The Kindergarten to Year 12 Service-Learning program links specific learning outcomes with genuine opportunities for service in the community. The School has a vision for each girl to be a courageous, constructive and compassionate world citizen with a will to serve.
Service-Learning is embedded in the School's curriculum, and students apply their classroom knowledge to the planning and implementation of their service activities. The experiential nature of these activities encourages the learner to make connections, often over several subject areas, deepening her understanding of the material and building relationships with community members.
Students also experience Service-Learning in various activities held throughout the year, including:
- Raising funds for charitable organisations including Room to Read, the Sir David Martin Foundation, World Vision and Salvation Army through cake stalls and other events, or through participating in community events such as the Balmoral Burn and SAN Run for Life.
- Collecting and donating items such as books and other classroom resources to organisations such as Triple Care Farm and the Boaz Foundation.
- Participating in the annual ABBOX of FUN camp for children with a disability, organised by Abbotsleigh and Knox in conjunction with the Sony Foundation.
The program aims to:
- Connect student learning to life in the belief that reciprocal service experiences provide powerful opportunities for personal, cognitive and spiritual growth.
- Foster an enriched sense of social responsibility that will extend to all areas of the Abbotsleigh community.
- Develop in students a sense of the connectedness of all living things and provide opportunities to experience that connectedness through service.
Service-Learning focuses on reciprocal benefit and students are provided with opportunities to think critically and creatively as they work with community partners. Reflection activities help to measure students’ understanding, allowing them a chance to share their feelings, internalise new concepts and evaluate the impact of the activities.​