Service and Impact
Service is central to a Sacred Heart education. As stated in Goal 3, our students cultivate a social awareness that impels them to action—which is why service is primarily student-driven at ISSH.
While many schools and international curricula have a community service requirement for students in middle and high school, Sacred Heart doesn't—and yet the overwhelming majority of our students are deeply involved in service groups, projects, and initiatives. Why? Because developing an understanding of empathy and love for our fellow humans in both our local and global communities is a core part of the Sacred Heart ethos. From Kindergarten, students are involved in age-appropriate service projects, such as our annual Rice Drive, and by the time they reach high school, they are taking leadership roles on our Social Service Council, and heading up service clubs and programmes like our 20-year relationship supporting a school in Nepal through the charity Nepal SEEDS.
Middle and High School Service Clubs
Middle and high school students engage in community service and activism for social change through a variety of clubs and activities. One of the keystones of our social service programming is the Nepal SEEDS programme, through which high school students travel biannually to support the needs of students at local schools in Nepal. Other clubs that seek to promote awareness and make a positive community impact include Amnesty International, Animal Rights Club, Global Issues Network, GSA, TASSEL, and Youth Impact Club. The high school Student Council also maintains a Social Service Council. These clubs run an assortment of activities, such as holding awareness events and fundraisers at school and in the community, and taking part in community service and other volunteering efforts.
Fundraising Activities for Meaningful Causes
In alignment with Goal 3, Sacred Heart students don't just learn to care deeply about world issues and social injustices—they take action to make positive change in the world. Alongside events designed to bring awareness to important causes and hands-on volunteer work in the community, our students raise money for charities through fundraising events like free dress days and sales of homemade food and drinks. Altogether, ISSH donates over ¥1 million of funds raised through student action to charities such as the Earth Day Organisation, the Japan Association for Refugees, the Japan Service Dog Association, Pride House Tokyo, Second Harvest, and TELL.
Developing Social Awareness from the Early Years
In Junior School and Kindergarten, students develop their sense of social awareness through guided activities both in and outside of the classroom. A major annual event is our K/JS Rice Drive, in which students do tasks around the house in order to earn bags of rice to donate to charity. Older students take leadership roles in this programme, from presenting it during its launch to counting and cataloguing the rice donated. Extracurricular activities, such as the Green STEM Club and Girl Scouts, allow students to explore different ways they can make a positive difference in the world at an age-appropriate level.
“The school has made excellent use of external partnerships to enrich student learning, with a focus on service, leadership, and environmental stewardship. Partnerships with organizations such as Nepal SEEDS and local businesses provide students with valuable opportunities that align with the Sacred Heart Goals, promoting community service and the development of global citizenship.”
— Council of International Schools
2024 Evaluation Team Report