Students of Grade VII and VIII at Qatar-Finland International School (QFIS) worked hard during Ramadan, creating their own school-based charity initiative. Traditional subjects such as English, mathematics and science were replaced with the project. The ultimate goal of the project was to bring all the students together and raise money for a number of good causes.
The students were recently invited to apply for five different project teams namely, Art and Design, PR and Marketing, Finance, Research and Development, and Audio/Visual. They were asked to write a CV and covering letter and apply for a job. Each student was given a salary for each day work on the project.
The students led the project, creating the logo and website for the charity, researching and designing an exhibition space on the cultural and religious traditions of Ramadan. Original musical compositions and a documentary of the event were also created. They invited members of the public and the media to the special event. The funds were raised through a donation drive and the students encouraged the school community and members of the public to donate clothing, dry foods, toys, books and games. The students then created a pop-up shop to sell the items during the week. In only three days, the students raised over QR5,000 for the charity.
Neel Shah, one of the project supervisors, explained the educational value behind the project and said, ‘We wanted the students to participate in a project that instilled the religious, moral and spiritual values of Ramadan with an opportunity for the project-based learning. The Finnish curriculum places a great emphasis on holistic learning and opportunities for the students to learn experientially. Academic subject content has been covered in a number of practical tasks in novel ways. The students have been learning without even realising. The skills such as teamwork, communication, organisation and working to project briefs and deadlines are all valuable assets for the students in the workplace. The students will have a better idea of the demands of the workplace and how a major project is managed through the schedule of this project. It has given the students an opportunity to immerse themselves in mastering a particular skill and an opportunity to work on something that is going towards a great cause.”
Due to its success, the sale and exhibition will be extended for the last week of term from June 24 to 27. For more information on the event and for making donations, please contact: [email protected] /[email protected]
EXPERIENTIAL: Students during charity work at the school.
