The IIE’s Varsity College’s social action projects empower would-be teachers to investigate significant issues within their host schools
The IIE's Varsity College Waterfall student Nicole Erwee took her passion for sustainability to Curro Edenvale Primary School, motivated by a desire to instill environmental awareness among her young learners.
The social action projects play a crucial role in the service learning initiatives for fourth-year BEd in Intermediate Phase Teaching students during their teaching experience module at The IIE’s Varsity College.
These projects aim for students to identify significant social or environmental issues within their host schools. Through careful research and planning, they develop activities to raise awareness of these issues among peers, teachers, parents, learners, and the wider school community.
This experience enriches their education and encourages positive societal contributions.
Nicole Erwee, a fourth-year student at The IIE’s Varsity College Waterfall, implemented her project at Curro Edenvale Primary School. She expressed that her motivation stemmed from a strong desire to foster sustainable practices and promote environmental awareness among the learners at her host school.
“My host school for this project was Curro Edenvale Primary School. I was motivated by the desire to promote sustainable practices and environmental awareness among the learners,” she explained.
Over the course of four weeks, she designed and constructed a sustainable vegetable garden as her project, providing a practical way to introduce concepts of recycling and sustainability in a hands-on manner.
Erwee aimed to show learners that simple changes, like reusing plastic bottles as planters, can have a significant environmental impact.
Using recycled 2l bottles, string, and various vegetable seeds, she built an eco-friendly and educational garden. The learners learnt about recycling through preparing and planting, and they were actively involved in maintaining and monitoring the growth of the plants.
The project concluded with a reflection phase, which encouraged and allowed the learners to discuss what they learnt about sustainability and responsibility
“This experience was invaluable in developing my teaching approach and philosophy,” Erwee reflected. “Service learning has helped me see the importance of connecting lessons to real-world issues, making learning meaningful and impactful. I gained practical skills in lesson planning, teamwork, and adapting my approach to the needs of the school and the learners.”
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