an!International!School!is!for!students!to!become!
global!citizens,!the!language!class!answers!the!purpose:!it!includes!learning!
about!culture!and!how!to!communicate!effectively!across!cultural!differences.!
!
Language!is!the!knowledge!of!grammar,!spelling!etc.!but!also!entering!the!
experiences!of!the!other.!
When!addressing!the!mind!and!the!heart,!combining!service!and!learning,!we'
can'make'the'learning'experience'better,'more'fun,'more'meaningful!!