UNIS Hanoi Service Learning Booklet 2015-2016

United Nations International School of Hanoi

Middle & High School Activities 2015—16

Dear Parents and students,

Welcome to MSHS Service Learning at the United Nations International School (UNIS),

Hanoi.

MISSION

By addressing real and authentic community needs, the Service Learning programme

at UNIS aims to provide opportunities for our students as individuals, and as part of the

UNIS community, to gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their community and

their world. The Service Learning programme aims to provide opportunities for students

to develop the knowledge, skills and outlooks required to play their part in creating a

fair, inclusive and cohesive society and to encourage them to drive and inspire

sustainable change.

PROGRAMME

The Service Learning programme offers a wide variety of choice for students at UNIS. In

2015—16: 17 activities at MS Level (Grades 6 - 8) and 22 activities at HS Level (Grades 9

- 11). Students engage in a structured process of investigation, planning, action,

reflection and celebration. Investigation, planning and reflection take place during a

dedicated Service Learning lesson within the school day (40 minutes once per 6-day

cycle), while action is completed at other times including after-school, Saturday

morning, day and overnight visits and trips.

As part of their compulsory IB CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) programme, students in

Grades 11 and 12 participate in Service Learning as leaders of specific HS Service

Learning groups or, in some circumstances, MS Service groups.

CONCEPTS

At both MS and HS level, Service Learning activities are grouped by concept. Broadly

speaking, these correspond with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

Students explore specific concepts as they apply to the local Vietnamese context. In

addition, Service Learning activities have a specific community focus.

REFLECTION

The process of experiential learning is a personal process where dialogue, exchange

and communication with others are essential; hence the importance of being able to

communicate what has been learned in an appropriate way. Reflection in the

Service Learning programme is a continuous process: students are encouraged to

reflect on an on-going basis using a variety of methods.

MS (Grades 6 - 8)

For 2015 - 16, at MS Level, all students are required to participate in ONE Service

Learning activity programme from August/September - May. Students are required to

participate in all the visits and trips associated with a particular activity. When

signing-up for a specific activity, students should look carefully at the requirements of

each activity.

HS (Grades 9 - 10)

For 2015 - 16, at HS Level, all students are required to participate in ONE Service

Learning activity programme from August/September - May. Students are required to

participate in all the visits and trips associated with a particular activity. When

signing-up for a specific activity, students should look carefully at the requirements of

each activity.

IB CAS (Grades 11 - 12)

In Grades 11 and 12, students work in groups of approximately 3 - 4 as co-leaders of

Service Learning activities alongside the teacher-supervisors of the activity. Students

begin their Service activity in Aug/Sept. of Semester 1, in-line with all Service activities,

and assume responsibility for leadership in Semester 2 of Grade 11. This gives students

time to observe and learn from the current Grade 12 leaders and teacher-supervisors.

Students assume a leadership role for approximately 1 year.

SIGN-UP

Sign-up for Service Learning is through the online programme ISIS Family. Dates and

times for Service Learning sign-up will be sent to all students in August, 2016.

If you have any further questions regarding Service Learning at UNIS, please do not

hesitate to contact Mr. Nick Whatley, Ms. Maite Montero-Nahoum or Mr. Collin

Campbell.

“It is poverty that pushes most children into

institutions. Studies focusing on the reasons for

institutional placements consistently reflect that

poverty is the driving force behind their

placement.“ (‘Families, Not Orphanages’, John

Williamson and Aaron Greenberg, 2010)

For children living in orphanages in Vietnam,

meager living conditions create an environment

that offers little hope for a bright future. Currently

the Vietnamese government contributes a limited

amount per child per month to orphanages, but

this is barely enough to meet the daily needs of

the children. Made up of modest buildings

providing only basic shelter for the children,

orphanages in Vietnam are highly dependent on

support from organizations and benevolent

individuals

Chuc Son Orphanage is an orphanage of

approximately 150 children many with severe

hearing difficulties. UNIS is pleased to have

teamed up with ‘New Beginnings’ for this

programme, an organisation that supports “the

welfare of underprivileged children, and their

families, in Vietnam, through the provision of basic

assistance such as food, health care and

education” (New Beginnings).

Students in this Service Learning activity will learn

about the challenges of being deaf and the link

between poverty, disability and health in a

low-middle income country like Vietnam; visit the

orphanage to socialize with the children and run

a variety of art and craft, and sporting activities;

organize trips for the orphanage children to UNIS;

and identify; raise funds for small capacity-

building projects and collect; and raise

awareness in the UNIS community of the issues

facing deaf children in Vietnam and specifically

those children at the Chuc Son Orphanage.

In 2014—15, in collaboration with students in UNIS,

the Chuc Son children wrote and illustrated a

traditional Vietnamese legend “The Legend of Sword

Lake”. This book will be on sale during the beginning

of 2015—16 and all proceeds will go to develop

projects for the orphanage.

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning MS CHUC SON ORPHANAGE

LEVEL: GRADES 8

CONCEPT: DISABILITY & DISADVANTAGE

FOCUS: VIETNAM

DURATION: September—May

TRIPS/VISITS:

- Chuc Son Orphanage

- Once per month

- Saturdays from 08.00—12.30

information

DISABILITY & DISADVANTAGE VIETNAM Grades 8

Children at Chuc Son work on animating their book: The

Legend of Sword Lake

“Although economic reform has brought

remarkable progress in poverty reduction in

Vietnam, the scale and depth of ethnic minority

poverty in Vietnam presents one of the major

challenges to achieving the targets for poverty

reduction set out in the Socio-Economic

Development Plan, as well as the Millennium

Development Goals.” (Chronic Poverty Research

Centre, 2010)

Situated in the North of Vietnam, Pu Bin is a small

remote village with a land area of 2.142,39 square

ha, divided into 5 hamlets, lying 32km far from the

central of Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province. It is

the centre of the work of Flavours of Vietnam.

Flavours of Vietnam is a leading NGO in Commu-

nity Based Tourism in Vietnam and

in Sustainable Tourism Training. Their tours focus on

exp lo r ing the loca l cu l t u re in a

manner that minimizes the adverse impacts on the

environment and people. Profits are shared with

with the community by building village

kindergartens and traditional houses for minority

people and by providing school equipment for

their children.

Students in this Service Learning activity work with

Flavours of Vietnam to learn about the

challenges of community-based tourism and the

culture of the local people in this area of

Vietnam, particularly their food and cuisine.

As a new activity, students will be involved in

investigating planning and initiating projects to

s u p p o r t t h e w o r k o f t h e N G O .

