Small Moments, Big Learning: A Shift to Service in Action

The Plaza was already buzzing when students from SENBOX Special Education Center arrived on campus. Twenty-four SSIS high school students waited to welcome them, ready to guide some simple activities, share a snack, and see what would unfold.

The recent two-hour visit was a pilot, or “proof of concept,” for our work with SENBOX. Yet it captured something much bigger: the kind of real, human encounter that helps empathy grow—the exact kind of experience that marks a “Service in Action” program. As Director of Community Engagement and Activities, Dr. Dan Long has been helping teachers and students rethink what “service” can be.

What Service in Action Means

Deeply rooted in our core value of Dedicated Service, Service in Action is a key priority in our strategic plan. Dr. Long describes the purpose clearly:

“We want every student at every grade level to have the opportunity to grow in empathy through meaningful service. It might be a one-hour activity, a single day, or something that happens several times a year, but the goal is not to merely complete a task or check a box; it’s to create an experience that changes the student’s heart.”

Traditional service-learning often begins with curriculum: read a book, discuss an issue, write a reflection, and complete an evaluation activity.

At SSIS, we still value those experiences—they build important knowledge—and students still read about global challenges and discuss what it means to help. But Service in Action asks a different question beyond that work: How do we give students the chance to stand face-to-face with another person, to listen, to feel, to stay present, and to express kindness and care?

As Dr. Long puts it, “Empathy is difficult to grade on a scale. You cannot assess how deeply a student cares. But you can create moments where empathy has a chance to grow. That is the goal for Service in Action at SSIS.”

SENBOX: A Pilot for Empathy in Action

The SENBOX Special Games brought 20 SENBOX students to SSIS for an adapted series of games facilitated by our high school students. Most SENBOX students are on the autism spectrum and experience the world in ways that can feel unfamiliar to their teenage partners. As an organization, SENBOX shares the core values of service to others, inclusivity, and community impact, making it a natural partner for collaborative Service in Action. 

Before the event, Dr. Long reminded SSIS students that inevitably things would not go as planned—and that this was part of the learning.

And that prediction held true. Some SENBOX students needed time before engaging. Some ran away from their SSIS buddy, crossing to the other side of the field instead of joining an activity. Others communicated in ways that were new and confusing to our students.

But slowly, connections formed. One pair of students spent nearly the entire morning tossing a basketball back and forth. Another student simply sat nearby, offering quiet companionship.

These outwardly simple moments carried significant weight. At the end of the morning, one SSIS student, usually boisterous and playful, teared up, deeply moved by the experience. 

For Dr. Long, these are the moments that show why Service in Action matters. 

Hard Work, Real Growth

The SENBOX visit is not the only example of this deliberate shift toward growing empathy. Recently, the ACE Housing Club visited an orphanage in District 12.

The club members expected to discuss some of the hands-on improvement projects the orphanage needed. Instead, caregivers asked them to help carry the children to the physical therapy room and support their physical therapy exercises.

At first, the SSIS students hesitated, not knowing how to move a severely disabled child or how to communicate with them. Regardless, they stepped forward—lifting, carrying, and gently following the caregivers’ instructions. Hesitant handling became warm interactions.

The students gently stretched out limbs, massaged backs and heads, and soothed the tense muscles of the little children. One SSIS student later reflected that the experience had been even more meaningful than what they originally thought they were going there to do.

Moments like these are what Service in Action aims to create: experiences that challenge assumptions, require patience, push students out of their comfort zone, require action, and expand a young person’s understanding of others.

Building a K–12 Framework

Service at SSIS is not a new concept. Many of our students already participate in clubs, drives, and outreach activities. What is new is the commitment to ensuring that every SSIS student, from our youngest learners to our graduating class, grows in empathy through meaningful service—not just those who join a club or sign up for an event.

By 2026–2027, SSIS will have an articulated K–12 Service in Action framework. Each division will develop and articulate age-appropriate activities.

For example:

• A first-grade class might explore what “community helpers” do by supporting our facilities team for a day.
• Fifth graders might continue reading about global issues and deliver care packages to a local center, connecting classroom learning with real-world encounters.
• In high school, partners such as SENBOX and other local organizations could offer more complex opportunities for students to build a deeper understanding of others through action.

These experiences are intentionally varied, but the purpose is the same: to help students develop empathy that they can carry into adulthood.

A Growing Story - We Want to Hear from You

Parents will hear more about Service in Action throughout the year as our partnerships expand and events develop. The work is long-term and intentionally challenging, but it aligns with our ultimate goal, for our students to lead purposeful lives built on character, understanding, and the willingness to serve others.

As Dr. Long puts it, “Our students have so many gifts—skills, resources, opportunities. When you pair that with empathy, they don’t just ask how successful they can become. They begin asking how many lives they can change.”

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If your family is connected to local organizations that could offer empathy-building service opportunities for our students, we would be happy to hear from you. Please contact Dr. Dan Long (dlong@ssis.edu.vn), Director of Community Engagement and Activities.