Learning and giving back have always gone hand in hand. When experiential learning combines with service, it can create immense value and effectiveness, helping students understand themselves, build confidence, enhance skills, and even challenge societal stereotypes. Experiential service learning is a model that has been implemented at Fortress Hill Methodist Secondary School (hereafter referred to as “the School”) in recent years. Teachers first engage students in experiential activities to help them reflect and gain insights, then guide them to transform what they’ve learned and felt—from self-help to helping others, ultimately giving back to society. Regardless of students' abilities or whether they are identified as having special educational needs (SEN), they can find their strengths and allow the public to appreciate their talents. Let’s take a closer look at how this formula supports students and serves as an excellent vehicle for values education and citizenship.
Building the Formula: Starting with Self-Growth
Although the School is not a special school, it has consistently dedicated itself to serving students with special educational needs. Assistant Principal Ms. Hou Kit-ying states that being identified as having SEN does not mean students are labeled or fixed in any way. Instead, teachers must adjust and support them, teaching according to their needs: "Students can achieve; they just require different strategies and methods. The School's experiential service learning begins with this supportive approach. For example, they have a Traffic Ambassador program, initially aimed at gathering students who are interested in transportation. This allows students to share and communicate in a field they enjoy, enhancing their expression and communication skills. As interactions progress, students' abilities improve, enabling them to take on planning roles. A group of Traffic Ambassadors turned their interests into service by designing travel routes for elderly residents who had been homebound during the pandemic, suggesting suitable transportation options for those with mobility issues. After initially completing the routes, students conducted field inspections with their teachers and ultimately accompanied the elderly on their trips. The students felt fulfilled and proud from their contributions, while the elderly appreciated the care and attention. The entire program reflects a transformation from self-improvement to helping others.
(Traffic Ambassadors explain travel routes to the elderly.)
Another program is the Pet Ambassador initiative. Initially, the teachers hoped that students would gain emotional support through interaction with pets, assisting those with emotional challenges or even tendencies toward depression. However, as the students grew, they not only learned to support themselves but also took pets to visit the elderly, bringing smiles to their faces. "Students can understand the preciousness of life and share their experiences with those they serve. The elderly interviewed are always looking forward to their visits," shared Assistant Principal Ms. Hou Kit-ying.
(Pet Ambassadors serve the elderly together with therapy dogs.)
The Practice of the Formula: Experience as the Foundation of Empathy
The formula is straightforward: learn first, then serve. But what role do the elements of experiential learning play in this process? Assistant Principal Ms. Hou mentions that students with SEN tend to remain in their own worlds, making it difficult for them to adopt the perspectives of others and understand the feelings and challenges of those they serve. Therefore, before the service activities, the school arranges experiential learning opportunities. For example, they collaborate with occupational therapists to help students experience the lives of the elderly, even having them carry weights to simulate the mobility challenges faced by seniors.
Assistant Principal Ms. Hou emphasizes: "Service learning is different from regular volunteer activities. Most typical volunteer activities are one-time events, and participating students may not have a thorough understanding of the beneficiary organizations and individuals. However, in our service learning programs, students must understand the challenges faced by those they serve and adapt their communication skills to engage with different beneficiaries. Therefore, experiential activities are an excellent method for training students' empathy, allowing them to immerse themselves in and reflect on the value and significance of the entire activity."
(Unlike participating in regular volunteer activities, students in service learning must communicate with team members, solve problems, and engage in perspective-taking, making it a complete learning experience.)
Experiential activities are also a great opportunity for values education and cultivating civic qualities. Initially, students may not understand the concept of "perspective-taking." At this point, teachers guide students to care for familiar teachers, encouraging them to observe the teachers' difficulties and then help solve those problems. This directly addresses the key areas of "care" and "empathy" in values education.
To maximize the effectiveness of experiential activities, teachers lead students in reflection and review after the events. At first, students might struggle to articulate their insights verbally; they may begin by expressing their feelings through drawing or recording. Gradually, they learn to verbalize their notes or drawings step by step, until they can successfully express themselves in writing. Throughout this process, students build their confidence, making them more capable of handling impromptu sharing.
The Gains from the Formula: Achieving Personal Growth and Influencing Society
At this point, it’s easy to see how Fortress Hill's experiential service learning operates. First, students identify their interests or strengths and are encouraged to participate in various ambassador programs, using these interests to develop common skills. Once students build confidence and enhance their abilities, they are encouraged to share their learning with the outside world. Finally, through experiential activities, they gain insights into the circumstances of the people they serve, applying their knowledge to real-life situations.
(The service programs are based on students' interests; the image shows the Music Ambassadors composed of students who love music, and the Traffic Ambassadors formed by students who enjoy transportation.)
Ms. Chow Po-sum, the enrollment and external relations officer at the School, mentions that the school currently has thirteen different service ambassador programs, with nearly 85% of students participating. The impact of these service learning efforts exceeds their expectations; for instance, the Pet Ambassador program was initially designed to alleviate students' emotional challenges but ultimately led to students transitioning from recipients to providers of support. Ms. Chow believes that every program's success fosters students' self-affirmation, helping them realize "they can do it" and providing opportunities to explore career paths.
For example, with the Traffic Ambassadors, students may aim to develop careers serving public transportation agencies, while those involved in elder services as Health Ambassadors will participate in advanced courses on communication and caregiving for seniors. They may even learn how to assist the elderly and, in conjunction with upcoming qualification framework courses, learn wheelchair maintenance, all of which can help them enter the elder care industry after graduation.
Even if students do not find a clear career path through the program, the growth and experiences they gain are invaluable. Ms. Chow shared a story about a Photography Ambassador who helped elderly residents at a nursing home take ID photos. One elderly gentleman, due to health issues, had been using a feeding tube and had not had a "normal" ID photo in a long time. The Photography Ambassador took his picture and edited it to remove the tube, allowing the elderly man to see a healthier version of himself. While this may seem like a small act, it fulfilled a long-held wish for the elderly gentleman and deeply moved both teachers and students. "As long as you know how to leverage your strengths, you can brighten the lives of those around you." This principle holds true regardless of whether a student is identified as having SEN.
(Students learn transfer techniques under guidance.)
The impact of experiential service learning extends beyond the students themselves. Because service learning involves cross-sector collaboration, teachers often lead students to interact with people from different social strata, helping to transform perceptions of SEN students. Assistant Principal Ms. Hou states: "Many service recipients recognize the students' performances and do not see these identified students as different from others. Some employers who participated in the New Workforce program expressed a willingness to continue collaborating with us, providing real job opportunities because they valued the students' performances and abilities.
It's not just the beneficiaries who are affected; students' parents also feel proud of their children's achievements, realizing that their kids can care for themselves and others. Therefore, what SEN students need is not to be labeled as recipients of aid, but to have others walk alongside them—supporting them when they see shortcomings and growing together.
For teachers seeking more information and sharing on service learning, the annual education event "Learning & Teaching Expo 2023" will be held from December 13 to 15. This year’s expo will continue to invite education experts and teachers to share insights on topics such as "special educational needs" and "service learning," providing a platform for educators to exchange valuable teaching experiences and insights. Registration for schools and individuals will open in July, and educators are encouraged to save the date to participate and collaboratively shape the future of education.