For an hour, visually impaired and blind guides led them through various stations using nothing but their voices to be recognised. The students experienced many emotions during this tour: they were first surprised to not be able to see for a change, felt the discomfort of being in the dark for such a long time and then the joy of finding their way together with their friends.
Some of the questions that naturally followed were: How would my world change if this was my reality? How would this impact my future actions? How will I interact with other people in order to shape a society in which we do not only look after ourselves, but also need to take care of each other?
In addition to a pleasant outing together with classmates, our Grade 9 students brought these thoughts back into the classroom and connected them to their future learning.
The community service programme at VIS requires students to take an active part in the communities in which they live. The emphasis is on developing community awareness and concerns and acquiring the skills to make an effective contribution to society. This enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning. At the same time, it provides an important counterbalance to the pressures of the rest of the academic programme.