Service Learning Grants

ACAMIS Service Learning Grants have been established to provide financial support for student initiatives in service learning in the ACAMIS host countries, China and Mongolia.

Awards are made to individuals or groups that require students to:

• Apply academic, social and personal skills to support and improve the community;
• Make decisions that will lead to authentic outcomes;
• Grow as individuals and increase community engagement;
• Gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their community, and society; and
• Demonstrate their abilities while and through helping others.

Up to $2,500 USD may be awarded to successful individuals or groups as determined by the ACAMIS Board.

Applications will only be accepted from students who are enrolled in ACAMIS member schools and are supported by a faculty representative providing guidance to the individual or group carrying out the service learning project.

Schools that are planning to apply for a Service Learning Grant should first register their intent by completing the Preliminary Notice Form. When the students are ready to make full Application, they can download the ACAMIS Service Learning Grant Application Form here. The proposal should be no more than 750 words. All sections of the Service Learning Grant Application Form need to be completed and may include supplementary and supporting information. When completing the application, it may be useful to refer to the description of criteria in Service Learning Criteria.

When completing the service learning proposal the applicant(s) should consider the following questions:

• Why is the proposal meaningful service learning?
• Why is this project important to me/the group?
• How am I/we establishing and developing partnerships?
• How can I/we monitor progress, determine success and reflect during the process?
• For how long will the service learning project last?
• What will the funds will be applied to in addressing the identified need?

A completed ACAMIS Service Learning Grant Application Form must be sent to the ACAMIS Executive Officer eo@acamis.org no later than February 23, 2020*. Late applications will not be accepted.

It will then be submitted to the Service Learning Review Committee. The ACAMIS Board of Directors will review the recommendations made by the Service Learning Review Committee and select recipients of the Award during the May Board meeting.

*Due to the school closings, deadline for submission has been extended.

Felicity, a Grade 11 student at NIS, has initiated a Service Club. She is working with fellow students knitting hats that will be included in Pfrang's annual Giving Tree campaign (Pfrang is a charity helping underprivileged students in North Jiangsu and Anhui).

"I wanted to do something practical, easy and sustainable. Hats! During the winter holidays of 2018, my grandmother taught me how to knit hats with a loom. It took only a few hours to make one. I figured with a group; we could make 100 hats to donate. Everyone needs a hat to keep their heads warm during the cold winters.

I asked a group of students from different grades to help knit hats. I showed them how to knits. Teachers and parents have also volunteered to help. My knitting group meets once every 2 weeks to collect more yarn and to hand in finished hats. So far, the group has nearly 40 hats. Knitting is a social activity that encourages people to talk and interact. My hope that even after I graduate, the Knitting group will continue to make hats to keep students warm.

Each hat is handmade so there are some imperfections. Also, each hat has a handstitched label that some moms helped us to sew on. We are also attaching a card with a photo of the student who knitted the hat. By December 2019, we hope to have 100 hats made.

When I first started, the material was provided by my school. They purchased yarn and the looms. The Pfrang Association had also agreed to provide some material. I applied for a Service grant from the ACAMIS, an association of international schools in China and Mongolia. I was very fortunate. My project was awarded 1500 USD! We have plenty of money to buy material to keep making hats."