Outreach and charity work have long been central to school life, especially in international schools keen to be part of their community - but translating these ideals into sustainable, meaningful experiences for students and communities is rarely straightforward.

At Light International School Mombasa, our journey to define what “getting it right” means has been full of learning, recalibration and, ultimately, transformation.

It began in 2022 with our Service Learning Day initiative, which aimed to create a series of values-driven days designed to inspire leadership, empathy and civic responsibility.

With these days held on one Thursday each month, the idea is for students to undertake work to support under-resourced local communities, engaging directly with real-world challenges and undertaking projects aligned with a core value, such as responsibility, respect or creativity.

But while the intent was clear, finding the right format to deliver both real impact and authentic engagement took time.

Authentic community engagement

One first step was simply to make the days memorable for the students to get them engaged and excited - so, for example, we created a “swap day” where students dress like their teachers, while for another month we did a “jersey day”, where students could wear their favourite sports team’s kit.

More importantly, though, alongside this cultural momentum, we experimented with different models of action - and it was this that took time to refine and hone over the past few years.

Visible acts of giving

In the initiative’s first year, we focused on fast, visible acts of giving.

Students collected and donated clothes, books and food for local orphanages and community shelters. These efforts were quick to organise and engaged the school community easily.

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However, over time, this work began to feel repetitive. With many other schools and non-government organisations conducting similar drives, the distinctiveness and deeper impact of our initiatives risked becoming diluted.

Bigger, longer projects

Learning from this, our second-year strategy aimed higher. We decided to pursue projects that provided visible, measurable outcomes and lasting contributions to the community.

We launched a major project: raising US$3,000 (£2,200) to drill a water well at Chai Primary School. The goal was noble - a sustainable water source for both the school and its wider community.

But while the project was ultimately successful, the timeline was long.

It took nearly a full academic year to complete, which made it difficult to sustain student engagement and community momentum. The link between effort and visible outcome, especially for younger learners, was harder to maintain.

A Goldilocks approach

We soon realised we needed a new approach - a “Goldilocks” model; something that is neither too much nor too little, but just right. The projects would not be so long-term that they would lose momentum and not too short-term to feel superficial.

The solution emerged in the form of mid-scale projects, focused on meaningful, lasting contributions to education that aligned seamlessly with the Cambridge Global Perspectives Team Project framework.

We began targeting goals with budgets of around $500 to $600, focused on projects that could be completed within a few months and celebrated visibly across the school.

This shift has led to some of our most memorable and effective Service Learning Days, with impacts including:

• Donating five computers to Pentrose Community School, enabling digital literacy in an underserved area.
• Constructing a classroom shed for a madrasa in Magongo, allowing for all-weather learning.
• Equipping a classroom at Kashani Primary School with 20 desks to enhance the learning environment.
• Building a library at Makanzani Primary School, giving students in a public school access to books and library culture.

A lot of this work involved using refurbished computers and desks, too - in line with sustainability aims at our school.

The impact on pupils has been clear to see. Speaking to me after the Makanzani project, one student said: “It’s not just a project - it’s the first time I’ve felt like my ideas really matter.”

To me that really underlined that we had found the right approach: students were able to connect emotionally and intellectually with the work.

It’s not just about what they give - it’s about how they give and how that helps them to grow. This model offered a manageable workload for teachers and students alike while delivering meaningful results.

Witnessing the impact

Because the projects are directly connected to their learning and curriculum, students become real project holders, taking ownership and pride in their contributions and seeing real impact in their efforts.

By anchoring service initiatives in clear values, balancing ambition with actionability, and involving students in every step of the process, it’s become something more than a monthly event - it’s a cornerstone of school life where leadership, empathy and learning come together for a greater good.

Ildar Iliazov is principal of Light International School Mombasa in Kenya

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