Twenty ASD students help to clean a beach in the Maldives. Other upcoming service trips will send students to Tanzania, Nepal, Cambodia, & Bali (photo: ASD). _________________________________________________________________________ The American School of Doha (ASD) highlights community service through the many trips it offers over Eid and spring breaks. Students can sign up for the service trip of their choice to explore beyond their comfort zone while giving back to the community. In contrast to the traditional community service model, these service trips have adopted a learning service approach. According to Chi-Yan Shang, ASD’s Service Coordinator, “We are redefining what we want our students to experience and learn from the opportunities that we offer ... The focus is on learning about issues in the fields of development, conservation, and humanitarianism. In terms of delivering service, we now aim to do that in a manner that will best mobilize community members and help support local economies.” ASD focuses on advancing students’ awareness of the current state of affairs in the world, with the hope of encouraging them to pursue similar endeavors in the future. Over this most recent Eid al Adha break, twenty students accompanied by four teachers—Steve Shantz, Marcia Jones, Meghan Burns, and Youssef Lahyaoui—traveled to the Dhigurah, Maldives. Here, they worked with the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP), a charity that focuses on the conservation of marine life and advocates for a deeper understanding of whale sharks. Students recorded data about whale sharks spotted in the Marine Protected Area of South Ari to help the MWSRP observe their movements and behaviors. The research also included gathering data on how many people and boats were present in the Marine Protected Area during the search for whale sharks. In addition to their research, students were exposed to the realities of climate change and other environmental challenges through documentaries and beach clean ups. Participants were moved by these experiences, as Keenan Shantz testified: “It was truly breathtaking to see the whale sharks. They are such amazing animals, and it makes me so sad to see that the animals and their environment are being negatively impacted by human activity.” Another ASD group including nine students and two teachers—John Venditti and Marcia Carlson—traveled to Myanmar to create a documentary about developments their country has experienced over the last generation. Students worked with Rustic Pathways, an organization that promotes community service, adventure programs, and education through travel. One of the main objectives of this trip was to gain a deeper understanding of Myanmar’s culture by making a documentary. Participants interviewed university professors, students, village families, monks, and local journalists to gain diverse perspectives from a variety of sources. The first part of the trip took place in Yangon before the group moved on to Mandalay. Like the Maldives trip, the Myanmar experience had a significant impact on ASD students. As Rayan El Amine said, “The thing that amazes me about these people is that it is possible for them not to have running water or electricity and for them to acknowledge those problems, and still be at peace with the world. They are some of the kindest and amazing people, and I think that is special when you have nothing but still behave like you have everything. This is powerful.” ASD’s upcoming service trips will send students to Tanzania, Nepal, Cambodia, and Bali. Agnes Cecilia Byberg and Tatjana Vogel are students at ASD.
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