SAIS lands community impact award from AmCham for service projects

SINGAPORE, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stamford American International School earned recognition from the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Singapore for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. The AmCham CARES award, presented by Mr. Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Education and Minister-in-charge of the Public Service, and AmCham Chairman Lisa Liaw at a ceremony on April 22 at the Shangri La Hotel, identified organizations that combine sustainability and socially responsible business practices with strong community engagement.

Stamford American was the only educational institution among 36 recipients, such as Google Asia Pacific, Johnson & Johnson and 3M Technologies, to receive the award for distinction.

In addition to an IB curriculum that includes service learning and action, Stamford American champions student-led opportunities and projects to make a difference in Singapore and the world at large.

Humanities teacher and service learning coordinator Garrett McKeen believes that the future of education lies in service to others.

"Service is not something that you learn in the classroom," he said. "Stamford American empowers students to take charge of their learning through service in the real world."

Each year, more than 500 students actively participate in their own initiatives, contributing to causes and charities of their choice. At Stamford American, there are many ways students can apply service learning, including school clubs, co-curricular activities (CCAs), individual projects, community projects and more.

Key initiatives that contributed to this award:

• A walk-a-thon to raise more than $10,000 for Singapore Association for Mental Health.
• A Month of Giving campaign, organized by Stamford American's Parent Teacher Association, High School service clubs and Middle School Guide Dogs CCA, that raised over $2,700 for service partners at Community Chest, NGO Causes for Animals and Guide Dogs Singapore.
• A donation drive by the Peer Tutoring Club to collect educational supplies for underprivileged children with the help of Community Chest and Methodist Welfare Services.
• Several donation drives organized by Middle School and High School students to collect clothing for a village in Cambodia and to work with Daughters Raising, an NGO in Thailand.
• Stamford American's Parent Teacher Association collaborated with Toys for Tots and It's Raining Raincoats to collect materials, daily necessities, and toys for both migrant workers and underprivileged children.
• Student-led sustainability projects such as OIKOS, Rare Tree Guardians, and Hydroponics, all of which address ecological literacy in the Stamford American community and sustainability for the future.

"We're honored to be recognized for the many ways we connect students to service projects that impact the greater community," said Superintendent Mark Wenzel. "Our goal at Stamford American is not only to create great thinkers and problem-solvers, but to inspire our students to think beyond themselves and realize they truly can make a difference."