Impact Programme Handbook

Programme Overview Impact is the service learning programme for Somerset College students, and is indicative of the mutual impact that service opportunities provide the community and our students. These mutual benefits can be identified by responding to two fundamental questions which guide the Somerset staff and students in their establishment of service opportunities – “How are we helping?” and “Who are we becoming?” . Both questions reinforce that service at Somerset is a shared and mutually beneficial experience, not an exercise of charitable intent. Meaningful service will always have a lasting impact in the community and on our students. The service opportunities provided to students at Somerset are known as scaffolded service opportunities and exist to equip students with the knowledge, expertise and relationships to engage in autonomous acts of service. These scaffolded service opportunities provide genuine examples of the three types of service outlined within the International Baccalaureate (advocacy, indirect service, direct service) and endeavour to model the five-stage process that should be adhered to when engaging in meaningful service (investigation, preparation, action, reflection, demonstration). Scaffolded service opportunities are an essential element of the Impact programme and vital to ensuring that students engage meaningfully in autonomous acts of service. The scaffolded service opportunities endeavour to model to students the nature of advocacy, indirect service and direct service and seek to promote all three types of service as equally valid. Advocacy promotes awareness of a community partner or issue and provides students with an opportunity to respond with practical acts of service. Indirect service enables a practical need to be addressed; however, there is no personal interaction with the benefiting community partner. Direct service enables a practical need to be addressed; with this form of service there is direct interaction between the benefiting community partner and student. All three types of service are equally valid and meaningful. The process for service, which is modelled through all scaffolded service opportunities, consists of five distinct phases; investigation, preparation, action, reflection and demonstration. Each of these five phases is equally valuable to the development, realisation and evolution of all meaningful service opportunities.

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Somerset College Impact Handbook 2019