LEVEL: GRADES 7 & 8

CONCEPT: DISADVANTAGE

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS:

- Pu Bin, Mai Chau

- TBC: Once per year

(or semester)

- 2 Day/1 night

information

DISADVANTAGE VIETNAM Grades 7 & 8

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning FLAVOURS OF VIETNAM

“People with disabilities represent a

disproportionately high proportion of the world's

poor. Recognizing the relationship between

disability and poverty, leading to increased

vulnerability and social exclusion, disability has

been flagged as a key development issue in

eradicating world poverty.” (‘Social Protection

and Disability: Policy Lessons from Vietnam’, ESRC

Economic and Social Research Council)

The Huong La Centre was founded by a Church

Mission approximately 25 years ago in response to

the need for help for families with disabled

children and for orphans. The church mission has

been present for more than 100 years and is run by

nuns. The support offered by the Centre has grown

organically until today it provides a home and full

time care for 25 children and adults who range

from severely handicapped to regular, healthy

children but who are socially ostracized for a

variety of reasons.

In this Service learning activity students learn

about the link between disability and poverty;

support and socialize with the disabled children

at the centre, and lead art and craft activities

with other children. In addition, students

fund-raise to provide basic essentials for the

centre; create teaching resources, games, and

reading activities to support the trainee nuns; and

promote and raise awareness of the work of the

centre within the UNIS and the local community.

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning

THE HUONG LA CENTRE

LEVEL: GRADES 8


FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS:

- Huong La Centre

- Bi-monthly


information

DISABILITY & DISADVANTAGE VIETNAM Grades 8

“A good early childhood education is considered

one of the essential building blocks for a successful

future, preparing a child for a lifetime of learning

inside and outside the classroom.” (East Meets

West Foundation)

The Early Childhood Renovation Programme

(ECERP) at UNIS supports the Vietnamese

government in improving the quality of early

childhood education in Vietnam. ECERP gives

opportunities for local Vietnamese early childhood

teachers to work alongside UNIS ECC teachers

and teaching assistants to strengthen their

knowledge, understanding and skills related to

early childhood education.

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning KREATIVITY for KINDERGARTEN

LEVEL: GRADES 6—7

CONCEPT: EDUCATION

FOCUS: HANOI


TRIPS/VISITS:

- Kindergarten Schools

- One per quarter

- Saturdays from 08.00—12.30.

information

EDUCATION HANOI Grades 6 - 7

The Kreativity for Kindergarten Service Learning

activity support the ECERP programme. In this

activity, students design and create teaching

resources for underprivileged kindergartens in

Hanoi. They deliver the resources to the local

schools and demonstrate to teachers and the

children how to use the resources that they have

made.

“Currently, there remain many problems related to

integrating ICT in education, such as: price of

computers; low English language skills; and the

disparity in living conditions between urban and

rural areas.” (ICT in Education, UNESCO Bangkok)

In this Service Learning Activity, students aim to

extend and develop the links already in place

between UNIS Hanoi and Mai Chau Secondary

School, links developed on the annual Grade 7

Field Trip to Mai Chau in September. In particular,

students develop online computer collaboration

between UNIS and the school using the recently

donated laptops. In the first semester, students

undertake a needs assessment at Mai Chau

School and develop specific project goals,

including a visit to UNIS Hanoi. Students also

fund-raise for small capacity projects at the

school.

In 2014—15, students and teachers from Mai Chau

School visited UNIS Hanoi for the first time. During

the stay, students visited various places of interest

in Hanoi and engaged in a collaborative video

using the laptops donated by UNIS. We hope this

w i l l be the f i r s t of many v i s i t s .

LEVEL: GRADES 7

CONCEPT: EDUCATION

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS:

- Semester 1: visit to Mai Chau

during the Grade 6 Grade Level

Trip in September

- Semester 2: Mai Chau School

visit UNIS

information

EDUCATION VIETNAM Grade 7


MAI CHAU SCHOOL

UNIS & Mai Chau students work

on a collaborative video.

“Literacy is crucial to the success of individuals in

both their career aspirations and their quality of

life” (Education Matters)

“With facilities in short supply, many students have

inadequate access to the textbooks and supplies

they need. In rural areas, transportation is also a

challenge, with many students forced to travel

miles alone on treacherous roads to reach the

nearest school. Often, family pressure outweighs

children’s dreams to finish their education, and

girls in particular drop out so they can contribute

to the household income.” (Room to Read)

'Room to Read' is an international organisation

that aims to develop literary skills and a habit of

reading among primary school children to enable

them to develop the life skills they'll need to

succeed in school and beyond.

In this Service Learning activity, students explore

ways to support the work of 'Room to Read',

including running fund-raising campaigns,

supporting school Book Week and Teen Read

Week, and helping to coordinate the SCO Book

Sale. Students advocate for the importance of

literacy for all, and investigate opportunities for a

shared reading programme with children in the ES.

For those students with a creative leaning, then

there may also be an opportunity to write and

publish their own materials and stories for these

children.

In 2015—16, with a grant from the UNIS Birthday

Gift Fund, the group will explore the potential of

developing ‘mobile libraries’ for use with UNIS

community partners.


ROOM to READ

LEVEL: GRADES 6—8

CONCEPT: EDUCATION

FOCUS: GLOBAL


TRIPS/VISITS: - Support of SCO Book Sale.

information

EDUCATION GLOBAL Grades 6 - 8

“More than 10,000 bears are kept on bile farms in

China, and around 2,400 suffer the same fate in

Vietnam. The bears are "milked" regularly for their

bile, which is not only used in traditional medicine

but also in many ordinary household products. Bile

is extracted using various painful, invasive

techniques, all of which cause massive infection in

the bears. Most farmed bears are starved,

dehydrated and suffer from multiple diseases and

malignant tumours that ultimately kill

them.” (Animals Asia).

“Most farmed bears are kept in tiny cages. In

China, the cages are sometimes so small that the

bears are unable to turn around or stand on all

fours. Some bears are caged as cubs and never

released. Bears may be kept caged for up to 30

year.” (Animals Asia)

Tam Dao Moon Bear Sanctuary is the project of

Animals Asia. Their goal is to end the suffering of

bears who are used in the bile trade. The centre is

a safe haven for them and includes health care

and rehabilitation.

In this Service Learning activity, students learn

about the work of Animals Asia at Tam Dao Moon

Bear Sanctuary and the plight of the animals;

explore ways to increase awareness of the

sanctuary and the plight of the bears in the UNIS

community; and “befriend” a bear by conduct

fund-raising activities in order to make a direct

financial contribution to the sanctuary.

For the last two years this group has organized

fundraising activities to provide donations to the

sanctuary and has “adopted” two bears.

