Roots and Wings: An Approach to Growing a Culture of Connection

What does it mean to feel strong and supported? What does it look like to grow with purpose?

At Shanghai Community International School (SCIS), these questions are central to an innovative approach to service learning called Roots and Wings. Emerging through student voice and evolving with community collaboration, the initiative is creating space for students, families, and educators to explore well-being and action in thoughtful, interconnected ways.

Pathways to learning are made more enduring when we share the journey. Peers from Shanghai Community International School venture forth to discover knowledge beyond the walls of their classroom. (image supplied)

What began as an upper school student’s metaphor for the state of well-being and the verb thrive 茁壮成长 (Zhuó Zhuàng Chéng Zhǎng) has since evolved into a powerful, school-wide framework for connection—one that invites students, families, teachers, and a highly relevant community partner – The Community Center of Shanghai – into a shared journey of exploration.

"Roots and Wings is about exploring what grounds us—our values, our communities, our traditions—and what helps us grow and soar," explains Haakon Gould, SCIS’s Service Learning Coach and DP-CAS Coordinator. "It’s a collaborative theme that began with students and families, and it’s evolving into something much larger than we first imagined."

A Culture of Participation

The impact of Roots and Wings goes beyond traditional models of service. It’s not about checking a box or logging volunteer hours. Instead, it’s about nurturing meaningful participation at all ages—and all stages.

"There’s a misconception that action has to be something grand or only for older students," says Haakon. "But when parents and kids share even a 90-minute experience together, they start to understand—this is service too.”

“We’re expanding on the concept of service in our context by tapping into community engagement in different ways for different ages,” explains Haakon. “But the consistent theme is meaningful connection which is sometimes expressed through dialogue, introspection, the expression of curiosity and savouring the joy that comes of our engagement in the process rather than a fixation on the product.”

Early experiences ranged from creative submissions in art and poetry to family-led activities and co-hosted events in nearby parks. One parent described a nature-based session with their teenage daughter as “the best experience I’ve had with her all year.” Another noted how the concept of action, once abstract, became something joyful and doable.

"Our first partners are always our families," Haakon adds. "Inviting parents into the Roots and Wings journey helped shift the idea of service from something abstract into something tangible—even playful."

Learning Pathways and Student Voice

Haakon has taken a layered, integrated approach to embedding Roots and Wings across SCIS. Students from Grade 2 to Grade 12 have engaged through coursework, advisory sessions, community-based experiences, and student leadership initiatives like the National Honor Society.

Grade 10 students explored well-being data through a math unit on statistics and probability. Grade 4 students investigated art advocacy through a UN SDG lens with an art therapist. Even younger students shared reflections on what keeps them strong or brings them joy.

Engagement in the process of learning, rather than a fixation on the product, gives participants a stronger connection to each other and to the learning objectives. This outdoor workshop was hosted in a neighbourhood park to offer a green context for the day’s events. Participating families offered glowing feedback about the workshop’s value. (image supplied)

"The theme came directly from students," Haakon shares. "They said, ‘Well-being and thriving are too big—let’s make it about our roots and our wings.’ That simple shift made the concept accessible for everyone, even our youngest learners."

These student insights, collected through advisory-led classroom visits, now guide future planning. “Teachers are eager to participate when they discover the student voice that’s behind the ideas,” Haakon says with a smile.

Seeking Collaborators to Support the Vision

While the initiative is grounded in the SCIS community, strategic partnerships are helping it take flight. A particularly resonant collaboration has been with Ivy Yan of Inspire Citizens.

"Ivy brings such depth to the experiential side of this work," says Haakon. "Her eco-connective workshops allowed students and parents to reflect, move, and be in nature together. She’s helped bring the metaphor of Roots and Wings to life—literally and figuratively–in very stage-appropriate ways as she facilitates the range from early learners to upper school."

Ivy's work with SCIS has included wellness-focused advisory presentations and nature-based experiences designed to nurture intergenerational reflection. Whether guiding students in a mirror walk or helping families tune into the sounds of the natural world, her contributions have modelled what holistic, grounded service can look like.

"Working with Ivy and Inspire Citizens wasn’t about a traditional PD model," Haakon reflects. "It was a real partnership—co-planned, co-facilitated, and deeply responsive to our context. That’s the model I hope more schools explore."

Looking Ahead: Small Steps, Lasting Culture

Roots and Wings is still in its early stages. Haakon describes this year’s activities as a “test balloon,” a pilot of sorts, meant to explore what’s possible when community, creativity, and well-being come together.

"This isn’t a one-off series—it’s a culture we’re building," he says. "It’s already shown how powerful small, intentional steps can be."

In the coming years, Haakon envisions a growing network of community-based experiences, tied to curriculum and designed with input from students and families alike. From “tasting time” menus inspired by student submissions to interdisciplinary explorations of well-being and strength, the journey continues.

And as it unfolds, Roots and Wings remains exactly what it was always meant to be: a space to grow together, grounded in who we are and where we might go next.

This short video offers us some insight into the day’s experiences, hosted Haakon Gould, SCIS’s Service Learning Coach and DP-CAS Coordinator and Ivy Yan, an Experiential Learning Facilitator with Inspire Citizens (video supplied):

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