Give 5 program partners with Central IB students to grow community engagement

The Give 5 program has been connecting soon-to-be-retirees and retirees with meaningful volunteer opportunities since 2017. Now they’re exploring a younger volunteer base in partnership with Springfield Public Schools International Baccalaureate (IB) Career-related Programme. 

On Oct. 29, students in the IB Personal and Professional Skills course and the IB Theory of Knowledge course visited a SeniorAge Area Agency on Aging senior center, Good Dads, City of Springfield Traffic Management Center and Crosslines’ resource center to learn about the work of these nonprofits, potentially identify connections to future professional interests and generate ideas for client connected projects.

This new Give 5 project connects high school students with community engagement opportunities, aiming for 100% real-world learning experiences for participating students and promoting personalized competency-based learning. Through the Career-related Programme and Give 5, students will work with Springfield non-profits to address real-world challenges and eventually present their solutions to these non-profits through a collaborative process.

At Crosslines, the students were challenged to help the organization find new ways to authentically connect with younger generations. Whether the younger people they hope to reach would be volunteering, donating or receiving assistance, Crosslines realizes the first step is making contact. 

The students returned to their classrooms ready to blend what they learned at the local nonprofits with the work they’re doing through the IB Programs. This supports the vital program components of engaging with the community in meaningful ways and developing as ethical and principled members of society.