LEVEL: GRADES 6 - 7

CONCEPT: ENVIRONMENT

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS: - Tam Dao Bear Sanctuary

- Day trip per semester.

information

ENVIRONMENT VIETNAM Grades 6 - 7

Students fundraise to “adopt”

bear and support the work of the

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning TAM DAO MOON BEAR SANCTUARY

ANIMALS in DANGER

“Although economic reform has brought

remarkable progress in poverty reduction in

Vietnam, the scale and depth of ethnic minority

poverty in Vietnam presents one of the major

challenges to achieving the targets for poverty

reduction set out in the Socio-Economic

Development Plan, as well as the Millennium De-

velopment Goals.” (Chronic Poverty Research

Centre, 2010)

Ba Vi Homestead is situated to the west of

suburban Ha Noi in a traditional and diverse

agricultural landscape (with ponds, streams, lakes

and rivers). Visitors have the opportunity to

participate in agricultural activities that

characterize Vietnamese culture, such as:

cultivating rice, fishing with equipment made of

bamboo, growing and harvesting various

vegetables and herbs, collecting honey from

bees, making dried tea (tea picking and

processing) feeding cows, goats and rabbits, etc.

In this Service Learning activity students

investigate ways in which UNIS can develop

Service opportunities in collaboration with the

homestead. They earn about the ethnic minorities

in the area and develop Fair Trade opportunities

at UNIS with local ethnic minority groups—

including the H’mong and Dao—for the sale of

organic vegetables, honey and other produce.

In 2015—16 the focus will be understanding the

process of honey making and selling the honey at

fair trade prices for Ba Vi ethic minority farmers.


BA VI HOMESTEAD

LEVEL: GRADES 8


FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS:

- Ba Vi Homestead

- Day Trip Per semester

- Semester 1 visit to Ba Vi will take

place during the Grade 8 Grade

Level Trip in September

information

ENVIRONMENT VIETNAM Grade 8

“Community gardens offer a wide spectrum of

benefits to a community … The benefits of

community gardens are varied and are

summarized here in four broad categories: health,

personal well being, community development and

environmental.”

(Benefits of Community Gardens to the Built Envi-

ronment, Candace Wormsbecker, 2008)

Research, design, build and continue to grow the

community garden at UNIS. Students in this Service

Learning activity harvest vegetables; work with

and fundraise for a local farming family in Hanoi;

and, raise awareness of the garden among the

UNIS and broader community.

This is a great activity for students to get their

hands dirty and to learn the skills of gardening

while creating a ‘greener’ campus environment.

In collaboration with Blue Dragon, the group also

fundraise during the year to contribute to the

support of a local small-holding in the Hanoi area.

They visit the small-holding once or twice a year

t o p r o v i d e h a n d s o n s u p p o r t .

LEVEL: GRADES 6 - 7


FOCUS: UNIS


TIME/DATE:

2 GROUPS: Weekly on Monday

After school from 3.45—4.45

Or Weekly on Thursday

After school from 3.45—4.45

TRIPS/VISITS:

- visit local small-holding

- Day trip/once per semester

- Saturday from 08.00—15.30

information

ENVIRONMENT UNIS Grades 6 - 7

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning GOING GREEN:

COMMUNITY GARDEN

Students visit and begin work at a local small-holding.

“Vietnam is home to an astonishing 2,800 craft

villages that include not just those that make

handicrafts for tourists, but some that specialize in

recycling all sorts of discarded plastic, including

from waste streams.” (‘A Look at Vietnam’s Plastic

Craft Villages’, Our World, Warwick Pearse, 2010)

This Service Learning activity aims to broaden the

paper recycling activity that has run in the school

for a number of years.

In this Service Learning activity students learn

about the process of recycling in Vietnam and the

economy that is generated by it. They consider

some of the environmental costs of this process,

and investigate and plan a number of UNIS

campus-based and/or local eco/green initiatives

(including paper-recycling); and promote

awareness of the importance of recycling in the

local community.

In this Service Learning Activity, students also

learn about the philosophy and work of the

Global Issues Network (GIN). They have the

opportunity to attend the annual GIN conference

and commit themselves to take action locally on

an issue of global significance.

Please note: students will be required to pay for attendance

at the GIN conference. Payment will be required at the

beginning of the appropriate semester.

LEVEL: GRADES 6 - 8


FOCUS: UNIS & HANOI


TRIPS/VISITS:

- Visit to Recycling Village—

Semester 1

- GIN Conference—Semester 2

information

ENVIRONMENT UNIS & HANOI Grades 6 - 8


UNIS ECO

“In most developing countries like Vietnam, we

have seen firsthand how access to care is limited

to those who can pay. For a child with heart

disease or another life-threatening serious illness,

there are many roadblocks to care. The parents

have no money and no way to get to the hospitals

in the major cities that could care for their

children. In Vietnam the long trek to Ho Chi Minh

City, Hue, or Hanoi is too far and too expensive for

many rural families.” (Building Capacity for

Paediatric Care, VinaCapital Foundation).


about the work of the Paediatric Hospital in Hoa

Binh and explore the link between poverty and

health. They raise awareness in the UNIS

community of the issues faced by the children and

their families at the hospital, and fund-raise to

provide gifts and donations.

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning HOA BINH PAEDIATRIC HOSPITAL

LEVEL: GRADES 6 - 8

CONCEPT: HEALTH

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TIME/DATE:

- Hoa Binh Hospital

- Once per quarter.


information

HEALTH VIETNAM Grades 6 - 8

16,000 Number of Vietnamese children

who are on a waiting list to receive

cardiac surgery

6,000 Estimated number of pediatric

cardiac surgeries Vietnam's

surgeons can currently perform

96% Percentage of children in Vietnam

with the most common heart

defects who will not live to be

adults without cardiac surgery

$2,000 On average, the total cost of heart

surgery to EMW in Vietnam

In this Service Learning activity students raise

awareness of the work of the East Meets West

(EMW) Foundation and, in particular, their

programme 'Operation Healthy Heart' which aims

to provide financial and medical assistance to

Vietnamese children with serious congenital heart

defects whose families cannot afford the costs of

surgery and treatment. They learn about families

who have a child living with an acute medical

condition, organise fund raising events and

activities to raise money to provide heart

operations for children, and monitor the progress

of the children after surgery. In addition, they

encourage to develop healthy life-styles.

In 2015—16, with a grant from the UNIS Birthday

Gift Fund, all funds raised by this Service Learning

group will continue to be ‘matched’ to a specific

amount in order to increase the capacity of the

activity and ensure its sustainability.

In 2015—16 this activity will be led by 4 students

from Grade 9 who have decided they wish to

carry on with their support of this group during

their HS years.

Read the Op. Healthy Heart 2014—15 story in the

students’ own words.

