International School of Stuttgart Student Life at ISS

International School of Stuttgart > student life at ISS > our service to others

our service to others
Community service and building awareness of needs outside of our own school community are fundamental aspects of our philosophy and our programs. All of the International Baccalaureate programs require students to participate in the communities in which they live as a means of developing community awareness, a sense of responsibility, and the skills needed to make an effective contribution to society.

Our students chose to participate in a number of outreach programs. "Habitat for Humanity" teams annually support needy families in building new homes. They clear construction sites, lay culvert pipes,ï¾ build access roads, move countless mounds of earth, mix an ocean of concrete, pour foundations, and even erect blockwork. ï¾ Backbreaking work in blistering heat sometimes leaves every member of the team exhausted, but a spirit of teamwork helps them tackle and conquer every task the construction supervisors assign them.

A particularly remarkable story is the "Action India" project which was started by BaSICS Head of School, Sarah Kupke, and has been part of ISS life since 1992. In subsequent years, the project helped support two young Indian people through school and higher education, provided medication and a cow for a needy elderly person and continues to help support other young people get an education that would be beyond their reach without that support. BaSICS students recently wrote to these young people and here is an extract from their reply.