January 09, 2026 - Service Learning Blog
Student Service Learning Blog Writers
Better Working Together
By Nick Sturmey, ISY Service Learning Coordinator
Think of a project you have been involved with. Did you work with others? Could you have done it on your own? Did working in a group improve the results? These are the kinds of questions we ask our students about their engagement with service-learning projects, but I think you will agree they could be applied to a wide variety of experiences.
In early December, the Chinthe Fund Helping Hands group went to the Care to the Least Center (CLC) to assist the ISY Clinic’s regular medical check-up. Sometimes, we do the check-ups at ISY; sometimes, they go to our partners. When we do it at ISY, it gives us the opportunity to invite the children from CLC and Kalitaw to ISY events - they will be at the Family Sports Day on January 17th. When we go to them, it gives our students opportunities to learn more about life at CLC and Kalihtaw.
Many ISY students have noticed the developing relationships between themselves and the children from CLC and Kalihtaw as they eat, work, and play together.
Thin Ei (grade 11) said, “It gets better every time.” 
The ISY Clinic noted that medical check-ups are proceeding more smoothly now that we have a team of regularly trained ISY students assisting in the clinic.
In addition to the check-up, we brought a volleyball net designed and built by another ISY service-learning group, Build For Change (B4C). Aye Wint (grade 12), leader of B4C, consulted with the CLC and learned they wanted a volleyball net.
I can report that ISY’s service-learning program, with its various projects, provides students with opportunities to develop important skills such as planning, teamwork, and reflection. From discussions with our students, it is clear that they are learning about real-world issues in real-world contexts. As they experience real-world situations, they make deeper connections to the things they study in school. Just like in the real world, achievement often comes through collaboration. Events like this bring the school’s vision to life as our students understand that they can be “a force for positive change in the world.”