LEVEL: GRADES 6 - 8

CONCEPT: HEALTH

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISTS: - Various as required.

information

HEALTH VIETNAM Grades 6 - 8

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning EMW: OPERATION HEALTHY HEART

Giang receives is new heart and is met by the group

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1bWLnhUZ0vbQXNDQ2Y1dDB4NG8/view?usp=sharingD:/GOOGLE%20DRIVE

The Middle School Ambassadors is a group of

students dedicated to the positive promotion of

the United Nations International School.

In his Service Learning activity students work with

the Counseling Office at UNIS to provide a positive

role model for younger students, develop

leadership skills, and serve as liaisons between the

current UNIS community and new and

prospective students. Student Ambassadors

support and are visible at many campus events

including: new student orientation, House

Activities, Peer Mentoring, working on student

assemblies and College visits, and after school

information events for parents. Students in this

activity have the opportunity to develop public

relations and interpersonal skills.


MS AMBASSADORS

LEVEL: GRADES 6—8

CONCEPT: OTHER

FOCUS: UNIS


TIME/DATE: - Various school events. See

above for details

information

OTHER UNIS Grades 6 - 8

The Middle School Aquatics Ambassadors is a

group of students dedicated to the positive

promotion of aquatics at the United Nations

International School.

In this Service Learning activity students work with

the Aquatics Office at UNIS to develop leadership

skills and support many aquatics events held at

UNIS including UNIS Swim Meets and events in

collaboration with the broader community.

Students also have the opportunity to work in

collaboration with the Swim for Life Service

Learning activity by supporting water safety and

swimming classes for disadvantaged youth from

the KOTO and Blue Dragon organisations. This

Service Learning activity programme is particularly

suited to students interested in leadership

opportunities within the UNIS community.

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning AQUATICS AMBASSADORS

LEVEL: GRADES 6—8

CONCEPT: OTHER

FOCUS: UNIS


TIME/DATE:

- Various UNIS events throughout

the year.

- some Wednesdays after school

from 4.45—6.00 p.m.

- NOT for students in the MS Swim

team

information


“Everything in life has an end. Only sausages have

two.” (German Proverb)

In this Service Learning activity students work as a

team to prepare, cook and sell sausages with

onions to the local community at a variety of

school and community events. In addition,

students learn some basic skills to do with running

a small business, including: budgeting, ordering

supplies, and basic accounting. This is a great

activity for students who are outgoing and enjoy

socialising.

Money raised from the Sausage Sizzle goes to

support a UNIS Service Learning activity of the

students’ own choice, and a percentage to fund

sports clothing and resources for KOTO trainees

who participate in our HS Community Sports

Programme.

In 2014 –15, students supported the work of the

Helping Hands Service Learning group in

providing rice for an ethnic minority school in Sa

Pa

LEVEL: GRADES 6—8

CONCEPT: OTHER

FOCUS: UNIS


TIME/DATE:

- For Saturday soccer when can-

teen closed

- Saturday mornings 08.30—12.00

on a rotational basis.

information



SAUSAGE SIZZLE

“Through the work of the Middle School Student

Council , students in grades 6-8 are provided with

a forum to communicate about the issues that are

important to them on campus with faculty and

administration.

The Middle School Student Council allows students

an opportunity to shape their experiences on

campus and present their views and opinions to

the school’s faculty and administration.

Skills in organization, communication and

leadership are developed through hands-on

experience throughout the year. Student Council

events such as MS Dance, Valentine’s Day Candy

Heart Chocolate Sale Sausage Sizzles and Movie

Nights and have becoming key milestones in the

academic year that all students look forward to.

Additionally, the Student Council contributes to

charitable causes through fundraising activities

throughout the year.

In this Service Learning activity, student

representatives work together to provide a voice

for MS students, and plan, coordinate and

support student events both on campus and in

the community.


STUDENT COUNCIL

LEVEL: GRADES 6—8

CONCEPT: OTHER

FOCUS: UNIS


TRIPS/VISTS: - A variety of events throughout

the school year.

information


“Among 6,000 non-sighted children under the age

of 15, only about 450 children are attending

schools, a percentage of only 7.5. The percentage

is even lower, only about 5%, for those between

the ages of 15 to 18.” (The Blind Vietnamese

Children’s Foundation)

The Australian Charity for the Children of Vietnam

(ACCV), in collaboration with management of the

Vietnam Blind Association in Hanoi, support blind

and visually impaired students to access

education through various educational

programmes. In partnership with the Vietnam

Paediatric Hospital, the charity also identifies and

finances medical treatment for children with

acute medical conditions who will need life-long

support and come from families with a low-socio

economic background.

Students in this Service Learning activity learn

about the challenges of being blind and the link

between poverty, disability and health in a low-

middle income country like Vietnam. They work

with the Australian Charity for the Children of

Vietnam (ACCV) to plan and initiate a range of

activities and games with young people at a

centre for the blind in Hanoi and collect toys and

games for the establishment of an educational

and social centre for very young blind children. In

addition, students identify families with children

who are in need of medical support and

fundraise to support medical treatment for the

children.

In 2015—16, the group will also support the ES

ACCV group will their annual Garage Sale.

LEVEL: GRADES 9 - 12

CONCEPT: DISABILITY

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS:

- Visits to ACCV Centre

- Once per month

- Wednesdays from 2.30—5.00

information

DISABILITY VIETNAM/HANOI Grades 9 - 12

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning ACCV

“We don’t know the significance that people

around us make. Every day, I see people around

me trying so hard to achieve something. I think the

community should take time and respect and

understand more about what these people are

doing. I also want to get rid of stereotypical

thinking … by providing a closer look into other’s

lives.” (Van Do, UNIS Grade 10 Personal Project)

In this Service Learning activity students will learn

about disadvantaged, under-represented and

‘overlooked’ individuals and groups in the local

Hanoi community through fact-finding visits and

interviews with local people; use of a variety of

media to develop and promote knowledge and

understanding of these individuals and groups in

the UNIS and broader community. Students will

begin the year by completing a photo exhibition

begun in 2013 - 14.

In 2014—15 the group organized a photo

exhibition. The exhibition profiled a group of UNIS

Hanoi support staff who provide such an important

and often ‘overlooked’ service at UNIS.


