Action and Service

What is Action and Service?

Action and Service is an integral part of our school because Miina Härma Gümnaasium fosters the next generation that improves the world. The aim of Action and Service is to make sure that young people grow up to be active participants of the community and that they understood their ability to change the world to a better place. Action and Service are obligatory to all students of MHG and will begin in the classroom in collaboration with the teacher, extending outside the school. Through Action and Service, the students develop their academic knowledge as well as practical and social skills in real-life situations. The students can use their skills to make informed decisions, finding solutions to problems, taking responsibility or cooperating etc.

The forms of Action and Service

Direct: The student interacts directly with people, animals or the environment. For example, tutors another student, visits the animal shelter or grows plants in the schoolyard.

Indirect: The student may not meet directly with the beneficiary but makes a difference in the community with their action. For example, designs the school website or a picture book for language learning or takes care of plants in the community.

Showing support and organizing a campaign to stand up for something: The student arranges a campaign in the community to raise awareness for a problem and to inform people. For example, an anti-bullying campaign or a video for sorting garbage.

Research: The student researches information from different sources, analyzes the data and writes a research paper with the aim of changing something. For example,  gathers information about different possibilities for recycling garbage and tries to find a better solution or interviews fellow students under the topic of school lunches in order to make a change in the menu.

Requirements

• Preferred minimum time 10 hours.
• The student finds a supervisor from within or outside the school.
• The student needs to complete a practical assignment which can take place both within or outside the school.
• The students reflect on their learning journey through different learning outcomes using at least three of them.
• The supervisor confirms the practical assignment to be completed.
• The student does not get paid for Service and Action.

Grade	Number of learning outcomes in reflections	Number of practical assignments  a year
grades 5-6	3	1
grades 7-8	5	2

Learning outcomes

1. Acknowledging their own strengths and weaknesses
2. International mindedness and development of global understandings
3. Overcoming challenges and persistence
4. Collaboration with other students
5. Academic honesty and ethical action
6. Development of entrepreneurship
7. Acquisition of new skills

The role of the supervisor

The role of the supervisor of Action and Service is to support the student in setting personal goals.

To help the student understand the concept of civil society and the reasons to be an active participant in society.

Directing and supporting the student in finding appropriate action. Being more reflective that leading the process.

Describe the student’s progress and confirm that they have passed the practical assignment.