Social Action Project Reflection

Consider the effectiveness of the project, considering each component and reflecting on your learning experience as well as the impact on the school or community.

This project was very effective as it was easy to engage in, learners knew what the project was about and why we were doing it, including what they had to do to contribute towards reaching the end goal. It was effective as learners were constantly engaged and were always eager with what I had to say when creating awareness and speaking in assemblies. They were always eager to learn more and be educated about what was going on especially learners who needed reminding of what they had to do, they would always come up to me and ask questions to clarify their confusions and ensure they are doing everything correctly. It was also effective in the sense that it united the entire foundation phase as the learners were encouraging one another to bring more bottle caps and simply feel the excitement of how much they were collecting every week and seeing the numbers increasing. Even though the classes were working against each other that didn’t stop them from uniting and encouraging each other. When addressing the assemblies, the learners wouldn’t care about what placings their class was on, all they cared about was the total amount of KG’s collected so far and to hear how close they were to reaching the goal to make a different in someone else’s life. The parents’ involvement in the project showed effectiveness shining through as well. All my efforts to inform parents of what was taking place with class group chats ad sending letters home really showed how effective creating awareness was as they knew exactly what to do and how to help and seeing how eager they were to assist in the project also showed how much their children cared to collect more within the home environments.

How has service-learning changed you personally?

Service-learning has changed me on a personal level by fostering a deep sense of empathy, responsibility, and social consciousness. Engaging in service-learning initiatives has allowed me to understand the diverse needs and challenges faced by individuals and communities and how I can make a difference by simply recycling plastic lids. This experience has not only broadened my horizons but also helped me to become more actively involved in helping communities and individuals, and has taught me the importance of collaboration, and compassion. Service-learning has transformed me into a more socially aware and responsible individual, inspiring me to strive for positive change and make a meaningful difference in the world. I have grown to appreciate my life a lot more and be grateful for not having a disability while realising the real-world complexities and challenges that a lot of individuals face and how I can assist them.

How has service-learning developed you professionally? What new knowledge, skills and/or attitudes have you gained?

Service-learning has shaped my professional growth by equipping me with a unique set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Through engaging in this project, I've cultivated a deeper understanding of community needs and social issues, which has heightened my empathy and awareness. This experience has developed my communication and teamwork skills, as I had to effectively communicate, collaborate, and interact with my mentor teacher and her colleagues, the learners, and the parents showing different levels of professional communication and explanation (different levels based on different ages and hierarchy). I developed leadership skills and took on the roles of leader such as project manager, coordinator, team leader that led me to decision making, time management, inspiring and guiding the engagement and involvement of all involved in the project. I developed networking skills as I had to connect with the Sweethearts Foundation and how to work with them towards successfully executing the project. The main professional skill I developed was public speaking. I had to stand Infront of assemblies 4 times and speak about the project in front of learners and their teachers and it helped me enhance how to communicate and explain my thoughts effectively in a public speaking setting to different ages (children to adults).

Describe the benefit of this initiative to the school and comment on its sustainability.

The Sweethearts Foundation social action project that was implemented into the school was very beneficial for different reasons:

• Personal Growth: Students develop a sense of social responsibility, empathy, and a commitment to making a positive impact in the community. This personal growth not only benefits the students but also creates a more compassionate school culture. Learners were able to comprehend the project and showing empathy towards the many individuals that they could be assisting. They were able to create a school environment that works together and strives to achieve the same goals and that was to collect the specified plastic items towards a wheelchair.

• Collaboration and engagement: this social action project displayed a sense of community within the school, involving students, teachers, and parents. This engagement can lead to stronger ties between the school and its surrounding community. The learners were able to engage with their peers and work together to collect plastic towards the same goal. They worked together in raising awareness within their communities and own homes so that they can greater involvement and collaboration for the greater success of the project.

• Skill Development: Students involved in such projects acquire a range of skills, including leadership, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and project management.

• Curriculum Integration: This social action project was integrated into the school's curriculum, providing real-world applications of classroom learning. This makes learning more meaningful and practical for students. The learners were learning about pollution and because this project works with recycling specified plastics, they integrated it into their curriculum to help making learning more fun and relatable.

The social action project was sustainable as:

• Partnerships: Build partnerships with Sweethearts Foundation to provide ongoing support and resources for projects.

• Parent involvement: Parents were enjoying the project as it assisted them in recycling and allowing them to feel as if they were making a difference in the community.

• Long term: this social action project is long term and can be done throughout the entire year. It does not require a lot of work as learners need to bring in the plastics, the school will store plastics, and then when they have enough, they can take it to the foundation to hand over their contribution. The school does not need to purchase anything, they are not required to take away from their teaching time to participate in the project, and they build a long-term school culture that includes all values, believes, diversities and collaboration in a safe working environment. This Shows that the project is sustainable as it is inexpensive and does not take away from any teaching and learning time, and learning can learn in school cultural environment.