A DAY IN THE LIFE


CONCEPT: DISADVANTAGE

FOCUS: HANOI


TRIPS/VISITS: - Various visits in Hanoi (TBC)

information

DISADVANTAGE HANOI Grades 9 - 12

“It is poverty that pushes most children into

institutions. Studies focusing on the reasons for

institutional placements consistently reflect that

poverty is the driving force behind their

placement.“ (‘Families, Not Orphanages’, John

Williamson and Aaron Greenberg, 2010)

For children living in orphanages in Vietnam,

meager living conditions create an environment

that offers little hope for a bright future. Currently

the Vietnamese government contributes a limited

amount per child per month to orphanages, but

this is barely enough to meet the daily needs of

the children. Made up of modest buildings

providing only basic shelter for the children,

orphanages in Vietnam are highly dependent on

support from organizations and benevolent

individuals

Chuc Son Orphanage is an orphanage of

approximately 150 children many with severe

hearing difficulties. UNIS is pleased to have

teamed up with ‘New Beginnings’ for this

programme, an organisation that supports “the

welfare of underprivileged children, and their

families, in Vietnam, through the provision of basic

assistance such as food, health care and

education” (New Beginnings).


about the challenges of being deaf and the link

between poverty, disability and health in a

low-middle income country like Vietnam. They

raise awareness in the UNIS community of the

issues facing deaf children in Vietnam and

specifically those children at the Chuc Son

Orphanage. In addition, they visit the orphanage

to socialize with the children, run a variety of art

and craft, and sporting activities, organize trips for

and identify and raise funds for small projects.


CONCEPT: DISADVANTAGE & DISABILITY

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS:

- Visit to Chuc Son Orphanage

- Once per month

- Saturdays 08.00—12.30

information

DISADVANTAGE & DISABILITY VIETNAM Grades 9 - 12


CHUC SON ORPHANAGE

“The Bamboo School is not a school, but rather an

educational program specifically targeted to-

wards the poorest and most dispossessed commu-

nities in Vietnam, with the motto that ‘Music Is A

Human Right.’ All people are born artists, and I

believe that art gives a voice to the voice-

less.” (The Bamboo School)

The Bamboo School is a network of free schools

committed to giving a “voice to the voiceless”.

The NGO empowers children and communities by

providing free instruction in music and the arts and

providing free instruction in English to create

economic opportunity.

The ‘Bamboo School @ UNIS’ is a student service

group that connects UNIS students with their peers

in the Hanoi community through the joy of music.

The group practices its craft and then shares it with

those in the community.

In this Service Learning activity, students create

personal and cultural connections between

people from different places and backgrounds

through the shared common ground of music,

promote the humanitarian work of the

Bamboo School through performances at UNIS

and in the community, and fundraise for The

Bamboo School through performance to help

provide instruments and instruction to

underprivileged Vietnamese children who would

not get the opportunity otherwise.

LEVEL: GRADES 9—12

CONCEPT: EDUCATION

FOCUS: HANOI


TRIPS/VISITS: - To be confirmed

information


...music is a human right


THE BAMBOO SCHOOL

“One child drowns every 45 seconds in Asia,

during daylight hours, with many swimming

unsupervised. Drowning, like other injury deaths, is

hidden because of the very speed at which it kills

— there is no time for hospitalization.” (Swim Safe:

Preventing Childhood Drowning). Drowning is the

biggest killer of children in Vietnam … and the

leading killer of children over the age of one in

Vietnam. (Department of Foreign Affairs, Australia)

Swim For Life (SFL) is a passionate UNIS Service

Learning Group. The SFL team work together to

organize and run lessons to teach students

from KOTO, Blue Dragon - and children from ES

schools in Hanoi—how to swim! The community

outreach program has been running for 2 years

and has been very successful in strengthening the

bond between students and the community.

“As a team, we strongly believe that the

fundamentals of swimming are essential skills that

can be learned by anyone! Learning how to swim

can not only increase fitness but will also serve as a

preventive measure against drowning. Working

together with the Swim For Life group is a privilege

for all of us as this service learning gives us a

chance to reach out and help those less fortunate

than we have been. Not only that, but teaching

has been a lot of fun for us, instructors, as well as

for our KOTO and Blue Dragon students!”

In 2015—16, there will also be the opportunity for

UNIS students to participate in training courses.

The following options are available:

1. WSI (Water Safety Instructor/swim teacher) course

leading to certification from the American Red Cross.

Total of 31 hours (7h online, 8 sessions x 3h). 100% com-

mitment and attendance required. Minimum of 10

students required and confirmed by August 21st for

course to run. Participants must be minimum 16 years

old by June 11, 2016.

2. A short introduction to teaching swimming

(integrated with WSI Course. Total 2-3 h)


SWIM for LIFE

Offering UNIS HS students the

opportunity to gain American Red

Cross Water Safety Instructor

(WSI) certification!


CONCEPT: EDUCATION

FOCUS: HANOI


TIME/DATE:

- Weekly

- Wednesday after school

from 4.45—6.00

WSI TRAINING:

- Saturdays

- See dates HERE (TBC)

- Students must attend all

sessions

information


https://docs.google.com/a/unishanoi.org/document/d/1lbjv-n4emDX_QrmsO-Ki-6bhopZD6g6HXQPchOrxkTc/edit?usp=sharing

“Even as technology becomes more affordable

and internet access seems increasingly ubiquitous,

a “digital divide” between rich and poor remains.

The rich and educated are still more likely than

others to have good access to digital resources.

The digital divide has far-reaching consequences

when it comes to education. For children in low-

income school districts, inadequate access to

technology can hinder them from learning the

tech skills that are crucial to success in today’s

economy.” (‘Digital Responsibility’, Liz Soltan).

The aim of this Service Learning Activity is to

introduce technology to kids who may not have

the means or the opportunities to get involved

with robotics. Although technology is spreading,

there are many people in various communities

that don’t have access to the machinery and

information that others might. The group intends to

not only open up previously locked gates for

children lacking the equipment, but also to excite

and inform the participants of the modern world.

Students work with other schools and local groups

in the area, tech companies such as FPT, and

local organizations like Code Club Hanoi to

promote design, coding, and robotics. In addi-

tion, they identify local donors who are interested

in supporting the project, fundraise to purchase

robotics kits, and create an application process

so that community groups who are interested

can obtain the kits at no to low cost.

Read more about

UNIS Hanoi Robotics

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning TECH for ALL: Robot Invasion


CONCEPT: EDUCATION

FOCUS: VIETNAM


EVENTS - To be confirmed

information

EDUCATION VIETNAM Grades 9 - 12

The first UNIS Hanoi Robotics Event May 2015

http://robotics.unishanoi.org/

This is a new activity for 2015-16 that will involve

UNIS high school students developing coaching

skills in sessions run within service x-blocks. The

students will then apply what they have learned as

they support the UNIS Youth Sport Programme for

Grade 4 and 5 students. Youth Sports runs Tuesdays

and Thursdays over six seasons from May to

September. Students will need to commit support

at least two seasons.

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning UNIS YOUTH SPORT COACHING


CONCEPT: EDUCATION

FOCUS: UNIS COMMUNITY


TIME/ DATE Tuesdays and Thursdays after

school 3.30pm - 4.30pm

information


Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation is an Australian

charity rescuing kids in crisis in Vietnam.

