IB-lukiolaisen kokemuksia vapaaehtoistyöstä
Ressun lukion IB-opiskelijat osallistuvat CAS-toimintaan (Creativity, Activity, Service) osana IB-tutkintoa. Service eli vapaaehtoistyö ja siinä opitut taidot ja asenteet ovat olennainen osa IB-tutkintoa. Ressun IB-abi Shahreen Hussain jakoi kokemuksiaan vapaaehtoistyöstä.
Tavoitteet
Being IB students, there is one thing, in addition to many others, that we are required to do…“CAS” (Creativity, Activity, Service). Service really does provide us students with great opportunities that make us go out of our comfort zones and try out things we would perhaps never try, if it was not for getting some service hours. One misconception that some students have is that doing service is going to be nothing but boring. That is not the case if you find yourself the right places for you. Fortunately, I did.
Mitä tehtiin?
As a part of my service experience, I am a member of the Green team which operates in our very own school. A fun way to get to know your fellow students while also contributing to the betterment of the environment. In addition, it also allows one to engage in student-organized events that evoke a feeling of togetherness.
I also volunteered in several other places. One of which was an American-Finnish kindergarten that I came across while browsing on the internet. I worked with children who were 3-5 years old. Being someone who has no experience with children at all, this was initially rather scary. I was unsure of how well I would be able to cope with little children running around me asking me to open their water bottles for them. However, to my surprise, it was a lot of fun! By the end of the experience, I had managed to build a friendly bond with them.
I also volunteered in the Kamppi palvelukeskus which is a service center for the elderly. There are a variety of areas you can work in. I chose to work in the cafeteria where I had to serve snacks to elderly people who would usually sit around for a few hours with their peers. An absolutely amazing experience! I would highly recommend trying this one out. It not only helped me improve my Finnish skills, which by the way are not the best, as I had to communicate in Finnish but also made me become more approachable and therefore enable me to cater to elderly people.
I was one of the tutors in Ressu primary school for grade 4 students, specifically for their science fair project. Each tutor was responsible for two students. One of my 4th grade student taught me how to survive a tornado. You will be surprised of how capable 4th graders can be. It’s a two-way process; you teach some, you learn some. I tutored them once a week for several weeks. Besides this, I also tutored a few students for their IB entrance exams. I helped them with the kind of approach they should be taking in order to prepare themselves.
I was a member of a Bollywood dance group which performed in several events which were not only Indian but also Finnish, Swedish and other multi-cultural events. It was an amazing experience being able to represent the South-Asian culture in the Western society. If you belong to the same culture, this will provide you with an opportunity to stay connected with your roots. If you are not familiar with this culture, it will be a valuable opportunity to learn about a different culture. Either way, you will enjoy it.
Currently, I am one of the volunteers in the prestigious Slush event. Being Ressu students, we were not required to go through a long procedure which involves being interviewed. We were selected automatically as soon as we filled in the application unlike other people. This already made me feel very fortunate. The Slush event is a non-profitable tech and startup event. I would highly recommend volunteering in this as it will not only help you get service hours and provide you with an opportunity to contribute to the betterment of the world in your own way, but will also look good on your curriculum vitae.
These are just some of my service experiences. You can definitely make your service experiences a lot of fun by having a positive attitude when looking around for opportunities and grabbing them at the right time.
Miten tehtiin?
Opiskelija saa itse valita, millaista vapaaehtoistyötä haluaa tehdä. Ressun opiskelijat työskentelevät monenlaisissa paikoissa: päiväkodeissa, ala-asteilla, partiossa, vanhainkodeissa, apuohjaajina urheiluseuroissa, löytöteläinten parissa, ensiapuryhmissä jne. Jokaisella opiskeljalla on CAS-ohjaaja, joska seuraa opiskelijan edistymistä. CAS-toimintaan kuuluu myös oman toiminnan jatkuva itsearviointi, joka auttaa opiskelijoita tunnistamaan opittuja tietoja ja taitoja.
Osallistujat
Shahreen Hussain (ja muut Ressun lukion IB-abit)
Arviointi
Vapaahtoistyötä tehdään vähintään 18 kuukauden ajan ja opiskelijat kokoavat portfoliota vapaaehtoistyöstään. Opiskelija käy CAS-ohjaajansa kanssa keskusteluita säännöllisin väliajoin sekä loppukeskustelun, jossa käydään läpi opiskelijan kahden vuoden CAS-ohjelma ja saavutetut tavoitteet.
Plussat
Opiskelijat oppivat monipuolisia tietoja ja taitoja, joita ei opi luokkahuoneessa.
Vapaahtoistyö kehittää opiskelijoiden empatiakykyä ja vuorovaikutustaitoja.
Opiskelijat huomaavat, että omalla toiminnalla voi vaikuttaa asioihin: voi toimia maailmanlaajuisten ongelmien parissa tai keskittyä auttamaan yksilötasolla.
Kehitettävää
Vapaaehtoistyö kannattaisi lisätä osaksi suomalaista lukiokoulutusta.