(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Giving time towards a good cause can help students gain skills that make them more 'caring' human beings, according to educators who highlighted the positive effects volunteering can have on students.
The creativity, action and service (CAS) coordinator at The Jumeira Baccalaureate School Sabina Pecoraro, said volunteering can also help children develop their self-management, communication and social skills.
"Living in Dubai we are very fortunate and often our children do not really get exposure to volunteering opportunities like in other parts of the world. So, it is very important as adults and caregivers to embed skills into our children so that they are caring, open-minded and respectful individuals that value what they have. They will also through their actions, however small these may be, that they can make positive changes if they wish to," she said.
"It helps them to develop a social consciousness, and 'doing good' simply makes them happier people. Seeing a need, taking initiative, and working on it from start to finish gives young people a sense of accomplishment but also a sense of belonging in our school community, Dubai and the world they live in. They learn that they are able to make an impact even though it may be small, but their voice and actions are not unnoticed. As a result, many students continue to volunteer at university and beyond."
Another school coordinator, the DP language and literature teacher and senior school core coordinator at GEMS World Academy, Rania Hussein, said volunteering can help students avoid negative choices in life. She believes that spending time on a good cause positively contributes to a child's life in the long run.
"Volunteering is not only encouraged because of its capacity to emphasise learning but also due to its role in enhancing developmental growth. We promote well-rounded students who reflect on their experiences and use their strengths to help support others - developing themselves socially, intellectually and psychologically," Hussein said.
"In addition, we believe volunteering promotes a healthy lifestyle which provides positive and structured activities for students to be engaged in, and in turn, discourages negative choices. Finally, in our mission to build life-long learners, we recognise that volunteering encourages a life-long service ethic which carries over into adulthood and impacts the type of work these individuals go to do. Evidently, we believe that volunteering is central to our student's wellbeing and promote it in every facet of our curriculum."
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