NDPMA students in the IB Diploma Programme continue to make a difference in the lives of others in the community.In research recently released by the International Baccalaureate (IB) organization, students who are currently enrolled in—or graduated from—its educational program for students aged 16-19 are making civic-mindedness and social responsibility important components in their lives.
As IB frequently posits, dedication to making the world a better place through education is one of the main reasons the International Baccalaureate was founded 45 years ago. "As a result, the organization is committed to developing students who will make a meaningful contribution to the world," the Geneva, Switzerland-based organization says.
Students in the IB Diploma Programme undertake a required Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) project, one of the core components of the DP learning experience. In order to examine the extent to which participation in CAS helps DP students develop civic-mindedness, the IB commissioned RMC Research, based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to measure the impact of CAS on how students identify as a citizen of his/her community and the globe, how they express their civic responsibility, and how individual students perceive their own civic and charitable activities.
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy offers the IB curriculum to students in junior-kindergarten through high school. It remains the only Catholic school in Michigan with IB and at press time is the only Michigan school, public or private, with all three levels of the innovative educational program.
In the two-phased study, RMC researchers interviewed 19 CAS coordinators and 112 students from the IB World School community, in order to develop a survey that would investigate more deeply the impact of CAS on students, their service activities and their motivation to serve. In phase 2, a total of 1,295 current students and 214 IB alumni were surveyed, from Canada, the US, and a number of South American countries.
Findings about CAS in the study’s exploratory phase included the following:
– No single area dominates services activities among DP students. Students undertake volunteerism in a wide array of activities from tutoring children to working in soup kitchens to visiting the elderly to mounting donation drives in support of those in need.
– Despite a lack of clarity about what ‘civic-mindedness’ means, most students believed they should engage in service activities to help their communities. Students and CAS coordinators alike believed that CAS helps students to develop skills beyond academia and to grow fully—beyond their personal comfort zones.
– The vast majority of students reported that they were motivated by altruistic or humanitarian reasons rather than pragmatic reasons, such as improving their chances to get into a specific university.
– Students felt most effectual when they served in local settings, where they believe they could make a greater difference than at the national or global level.
"Students and IB coordinators shared the sense that through service, students became more caring, open-minded and reflective, and developed more self-confidence and maturity," researchers said. "Students reported that they gained a better understanding of their place in the world and a feeling that they could make a difference."
Siva Kumari, recently appointed as the IB director general said that it's notable that alongside their rigorous academic studies, DP students are able to "demonstrate civic-mindedness and social responsibility through CAS at a very young age by making a real difference in their communities. As the study suggests, this core component of the IB curriculum creates a well-rounded student who is likely to carry this sense of responsibility into adulthood.”
Data derived from the second phase of the study suggests a number of factors that influenced why students engage in community service. Teens in the DP most often indicated that their interest in a certain issue influenced their social activism, followed by their desire to utilize a personal strength or talent. Students most often undertook CAS projects related to education and fundraising. Current students expressed a ‘moderate’ ethic of service and sense of social responsibility while IB alumni expressed a greater ethic of service, and reported that they anticipate continued engagement in service activities in the future.
High-quality, service-learning project design was recognized as a strong influencer of positive outcomes. Among the features important to service learning are making it meaningful for students, linking it to curriculum, enabling students to have a voice and a choice in their activities, providing opportunity for reflection, and ensuring respect for diversity and valuing the opinions of others.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.