LLP The Good Samaritan Project
Find out how the Good Samaritan Project builds student leadership and community values through service learning and VIA projects.
LLP - The Good Samaritan Project
Aim
The focus of the school’s Good Samaritan Programme (GSP) is on student leadership and Values-in-Action (VIA).
The aim of GSP is to develop each student to be a HI Good Samaritan who is compassionate and morally upright, through honing their leadership skills, competencies and values; and nurturing in them a sense of compassion and commitment towards meeting the needs of the community.
Student Leadership
The school adopts Treffinger's (2008) Levels of Service model in our approach to develop HI Good Samaritans. The following table summarises the four Levels of Service and the description of experiences available in HIHS to develop our students into Good Samaritans:
Activities and Programmes planned by the Student Leadership Board
1. Teen Conference
The school empowers student leaders to lead in various projects and at different platforms. This includes the annual Teens Conference in which HIHS invites student participants of other secondary schools to join us in understanding and addressing community issues through activities led and implemented by the student leaders.
The past years' Teens Conference saw the participation of some community organisations who serve as a resource and wealth of experience for participating students as they identified social causes of community issues they wanted to address before planning their course of action.
Due to COVID-19, HIHS had its first ever virtual Teens Conference in 2021 through the Zoom platform. The theme was Shine: From Darkness to Light, and the aim of the conference was to create awareness of community and social issues, and to develop in youths a sense of empathy that would motivate them to take social action. The sharing session and panel discussion involving speakers from various community organisations.
Picture of invited speakers of Teens Conference 2021: Invited speakers - Mr Richardo Chua (Guest-of-Honour) - Founder & Chairman of Adrenalin; Ms Gillian Peck - Bringing Love to Every Single Soul (BLESS); Ms Seema Punwani - Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2); Ms Sherry Soon - Be Kind SG; Mr Tan Wei Xiang - The Social Kitchen Singapore, together with Principal Mrs Rebecca Chew and HOD (CCE) Mr Martin Lee.
Picture of student leaders and teachers involved in planning of Teens Conference 2021
2. Level Camps
As part of their leadership development, our student leaders plan and organise activities for Secondary 1 to 3 camps, with the help of student camp facilitators. These camps are held at the first few weeks of the year and the student leaders implement activities that encourage their peers to bond with one another as well as strengthen their peers’ identity as part of the HIHS community. These camps provide the student leaders with opportunities to hone their leadership and service-learning skills.
Pictures of camps taken before COVID-19 pandemic:
With the COVID-19 pandemic in the past two years, stay-in camps had not been possible and camp activities were organised as day activities with adherence to the Safety Management Measures (SMM).
Values in Action (VIA)
Our Secondary 1 to 5 students are involved in the planning and implementation of VIA projects using the service learning approach. They carry out a level thematic project beginning from their most immediate environment (i.e. family and school) when they are in Secondary 1 to the wider community at large when they are in upper secondary. Students learn about the key elements of service learning and initiate projects that are targeted at addressing the needs and issues of beneficiaries at various levels of our community. During the service learning journey, students are provided with opportunities to develop and strengthen their leadership practices.
Lower Sec VIA
Our Secondary 1 students have the opportunity to set up booths showcasing games and advocacy movements centered around racial harmony. In managing these booths that are open to students of all levels during the commemoration of Racial Harmony Day, Secondary 1 students can build a sense of belonging while engaging meaningfully with the school community. They exemplify the school values of love and respect by promoting understanding and mutual respect among their peers.
Our Secondary 2 students learn about empathy through understanding more about different special needs during CCE lessons. They then plan and implement booths featuring games and advocacy activities on Be Inclusive day, an event that is organised by the SEN and Service Learning team teachers. Through these initiatives, students can share ideas of inclusivity, reflecting the school’s values of love and respect as they encourage everyone in school to be a Good Samaritan.
Upper Sec VIA
Our Secondary 3 students partner with Morning Star and Good Shepherd under Caritas Singapore for their Service Learning projects. Through these meaningful collaborations, the students further develop empathy as they design and facilitate age-appropriate activities for the children supported by both organisations. The experience allows them to also develop compassion, creativity, and a deeper understanding of how they can make a positive impact in the lives of others.
Our Secondary 4 students implement their Service Learning projects with beneficiaries such as The National Kidney Foundation (NKF). The partnership with external welfare organisations allow students to build stronger and more trusting relationships with the beneficiaries. Over time, they are able to witness the positive impact of their continued efforts and understand how consistent service can bring about meaningful change in the community.
