Community Service

The JKS Community Service Program encourages students to develop social awareness with an emphasis on action. Community service is integral to all learning programs at the school. Students learn about the community within their school first, and then expand their understanding of service to the greater community. Primary School students are encouraged to practice the qualities of good citizenship with their peers, teachers, and within their own families. Each quarter, the school holds a ‘Campaign’ where specific attributes may be addressed as a whole school. At the Middle School level, students become more active in the greater community by contributing time and resources to several organizations. During the Upper School years, students are also required to complete community service hours as requirements of both the American High School Diploma Program and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme through CAS (Creativity, Action, Service). Community service hours are completed during school hours, after school, on weekends, or during the summer vacation months.

Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)

In keeping with IB standards and practices, Jeddah Knowledge International School (JKS) is committed to providing a variety of activities to meet the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) requirements of the Diploma Programme. These co-curricular activities involve students from the Pre-primary to the present grade 10’s and provide students with the opportunity to live the school’s philosophy. We believe that, through the present CAS activities, our students will be better prepared for the CAS requirements of the IBDP. The following activities are already in place and will be further developed as our needs grow:

Creativity: Included are activities like the performing arts of drama, music and dance that take place during school hours and also during our co-curricular program. The performing arts curriculum has been enhanced by the expansion of the department which is able to cater for the growing needs of our students. Students have the opportunity to not only showcase their talents, but also be part of a production team during the school’s annual production program to parents and members of the community. Student generated websites also provide CAS opportunities. Additionally, they can be involved in modeling UN through the co-curricular program.

Visual arts also form an integral part of our IB continuum program and students have many opportunities to display their work throughout the school. Collaborative visual arts projects, which are linked to other various activities such as Earth Day, are also encouraged.

Activity: JKS is committed to developing the sporting abilities of the students through sports day and inter-house competitions that are held in volleyball, kickball, swimming, basketball and softball. The Physical Education department in conjunction with the CAS coordinator will also be working with students so that basketball and volleyball teams across all grade levels are trained for city-wide competitions with local schools. Senior students will be encouraged to train junior students in certain codes of sport.

Locally, forums for student action are provided throughout the year in a variety of activities and campaigns. The Campaigns (e.g. International Mindedness, Recycling, Manners and the IB Learner Profile, Human Rights, and Conservation) are designed to enhance the students’ appreciation of global issues and the roles and responsibilities of active citizens in a constantly changing world. Students learn to practice responsible action initially in their school community and then expand their circle as change agents to local and international communities. It is the intention to not only create awareness but to also pass on knowledge and skills to others.

Service: At JKS we are committed to providing opportunities for community service so that our students develop as critical thinkers and problem solvers who emphatize and respect others and who are acutely aware of the needs of less fortunate members of the community. Currently our students are involved in community service activities in conjuction with several special needs institutions such as”Mahd Al Nour” Organization for the Blind, “Rubat Al Wilaya” Homes for the Elderly and Widowed, “Nojoud Home” for the handicapped and “Al Zahra” orphanage. Further opportunities for service also exist at home for joining with other sectors of the community in the world-wide global action such as Earth Hour and UNESCO’s World Book Day.

We are also forging links with communities outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for CAS activities. We will encourage our students to travel abroad with their parents on structured trips connected to an activity which the student is already engaged.

There is also the possibility of our students participating in CAS activities in other countries through joint field trips with other IB schools around the world.