Community Service embodies all of Ascham’s values of respect and kindness, collaboration and community, courage and resilience, acceptance and responsibly and ambition.
Community Service has two elements to it, the first being where Year 10 girls participate in a compulsory Community Service program during Terms 2 and 3. This aims to give girls a greater understanding of the community that they live in, help them to develop new skills and strengthen personal characteristics such as self-reliance and confidence, and take the opportunity to exercise creativity and leadership in what is done for the members of the community.
The second element is whereby girls from Years 9-12 are invited to volunteer in various after-school programs throughout the year that are designed to encompass intergenerational and interrelating with other young people in varying community environments. Coupled with this is the mixture of ‘one off’ community events or volunteer programmes.
Students not only gain self-awareness from their community service/volunteering but also gain insights into the wider demographic of their community. This often inspires students to continue to give back to their community through their career choices or ongoing volunteer commitments.