Tweet17-04-2011 om 22:48 by Sueli Brodin

“What do you mean, are you saying that my child is going to be working for free?”

"Parents are usually the most difficult to convince of the value of volunteer community work," said Guido Rijninks, coordinator of Stagebureau LVO Maastricht during the Service Learning Forum organised last Monday by United World College Maastricht.



Starting next September, community service internships (or maatschappelijke stages in Dutch) will be compulsory for all secondary school students in the Dutch education system.

“Dutch students and parents start pulling long faces at first, because they’re not used to associating a sense of fulfillment with unpaid work,” Rijninks said.

“We can learn a lot from you,” he added, smiling at the international group of UWCM students, staff and parents in the audience.



United World College Maastricht, like all 12 other United World Colleges in the world, is familiar with the concept of Community Service or Service Learning:

"Service Learning is a method of teaching, learning and reflecting that combines the academic classroom curriculum with meaningful service throughout the community."





"Community interaction is one of the very special things that distinguish United World Colleges, and therefore our College, from most other schools. Its most important aim is to give something of ourselves to others. However, you will be surprised at how your life will be enriched by it. Community interaction encourages each of us to take responsibility for something of which the value cannot be measured in economic terms, but which has a great impact on people's lives. It has to do with giving and listening, with caring and trust. Often it stimulates reflections about the value and meaning of life, not through merely abstract speculations, but thanks to a personal encounter, a dialogue with a real person which takes place in the everyday life of the local community."



A group of UWCM students presented an interactive game they conceived to help and guide schools involved in community service projects through the process of reflection that comes with Service Learning. "The aspect of reflection is sometimes overlooked and forgotten, but it is an essential part of the learning experience," they explained. Their game is appropriately called "Consuelo", the Latin word for reflection, and is freely downloadable as a Facebook application.



Reflection was also one of the main goals of the Service Learning Forum that evening, especially in view of the fact that United World College Maastricht was founded two years ago with a special mandate from the Dutch government to establish a Centre for Expertise for Community Services (CECS). In fact, the Dutch Ministry of Education would like to see UWC Maastricht act as a role model for other Dutch schools, "by imparting its passion for and expertise in service learning to the Dutch education system."



Colin Jenkins, former principal of United World College of the Atlantic in Wales, UK, and Simon Murray, head of UWC Maastricht delivered two compelling presentations in which they invited us to reflect on questions such as:

"When is the last time we did a selfless act?"

"What is it about us that we can give to others?"

"How is our act of giving experienced by the receiver?"

"Is education a function of society or is society a function of education?" (John Dewey, Democracy and Education)

"Is there a political responsibility in teaching?"

"How do we deal with those who choose other values than our own?"

"Should volunteer work be made compulsory?"

Relevant, challenging and humbling themes, which stayed in my mind throughout the evening and ever since.



A few weeks ago, my family and I were invited to the annual International Fair at United World College Maastricht and were able to witness the spirit of generosity and selflessness put into practise. Once again, the event had been entirely organised by the international parents and families of the school.



Riki Nudler and Victoria van der Putten, the two mothers who coordinated the setting up of the entire event, told me that more than 30 countries were represented at the Fair and that the participating families had invested a lot of time and money in all the preparatory work.



"The families are guided by the motivation to show and share their countries' culture and traditions with the school community," they explained.



"The International Fair brings everybody together at the school, parents, families, students, staff and friends."



For Jessica Markink, who was running the US stall, volunteer work is an essential part of her life: "Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart," she told me, quoting Elizabeth Andrew.



United World College Maastricht is eager to bring the concept of community service to Maastricht. They have already become involved in a series of local projects, which they are carefully documenting through reports, photo-reportages and video clips in their Service Learning blog.

"We want to make a difference in Maastricht," a student said, "and when we go back to our home countries, we will continue our efforts there as well. It's a lifelong commitment."

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