This is a new activity for 2015-16 that will involve

UNIS high school students working closely with Blue

Dragon to support the work they are doing in

Vietnam. This will involve visiting and interacting with

children and teenagers from the Blue Dragon

programmes, researching into the issues Blue

Dragon is working on fund-raising to support their

programmes.

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning BLUE DRAGON CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION

ADVOCACY & SUPPORT


CONCEPT: EDUCATION



TIME/ DATE

To be decided but will include

visits to Blue Dragon Projects in

Hanoi and potentially a 3 day, 2

night overnight trip to Hue or

Dien Bien Phu.

information


UNIS Hanoi Service Learning UNIS HANOI PET RESCUE


CONCEPT: EDUCATION



TIME/ DATE To be decided but may include participation in UNIS and non-UNIS community events.

information


“ Animals are not here for us to do as we please with. We are not their superiors, we are their equals. We

are their family.” (Ricky Gervais, PETA’s person of the year 2013)

Not all pets around Hanoi are lucky enough to have someone takes care of. As the animal rights in Vi-

etnam is limited, there are a big number of abandoned dogs and cats looking for help in hopeless.

UNIS Hanoi Pet Rescue is a student service group that connects animal lovers around UNIS Community

together bring a better life to abandoned dogs and cats in Hanoi. This group is in partnership with Hanoi

Pet Rescue which is known as the first non–profit organization that works to rescue abandoned animals.

This is a great opportunity for students who hope to take part in the programme that help to change the

destiny of many poor animals around Hanoi.

In this Service Learning activities, students learn the essential knowledge of animal cares, work with Hanoi

Pet Rescue to visit and take care of poor animals, also create various activities that rasing funds for sick

pets which suffer the pain but having no money to go to VET for cure and giving chance for animal lovers

with their pets have a space to share and to learn.

In 2014—15 the group worked on identifying and

labelling the trees on the UNIS campus.

Now all you have to do is download a QR Code

reader to your smart phone or ipad. When

looking at a tree on campus, simply scan the QR

Code on the sign and you will be taken directly to

the page, on this site, that tells all about the tree

you are looking at!

For Android devices:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?

id=uk.tapmedia.qrreader

For an iOS:

https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/qr-reader-for-

iphone/id368494609

For more information visit: nature.unishanoi.org/



FOCUS: UNIS & HANOI


TRIPS/VISITS: - Various tree-planting events

through the year

information


UNIS Hanoi Service Learning COMMUNITY GARDEN & TREE NURSERY

“I don’t think it is right to blame it completely on

the Vietnam War. What the war also did was keep

people very poor, and poor people do desperate

things to community assets such as land,” he says.

“You overgraze it, you cut down trees, you

mismanage the land to survive. It is a classic case

of the tragedy of the commons in which people

overuse natural resources.” (Interview from

‘Vietnam’s Need for Trees’, Dr. Gio Braidotti, 2013)

The Community Tree Nursery group focuses on

activities involving trees and the community

garden.


about the maintenance of a small garden and

how to propagate and grow trees for donation to

local community groups and organizations.

They manage the School’s information about trees

on campus, and generate awareness in the UNIS

and broader community about the importance of

taking care of our natural surroundings.

They also learn about the how important trees are

to the environment, the impact of deforestation,

and how to recycle waste in a purposeful

manner.

http://www.nature.unishanoi.org

“Renewable energy technologies are clean

sources of energy that have a much lower

environmental impact than conventional energy

technologies”. (Renewable Energy World.com)

Bicycle technology - "biketech" - is the extension of

the basic components of bicycle construction to a

larger field of uses. Power delivered to pedals (by

arms, legs, or other source of motion), transmitted

by bicycle chains, drive cables, and/or bicycle

gears is applied to power machines or generate

electricity. The supplied motion may be used for

transport, pumping water, vacuum pumping,

blending food, mowing grass, spinning washing

machines, and so on. Thus, without the

infrastructure for electricity or internal combustion,

the motive power of human beings can be

multiplied and extended to alleviate tedious tasks.

If you are not afraid of getting your hands dirty

and like challenges, Community Turbines may be

the place for you!


about turbine and “biketech” technology as an

alternative energy resource. They dismantle bikes

to create pedal driven blenders and electric

generators, and advocate for their use in specific

situations.

In 2015—16, the group hopes to get these ‘green

contraptions’ out into the city and local

community to spread the word about one of the

most abundant alternative energy sources that

Vietnam has … people pedal power!


COMMUNITY TURBINES



FOCUS: UNIS & HANOI


TRIPS/VISITS: - As decided by group

information


“Children with facial deformities who do not

receive reconstructive surgery often have difficulty

breathing, drinking, eating and speaking. As a

result, many suffer from malnutrition, medical and

psychological problems. Approximately 1 in 500

children is born with a facial deformity. In as little

as 45 minutes, and for approximately $250 USD,

one cleft lip surgery can change a child’s life

forever. (Operation Smile)

Operation Smile was founded in 1982 in the USA

and is a worldwide children’s medical charity

whose network of global volunteers are dedicated

to helping improve the health and lives of children

and young adults. Since its founding, Operation

Smile volunteers have treated more than 130,000

children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other

facial deformities and the organization has a

presence in 51 countries.


about the work of Operation Smile and explore

the link between poverty and health. They

participate in local Operation Smile ‘missions’ to

support children and their families pre- and post-

surgery. In addition, they promote the work of

Operation Smile in the local community primarily

through fundraising events.


CONCEPT: HEALTH & DISABILITY

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS: - Various missions yearly.

- Operation Smile Concert (TBC)

information

HEALTH & DISABILITY VIETNAM Grades 9 - 12


OPERATION SMILE

In 2014, students participated in the Operation Smile

International Mission

“It is estimated that the annual number of

childhood cancer cases in Northern Vietnam is

1700. Currently less than 20% of these children

come to Hanoi for treatment, and only a limited

number of these children will complete their

therapy.” (Lund, Vietnam)

The Tran Trieu Hospital in Tan Trieu Commune,

Thanh Tri District, is a dedicated cancer unit for

children and part of the larger K-Hospital.

The unit specializes in the treatment of cancer in

children, and receives patients from different

provinces across Vietnam. Most patients come

from low-income families with parents working

in agriculture. Life for these families is often very

difficult. During the treatment period, patients do

not have the opportunity to participate in

common leisure activities, which adds to the stress

of staying a long time in hospital.


about the causes and treatment of children’s

cancer in Vietnam. They raise awareness in the

UNIS community of the issues facing children with

cancer, socialize with and devise enjoyable

activities for the children at the hospital, and

fund-raise to provide gifts and donations to

the children and their families.

