At ASH, we learn how to build a better world as we become better human beings. For this, we are guided by our ASH Core Values and learn from and for the world. We embrace everyone's voice, our unique differences and achievements, and service to others. In partnership with the local and global community, we gain an appreciation for unique issues, and gradually develop the skills and attitudes to help identify select social and environmental hurdles that require our attention and support.
Our youngest learners do this by connecting their learning to specific initiatives that address a genuine community need. As they grow older, they take on more responsibility, individually or in group, by planning their own service initiatives and working with community partners on a variety of issues.
PEACE AND JUSTICE
The Hague is the Peace and Justice capital of the world and home to international courts, tribunals and other institutions working to make the world more safe, secure and just for everyone. Our student peace team represents ASH at various public peace and justice events in the area.
SERVICE LEARNING & COMMUNITY SERVICE
Through service learning our students learn about community issues, and delve into and develop the required skills for how they can help address them within and outside of school. We value our home in Wassenaar and enjoy a collaborative partnership with our many neighbors. Through our community service program we further help weave and tighten our already strong community fabric.
Examples of how our students engage with
the local and global community
We help preserve and protect a local natural reserve and prepare it for the brooding season for birds and butterflies.
We run a clean-up team along our local beach, picking up litter and using the collected trash to raise awareness about environmental issues.
We make weekly visits to the elderly in our community.
We help prepare, package and serve food at the local food bank.
We meet weekly with refugee minors from Eritrea and Syria, helping them with school work and social integration in the community.
Tanzania Global Service Program
As part of our service learning visit to Tanzania, our team works extremely hard for three days at a primary school in Moshi laying the foundation for two kindergarten classrooms. Additionally, we plant 700 trees at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro through the Jane Goodall Foundation Roots and Shoots Program. We also implement a sports program at DINKA School in Arusha, where ASH is one of the ambassadors of the school, and meet with tribesmen of a local Maasai village. Our program concludes with a visit to Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park to experience the beautiful countryside of Tanzania. A day in the life of our program looks like this!
After waking up and reporting for a delicious 7:30 am hot breakfast, we gather on the veranda of Kishari House overlooking Mt. Kilimanjaro for our morning brief before boarding the bus to our work site.
After digging the trenches for the classroom foundations yesterday, we spend the day passing trays filled with concrete and laying the classroom foundation.
Today’s work is hard labor under the strong African sun, but we are proud of our strong teamwork and enjoy collaborating with the local community. The end result of building 2 additional classrooms is worth it!
As our workday ends, we travel back to Kishari House where we gather for a group reflection before heading to the pool at United World College, our local partner, for a much-needed break and to soothe our sore muscles.
At 6:30 pm we enjoy a delicious local meal consisting of rice, beans, beef and a fresh salad and head down the street for a cultural night filled with local songs, dance, music and acrobatics.
Thailand Global Service Program
As part of the Thailand Global Service Program, our group travels to the Unified Learning Center (ULC) in Khuk Khak, Takua Pa (southern Thailand). This center is run by the Foundation for Education and Development (FED) and educates close to 350 Burmese migrant children from nursery aged children (3 years old) up to grade 8, which can be up to age 16-17.
We begin the day with some of us going to the beach early, while others stay back and relax. Around 8:00 we all enjoy a delicious breakfast with fried roti, watermelon, rice and mango juice.
Tonight we’re participating in a cultural exchange ceremony, so this morning we head to the ULC to practice our dance moves and then spend some time playing with the children in the nursery.
We spend the next hour singing nursery rhymes and playing games with the kids in the nursery. There’s so much joy on their faces and it is incredibly rewarding spending this time with them.
After lunch and a quick siesta, it’s time to visit the home of a ULC student and spend time with their family. We learn about the hardships they’ve been through and the support they are receiving.
Our day ends with dinner and dancing. The ULC students, including eight different ethnic groups, perform a traditional dance. Our ASH group performs dances in return.
Nepal Global Service Program
Our Nepal program has been running since 2016. As part of this program, we spend most of the week at the Shreesanjiwani Primary School where our goal is to help the school develop an interactive and engaging curriculum for the Nepali students. The money we raise from the program throughout the year goes towards supporting the school including a teacher’s salary and school supplies.
In the morning, we wake up to have breakfast starting at 8.00 and, if we are lucky, we have a beautiful view of the Himalayas and a hot shower!
At 9.15 we reconvene to walk down to the Shree Sanjeewani Primary School, rain or shine! We arrive at school in time for the morning assembly and we quickly get ready in order to start teaching.
We then spend about three hours teaching. From playgroup to grade 5, everyone has tons of fun and has a smile on their face.
The school day ends with a dance party and our group walks back up the mountain to the farmhouse. Some choose to take the shortcut, motivated either by the infamous masala tea, a hot shower, a nap or playing games together with friends.
Dinner comes at 19.00 and is followed by an evening of singing along to the guitars around the campfire until, one by one, people grab a hot water bottle and head to bed for the night.