As published in EARCOS Teachers’ Magazine , Winter 2018 

Maximizing the Ripple Impact of Service Learning 

By Nicky Bourgeois and Dianne Gamage 
 
It happens spontaneously, he stands and makes an 
impassioned plea to his classmates:  
“You should say ‘Oh no, that’s terrible. I have to do 
something about that.’ You have to actually take action 
on that. ‘To do’ is different than thinking that someone 
else should do something.” ​These words of wisdom 
draw the entire class in, and his audience is avid.  
“Whatever the problem is, think about what way there is 
to help, or you don’t have to help by yourself - get other 
people to help alongside you. Be more than one person - 
lead a group into action.”​ It is in this moment that the time spent  
fostering a service mindset is at the tipping point of student ownership. 
 
Each year Year 6 students partake in the NIST Service Learning Expo. Representatives 
from the many secondary school service groups present to the students. They prepare 
slideshows that support as they explain the development of their service group - the 
beginnings of the project, the results of the needs analysis in collaboration with the group 
being supported, the way they fund the work, and the goals of the project.  
 
This year the groups to visit and share were:  
● Mushie Mushie​ promotes global sustainability through environmental 
conservation and the improvement of livelihoods amongst individuals and 
communities within Thailand.  
● Free To Be​ aims to raise awareness and educate about equal treatment of 
LGBTQI+ members within, and outside, the NIST community. 
● Cats @ NIST​ works to keep the cats at our school healthy so that both the students 
and the cats don’t get hurt. 
● PlasticFreeNIST​’s main focus is to reduce the consumption of unsustainable, 
one-time use plastic. 
● Support the Girls​ aims to collects new/used bras and new sealed packages of maxi 
pads for women and girls in need.  
● Dreams We Believe In​ -to create an ongoing bond of friendship between the NIST 
community and Thai children living with HIV/AIDS through empathy and love, in 
order to fulfill their dreams and give them a sense of belonging. 
 
The purpose of hosting this expo is multifaceted. There are curriculum links - our Sharing 
the planet inquiry is focused on ‘understanding and acknowledging inequity can inspire 
people to act’. There has been a foundation of learning around the Sustainable 
Development Goals as well. However, in line with our mission, vision and values, we aim to 
provoke our students’ desire to affect positive change in the world as a part of who they 
are as human beings. This is beyond a school task. Our desire is that they not only act, but 
that they see, they empathise, they connect with those in need. The power of learning 
from their older peers is evident. 
 
Along the corridors the power of this is immediate.  
“You’re so gay,” says one student. 
“Hey,” says another, “you shouldn’t use those words as an insult, because they are really 
hurtful to those who actually identify as gay.” 
Effecting positive change. 
Right there. 
Upstanding. 
 
An example of how one service group was developed at NIST: 
Service Learning has evolved to hinge heavily on reciprocal partnerships. Action taken is 
based on what the community being served tells you their needs are. A willingness to be 
involved in participatory mapping validates what the community see as their current 
needs and opens relationships that support long term development. The Service 
Learning groups facilitate this mapping through guiding questions that empower the 
community. This work is conducted in the language of the community. Ultimately, the 
map reflects the thinking of the community. This forms the basis for the dialogue upon 
which partnership and action is developed. 
 
See accompanying infographic.