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning TRAN TRIEU CANCER HOSPITAL


CONCEPT: HEALTH

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS:

- Visit to Hospital

- Once per month

- Saturdays 08.00—12.30

information

HEALTH HANOI Grades 9 - 12

“As in many other developing countries, cancer

is on the increase in Viet Nam. According to the

latest statistics from the World Health

Organization (WHO), there are around 125 000

new cancer cases and 94 000 deaths each year.

These figures are expected to double by 2035.“

This new Service Learning activity is to be

established in honour of Mr. Bach Quang Thai

who sadly passed away in April 2015.

Mr. Thai a cherished member of the UNIS Hanoi

community and worked as part of the Tech

Support Team at the school

He was also actively involved in charity work

within the Vietnamese community, particular in

the support of persons with disability.

After initial consultations, it has been decided to

focus the work of this group on the support of

Viet Nam's National Cancer Hospital, commonly

known as the "K Hospital".

Located in a run-down French colonial-style

building, it is the busiest cancer hospital in the

country, dealing with up to 5 000 patients every

day at three campuses.


about the causes and treatment of cancer in

Vietnam. They raise awareness in the UNIS

community of the issues facing people with

cancer and fundraise in order to support

individuals and families in need of financial

assistance. The group will work with friends and

family of Mr. Thai to assess those in greatest

need .

In 2015—16, students in this group will begin the

academic year preparing for a school sponsored

bike ride to raise initial funds and honour Mr. Thai.


CONCEPT: HEALTH

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS:

- Visit to Hospital

- Once per month

- Saturdays 08.00—12.30

information

HEALTH HANOI Grades 9 - 12

Patients at Viet Nam's National Cancer Hospital


THE K-HOSPITAL A Service group in honour of Mr. Bach Quang Thai

https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/regular-day-k-hospital-hanoi

“Nearly 10 million people in Vietnam live in

sub-standard and undignified housing and over

38% of the country’s rural population lack access

to clean water and over 50% lack adequate

sanitation. This situation will worsen with the effects

of climate change and natural disasters, which is

already impacting the poor and most vulnerable

groups in Vietnam.” (Habitat for Humanity)

Habitat for Humanity International is a non-

governmental organization whose aim is to create

“a world where everyone has a decent place to

live” (HfH). In their goal to eliminate poverty

housing, volunteers are sought to build houses and

to raise awareness about poverty and housing.

Habitat for Humanity Vietnam (HFH Vietnam)

mobilizes resources (materials, labor and

financing) to build, renovate or repair houses with

vulnerable families who are willing to partner by

working on their houses and paying towards its

cost, typically through a housing microfinance

loan. Housing loan repayments go into a revolving

fund from which additional beneficiary families

can access to build or improve their home.

In this Service learning activity students

investigate and develop an understanding of the

work of Habitat for Humanity, raise awareness of

the issues the organization aims to tackle, and

raise funds throughout the year in order to attend

a house build in the North of Vietnam and

provide a ‘pot’ for future UNIS volunteers.

During the build, students have jobs such as

carrying (bricks, water, rocks, beams, and tools),

laying bricks, mixing mortar, digging, and assisting

in any unskilled labor tasks.


CONCEPT: POVERTY

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS: - 4-day/3 night house build

- Once per year

information

POVERTY VIETNAM Grades 9 - 12


HABITAT for HUMANITY

The HfH/UNIS House-build

May 2015

“Viet Nam has made impressive strides toward

ensuring all children have access to a quality

education. These overall achievements are limited

however by concerns about disparities in access,

completion rates and in the overall quality of

education Vietnamese children are receiving.

Linguistically diverse ethnic minority populations

struggle with mandatory instruction in Vietnamese

and this contributes to a far lower education

attainment among ethnic minority children. In

comparison with other minority groups in Vietnam,

the H’mong have been assessed to be the most

economically vulnerable with the highest poverty

rate, and the lowest educational

achievements.” (UNICEF)

‘Helping Hands’ is a community service project

established to provide funding, resources and

general capacity building to schools and com-

munities in the Sa Pa area, Lao Cai Province,

Vietnam.


about the ethnic minorities in Sa pa – their life and

culture. They learn about the education provision

for ethnic minority children in Vietnam, and raise

funds to support local schools and the well-being

of local children and their families. In addition,

students participate in an annual clothes drive.


HELPING HANDS

LEVEL: GRADE 8

CONCEPT: POVERTY

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS: - to Sa Pa

- once per semester

information

POVERTY VIETNAM Grades 8

This is a new activity for 2015—16 which builds on

the success of the recent Real Madrid Soccer

camps held at UNIS and the model used by the

Swim for Life programme.

In 2015, the Real Madrid Soccer Camp at UNIS

provided coaching workshops and training

sessions for a group of young deaf and mute

children from the Thuy An Community Centre in

Thuy An. It was acknowledged as a great success.

In this new Service Learning activity, UNIS students

will work with the local volunteer soccer coaches

who participated in the Real Madrid Soccer

Camp to develop their soccer coaching skills.

Students will then use the skills developed to run a

monthly coaching session at UNIS with the young

children from the Thuy An Centre.

The sessions take place every Wednesday

after school from 4.45 - 6.00 p.m. Three sessions

per month will be for UNIS students to working with

local soccer coaches to develop their coaching

skills. In the other session each month UNIS

students put into practice what they have learnt

by coaching the young children from Thuy An.

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning THUY AN SOCCER COACHING



FOCUS: VIETNAM


TIME:

- Weekly training/coaching

- Every Wednesday 4.45—6.00

- Once per month with children

from the Thuy An Centre

information

DISABILITY & DISADVANTAGE VIETNAM Grades 9 - 12

“This is not charity. This is business: business with a

social objective, which is to help people get out of

poverty.” (Muhammad Yunus, Founder of

Grameen Bank and Nobel Peace Prize recipient)

Microfinance is grounded in the belief that many

poor people remain trapped in poverty due to a

lack of access to credit and other financial

services – and, conversely, that small capital

injections can enable significant economic and

social improvements for borrowers.

This activity is run in collaboration with ‘Bloom

Microventures’ - a non-profit social business

providing microcredit to entrepreneurs living

below the poverty line in Vietnam - this is a Service

Learning activity that supports students in

becoming positive agents of change, while

promoting the basic fundamentals of social

enterprise and microfinance.

In this Service Learning activity students learn and

explore the fundamentals of microfinance and

social enterprise in tackling poverty. They work

closely with the NGO ‘Bloom Microventures’ to

identify individuals and groups in the Hao Binh

community requiring microloans, and to monitor

and evaluate how the loans are used. In addition,

students take the lead in creating mini-enterprises

and fair trade opportunities that bring benefits to

the people of the Hoa Binh community.


