upper school cOMMUNITY SERVICES
Graded offers an engaging Community Service Program designed to enrich the educational experience of students and assist the community at large in searching for meaningful solutions to various social problems. In doing so, it is our mission to create awareness, stimulate reflection, and motivate students to practice citizenship. In grades 11 and 12, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program students participate in the IB Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) program. CAS provides students with the opportunities to enhance their personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning. Students are actively involved in developing service projects to make a meaningful contribution to their community and society.
Upper School Community Service Coordinator: Sandra Greenwald
Minimum number of students to confirm a group: 5
Maximum number of students per group: 30
Baking for All is designed to empower students to exercise their creativity while at the same time helping our community service program. Students will learn how to bake and decorate their cupcakes during lunch on Thursdays at the Student Center. Students will then sell their creations to support other programs with the funds raised: Camp Caritas, Casa Maria Helena, GAA, Elderly Home, or any other that requires funds.
Bricks for Community is a community service program that strives to make São Paulo and the surrounding area a better place for its citizens by inviting students to take action and make a difference in the lives of others. Previous work-related sightings include, but are not limited to: aiding with restaurant constructions, classroom repair such as wall painting, and reconstruction of shelters. This group is also responsible for the organization of Zombie Zoo, a semi-annual night of performances by students that raises money for Bricks' causes.
This group gives support to
Casa Maria Helena Paulina, a shelter for children from North and Northeast of Brazil, who come to São Paulo for cancer treatment. Support comes in different forms: students play with the children, organize clothes bazaars, and collect money for the House among other initiatives.
This group welcomes 25 kids, ages 5 to 10, from Cáritas João Paulo II. Members, in partnership with a team of middle schoolers, entertains the students at the Lower School. The objective is to promote interaction through learning and playing activities.
An internet-based tool that promotes and facilitates the connection between donors and nonprofit organizations.
Do Something is an Association of American Schools in South America (AASSA) award-winning club, based on the nonprofit organization of the same name. Members focus on an array of topics, including mental and physical health, the environment, poverty, and social issues. The group empowers members to make a positive impact in their community.
This group assists twelve women living in Lar Abrigo Novo Pentecostes. Our students gain much by talking and listening to stories of these women's lives, while keeping them company. This is an amazing life experience for the students to exchange experiences with older people from very different social and economic backgrounds.
Graded Global Issues Network (GIN) is a dynamic student group dedicated to working on Graded’s campus to solve a few of the 20 problems outlined in J.F. Richard’s book High Noon: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them. GIN's purpose is "to empower young people to collaborate locally, regionally and globally to create sustainable solutions for global issues." Graded’s GIN chapter strives daily to meet this objective.
Friendship and Language Acquisition (FALA) is a language school in which classes are taught by high school students. Graded students undergo a training program to learn how to teach English, evaluate student strengths and weaknesses, and be successful in the classroom. On Saturdays during the school year, these students teach English to more than 200 economically disadvantaged people. Many of them are family members of the school support staff. Others are from poor neighborhoods. FALA is not all work. "Friendship" is a key element of the program, which foster life-changing relationships between Graded teaching students and participants. To join, contact
Ms. Sandra Greenwald to start the application process.
Graded students and teachers work together in partnership with various animal rescue NGOs. Organizations include Mata Ciliar, a group that rehabilitates injured or abused wild animals, in order for them to be released back into the wild and Aliança Internacional do Animal (AILA), a large animal shelter that provides life care and adoption services for more than 2000 abandoned and/or abused domesticated animals (primarily dogs and cats). GAA's ongoing support of these organizations includes fundraising, promoting the neutering of dogs and cats, building enclosures, and providing volunteers for adoption fair.
Graded's Entrepreneurial Enterprise (GEE) is a student-led group that strives to be a financial support group for Graded's community service programs. By motivating a creative group of students to critically develop effective fundraisers, GEE instills in them both a social-entrepreneurial spirit and a sense of community awareness. These funds are then redistributed to any community service group in need, upon request.
Harmony is a community service group which promotes the teaching of music. Graded students give less privileged kids from Cáritas a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to use Graded facilities for making music and learning music. Every Thursday at 3:15 pm in the Ensemble Room. Requirements: proficiency at guitar, drums, or piano, teaching and managing kids aged 10-14, and commitment to the activity.
The goal of this group is to help underprivileged children express themselves and release stress through art. Each lesson encompasses a broad activity and fosters individuality.
The goal of Learning Actively with Fun and Friends (LAFF) is to create an environment in which kids from Cáritas Santa Suzana interact with each other to creatively solve problems, build leadership skills, and improve teamwork.
This group is affiliated with the Brazilian service group of the same name. Members of LêComigo collect books written in Portuguese and organize them for redistribution. The group's final goal is to connect people through reading, while bettering the educational system in Brazil.
The goal of this activity is to encourage young children to participate in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) activities and create a natural curiosity learning profile.
Cáritas Teen is an activity which aims to create a non-academic and enjoyable environment for adolescents coming from Cáritas. The main objective of the club is to take kids away from academic-related stress on a weekly basis and provide a new, fun activity. Activities may include sports, arts, and/or music.
Graded Soccer Cares is a community service activity in which we invite children from poor communities around Graded to have fun playing soccer.
Graded Silver Ribbon (GSR) aims to improve the emotional and mental wellness of Graded students. It's okay to talk about not being okay. GSR seeks to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and to promote the normalization of mental health issues, so that students know that it's good to be aware of their mental health. GSR also provides a welcoming place for every student to open up and talk about their concerns, whether about school stress, not feeling the best lately, or merely just wanting to know more about the topic.
