Community Service

A unique experience that opens the students' minds and souls.

Community Service at Awty is a longstanding tradition that predates the IB program. It is a place that gives students and parents the opportunity to give back to the world community.  

 

Volunteer Opportunities  

Current Opportunities

The Awty International School service program gives the student the opportunity to discover him- or her-self and the real world by being involved in service projects on local, national, and international levels.

The student is encouraged to move beyond his/her familiar environment, to explore new situations, and to encounter people of different backgrounds and lifestyles.

There are nine main themes that the student has the opportunity to get involved in and that give a wholesome portrait of the issues that today's society faces. The school will provide the student with the needed guidelines and avenues to participate in the theme(s) of his/her choice.

Students should contact Marcelle Gharibeh prior to volunteering with any organization to obtain the needed contact information and any other appropriate information.

THEMES

ANIMALS

This area will allow the student to develop values of respect, citizenship and compassion in a contextthat focuses on animals. Through Humane Education and other activities the student will enrich his empathy, respect and responsibility for animals. Examples of organizations Awty has worked with in the past include:

• SPCA
• Houston Humane Society
• BARC 

EDUCATION

This service learning area will foster student leadership. It will give the student the opportunity to serve his/her community and communities abroad. By providing assistance in the area of education to children with economic disadvantages and advantages the student volunteer will make a real change in the world with his/her own hands. Examples of organizations Awty has worked with in the past include: 

 

 

 

• Head Start
• Public Schools ex. Ridgecrest Elementary (through Awty's Red Cross Club).

ENVIRONMENT

This theme will bring the student awareness about the impact of all types of energy, waste, and pollution in his/her environment. It will empower the student to take greater responsibility for protecting the resource of the earth, to keep the environment clean, and to enhance the beauty of his/her planet. Through different service learning opportunities the student will take leadership roles in improving, maintaining and protecting a richer, cleaner, and a healthier world. Wherever he/she goes and whatever he/she will do, the student will be an ambassador for the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle motto. Examples of organizations Awty has worked with in the past include:

• Bayou Preservation Trash Bash events
• City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department's Arbor Day and Earth Day
• Sustainability through the Awty's Environmental Club

GLOBALIZATION

By volunteering in global issues, the student will engage in relief and development for one or more suffering regions of the world including the local refugee centers in his/her community. This international involvement will give the student the opportunity to render humanitarian aids to people suffering from hunger, poverty, wars, and natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes etc. Examples of organizations Awty has worked with in the past include:

• Terrier Rouge Project in Haiti
• UNICEF
• Casa Juan Diego
• Asia Society 

HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Volunteering in Health and Medicine will give the student the opportunity to provide care, hope, healing, and health to the needy, sick, elderly, lonely, and poor in his /her community and abroad. This will allow the student to impact the lives of one or many individuals and to transform the world into a better place where every human being will lead a good life and will experience good health and dignity. Examples of organizations Awty has worked with in the past include: 

• MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Texas Children's Hospital
• Memorial Herman Health System
• American Red Cross Houston
• Houston Shriner's Hospital for Children

HOMELESSNESS

The student will learn who the homeless are (an elderly, a high school student, a child , a mother, an unemployed parent etc.) and how they are unable to acquire and maintain a regular place to call home. The student will have the opportunity to give aid and support to the homeless at their residence: the shelter, cardboard box, bus station, etc. Examples of organizations Awty has worked with in the past include: 

 

 

• Casa Juan Diego
• SEARCH
• The Turning Point
• Santa Maria Hostel
• Habitat for Humanity
• Rebuild Together Houston

HUNGER

This activity will give the student the opportunity to learn how hunger is experienced every day by millions around the world. It will raise awareness about the reality of Hunger in the student’s community and around the globe. The student will explore the many facets of hunger such as: The Senior Hunger, The Child Hunger, The Middle Class Hunger, The Working Poor Hunger etc. Being involved in the Hunger theme will allow the student to make a difference in Ending Hunger. The student will learn about the many factors that contribute to the scarcity of food (drought, geographical factors, political instabilities, poverty etc.) and he will be empowered to explore means and ways to end Hunger. By being involved in the Hunger theme, the student will directly assist in other issues such as poverty, education, diseases, etc.

• Houston Food Bank
• The Salvation Army
• The Turning Point

LEADERSHIP

Being a leader for a club or activity will enhance the student’s wellbeing. It will lift up his/her personality and will create a positive attitude. The student will improve many skills (organization, management, social, communication etc.) that will be used to become a successful and good citizen of the world.   The importance of this skill is multiplied since group members are of different background, origins, and nationalities. Examples of organizations Awty has worked with in the past include: 

 

• Lead a School Club
• World Affairs Council

SENIOR CITIZENS

 

To spend time with a senior citizen living in a nursing home or a retirement community is one of the  most rewarding activities that the student can engage in. It will give the senior citizen living in a reclusive environment a wonderful and valuable time in the last phase of his/her journey in life. It will provide the student volunteer the sense of compassion and personal pride. The student would be able to volunteer on his/her own time, with a parent, or with a group of schoolmates. Spending time with the elderly, listening to their stories, and sharing in their life experiences will give the student the opportunity to know better and appreciate their own grandparents and the elderly in general. Helping the elderly will give the student the chance to contribute to the mental and physical well being of this precious part of the society. Examples of organizations Awty has worked with in the past include: 

• Lexington Place Nursing and Rehabilitation
• Woodridge Nursing and Rehabilitation 

 

Summer Opportunities - Camps

The following list of summer camps for children with special needs and conditions gives the students an opportunity to earn credits if he/she chooses to volunteer his/her time during the summer vacation. The duration of the camp lasts 5-8 days. Basic requirements are needed, such as, age, application, letters of references, etc. If interested contact extension 373 at the school.

• Muscular Dystrophy Summer Camp
• Camp Spike and Wave
• Camp Star Trail
• Camp Smiles
• Camp That Love Built
• Camp Wenoweez
• Camp Hope
• Camp Champions
• Camp Periwinkle