CONCEPT: POVERTY

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TIME/DATE:

- to Hoa Binh

- once per quarter

- Saturday from 08.00—15.30

information

POVERTY VIETNAM Grades 9 - 12

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning MICROFINANCE & SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

“KOTO stands for Know One, Teach One and

reflects our belief that if you're in a position where

you can help someone less fortunate, then you

should help them and the greatest thanks you can

receive is to one day see that person be in a

position to do the same for someone else.” Jimmy

Pham – KOTO Founder & Executive Chairman.

Blue Dragon offers programmes for

disadvantaged and vulnerable young people

“ … tailored to their individual needs, whether it be

education, nutrition, health care, counseling,

physical and creative activities, rescue, legal

advocacy or safe shelter led by a team of social

workers, psychologists, teachers and

lawyers.” (Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation)

UNIS’s work with the under-privileged young

people of the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation

and KOTO has a long history. In this Service

Learning activity students learn about the work of

the organisations and the challenges faced by the

young people they aim to support. They plan and

run community sports sessions: soccer, volleyball,

table tennis, basketball and street hockey for the

young people, and run a number of ‘special

events’ during the year, including the annual end

of year BBQ.


CONCEPT: POVERTY & DISADVANTAGE

FOCUS: HANOI


TRIPS/VISITS:

- Weekly every Weds. after

school

- Once per week (rotation) from

4.45—6.00 p.m.

- Semester visits to KOTO and

Blue Dragon centres.

information

POVERTY & DISADVANTAGE HANOI Grades 9 - 12

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning KOTO & BLUE DRAGON

COMMUNITY SPORT

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“Dioxin even in tiny amounts is associated with

severe health damage that can shorten the lives

of people exposed to it, and potentially that of

their offspring and future generations.” (The Aspen

Institute) Vietnam claims half a million children

have been born with serious birth defects, while as

many 2 million people are suffering from cancer or

other illness caused by Agent Orange

(History.com)

The Peace Village was established in 1991 and

provides a home and education for children and

young people who are suffering from the effects

of Agent Orange. The aim of the village is to care

for these children & help them integrate into

society.

In this Service Learning activity UNIS students learn

about the effects of Agent Orange on Vietnam.

They plan and run a variety of activities for the

young people from the Peace Village including,

sport and craft activities. They arrange trips and

visits for the disabled children to places of interest

in Hanoi (the Zoo, Puppet Theatre, Aquarium,

etc.), and conduct fund-raising activities

throughout the semester to support the visits and

small projects at the Peace Village.

In 2014—15, the group raised enough money to

purchase a new television for the residents at the

Peace Village.



FOCUS: HANOI


TRIPS/VISITS: - Weds. afternoon once per

month from 2.45—5.30

information

DISABILITY & DISADVANTAGE HANOI Grades 9 - 12

UNIS students purchase a new television for the

Peace Village. UNIS Hanoi Service Learning

PEACE VILLAGE

“People with disabilities represent a

disproportionately high proportion of the world's

poor. Recognizing the reciprocal relationship

between disability and poverty, leading to

increased vulnerability and social exclusion,

disability has been flagged as a key development

issue in meeting the United Nations Millennium

Development Goals and in eradicating world

poverty.” (‘Social Protection and Disability: Policy

Lessons from Vietnam’, ESRC Economic and Social

Research Council)

“Though there is little agreement on how many

disabled live in Vietnam, one indisputable fact is

that this group is at a huge disadvantage

compared to the non-disabled.” (The Disabled in

Vietnam, Michael Tatarski)

Thuy An Village is a centre in Ba Vi Province,

Vietnam, for children and adults with a range of

physical and mental disabilities, ranging from the

moderate to severe.


about the centre and investigate the link between

poverty, disability and health in a low-middle

income country like Vietnam. They support the

disabled children at the village, learn

touch-therapy to use during visits, and plan

fundraising ‘events’ which include an educational

component to raise awareness and knowledge of

the challenges that the children at Thuy An face.

In 2014—15, the Thuy An group was introduced to

the Vietnam International Volunteer Placement

Service (VIVPS) who now work on an on-going

basis at the village. UNIS now collaborate with the

group to ensure that donations are used to good

effect and projects are sustainable.


THUY AN VILLAGE


CONCEPT: POVERTY & DISABILITY

FOCUS: VIETNAM


TRIPS/VISITS: Sat Morning once per month

08.00—13.00

information

POVERTY & DISABILITY VIETNAM Grades 10 - 12

The High School Ambassadors is a group of

students dedicated to the positive promotion of

the United Nations International School.

In this Service Learning activity students will work

with the Counseling Office at UNIS to provide a

positive role model for younger students; serve as

liaisons between the current UNIS community, and

new and prospective students. Student

Ambassadors support and are visible at many

campus events including those for prospective

students and families, and work in conjunction with

the Counseling Office. Students in this activity

have the opportunity to develop public relations

and interpersonal skills.


HS AMBASSADORS


CONCEPT: OTHER

FOCUS: UNIS


TRIPS/VISITS: - Various UNIS events

throughout the year

information


“Through the work of the High School Senate,

students in grades 9-12 are provided with a forum

to communicate about the issues that are

important to them on campus with faculty and

administration. As a result of exciting student-

organized events, school spirit in the high school

continues to grow significantly every year thanks

to the work of the Senate. The Senate also makes

annual financial contributions to other service

programs through fundraising.

In 2014, the Senate donated nearly $3000 to

Operation Healthy Heart, enough to fund a full

operation for a child in need.” (HS Senate)

The High School Senate allows students an

opportunity to shape their experiences on campus

and allow student views and opinions to be

presented to the school’s faculty and

administration by electing representatives from

each grade level. Skills in organization,

communication and leadership are developed

through hands-on experience throughout the

year. Senate events such as the Prom, Talent

Show, Spirit Week and more have grown in size

and reputation, becoming key milestones in the

academic year that all students look forward to.

Additionally, the Senate contributes to charitable

causes through fundraising activities throughout

the year.

In this Service Learning activity, elected student

representatives work together to provide a voice

for the student body; work with the faculty and

administration to provide student perspective on

school issues; plan and coordinate student events

both on campus and in the community; and

control their own budget for student events and

donate surplus funds to student-selected service

organizations.

An officer board is elected within the Senate to

lead meetings, spearhead Senate initiatives and

l i a i s e w i t h s c h o o l f a c u l t y a n d

administration.


HS SENATE


CONCEPT: OTHER

FOCUS: UNIS


TRIP/VISITS: - Semester 1 retreat

information


United Nations International School of Hanoi

“To the world you might be a person,

but to a person you might be the world”

UNIS Hanoi Service Learning Booklet 2015-2016

Documents

Transcript of UNIS Hanoi Service Learning Booklet 2015-2016