The students from Grade 6-12 worked with staff from the Technical Cooperation Department at the IAEA to design and decorate different presents and donations, which were then hung on the ‘Wishing Tree’ at the VIC. Students and staff visited VIC to decorate the tree, and to turn on the lights. Our students worked hard to design posters, write emails to IAEA staff, and design gift decorations for the UN staff to choose from. We hope to continue this relationship in the future.
We were inspired by this collaboration to auction a basket at the VIS Winter Market, raising a further 400 Euros, that was donated to SOS Kinderdorf, to provide much needed items for children and their families this winter, in Vienna and throughout the rest of Austria.
The community service programme at VIS requires students to take an active part in the communities in which they live. The emphasis is on developing community awareness and concerns and acquiring the skills to make an effective contribution to society. This enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning, and it provides an important counterbalance to the pressures of the rest of the academic programme.