On a Mission to Learn and Serve

Discovering Higher Goals

At Taipei American School, we continue to discover the value of finding organizations and causes that connect directly with the values we teach inside the classroom. The resulting service opportunities enlighten students that if they’re going to change the world, they’re going to have to roll up their sleeves.

Classroom learning furthered by direct service and advocacy leads to a deeper understanding of a lifelong commitment to service. This cycle of research, theories, practice, and reflection broadens the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed for social change.

In the Lower School

LOWER school students working at the annual grade 4 flea market service project.

Lower School students participate in service initiatives supporting people, animals, or the environment. Service may include singing at a home for the elderly, raising money to buy holiday gifts for orphans, assembling hygiene kits for families in all parts of the world, preparing care packages for local families in need, and hosting a flea market to support various local charities including an orphanage and animal shelter.

In addition, Lower School students support a variety of other service projects throughout the year including emergency relief.

In the Middle School

Middle school students packing boxes at a recent homeroom Food Drive event.

By the time our students reach Upper School, it is our belief that they have the tools to start giving back to causes that inspire them in addition to teacher-facilitated projects and curriculum.

Much of the service in the Upper School is organized by our student clubs as a way to deepen their organization’s involvement in a topic.

Find out more about our student clubs’ work by reading recent news articles on their work at the bottom of this page!

In the Upper School

Upper school students mentoring local students at the Taipei Special School.

By the time our students reach Upper School, it is our belief that they have the tools to start giving back to causes that inspire them in addition to teacher-facilitated projects and curriculum.

Much of the service in the Upper School is organized by our student clubs as a way to deepen their organization’s involvement in a topic.

Find out more about our student clubs’ work by reading recent news articles on their work at the bottom of this page!

Service Definitions at TAS

When we say service, what does that really mean?

In 2022-23, our employee service committee distilled three key community definitions of service, service learning, and community service. The following definitions were validated by our entire faculty community in Spring of 2023.

At TAS, service encompasses both service learning and community service.

Service

Noun; ˈsɜː.vɪs

Service is defined as planned activities (including service learning and community service) that are designed to support student action, build authentic relationships, empathy, and respect while meeting community needs.

Service Learning

Noun; ˈsɜː.vɪs ˈlɝː.nɪŋ

Service learning gives our students real opportunities to connect classroom learning to authentic needs in the community, to take initiative, research, solve problems collaboratively, and reflect, in order to understand and value the impact of service.

Community Service

Noun; kəˈmjuː.nə.t̬i ˈsɜː.vɪs

Community Service includes activities that meet actual community needs with varying levels of research and reflection integrated into the service experience.

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