Values in Action (VIA)
Discover how St. Margaret's School (Secondary) nurtures compassionate leaders through its VIA programme, from local community outreach to overseas service trips.
In line with the school mission and vision of nurturing caring young ladies, St. Margaret's School (Secondary) has in place a developmental Values in Action (VIA) Programme which encompasses various facets of the community. Our young ladies become Other-Centred Contributors who are willing to act and serve others.
The local VIA programme includes the following:
Outreach to the Community
Outreach to the Elderly
Outreach to Disadvantaged Groups and
Care for the Environment.
By the end of a student’s four or five-year term with the school, she would have experienced the various aspects of community service and developed a sense of compassion for the less fortunate. Inspired, she will continue to serve the community beyond school.
Objectives
In 2017, SMSS redesigned the way VIA projects were conducted through Project Work (PW). The school tapped on the strengths and affordances of both VIA and PW and combined them into a novel service learning programme, the Salt & Light Programme (SLP). Currently, SLP is part of the lower secondary curriculum where students work on a social issue for a year while the programme is weaved into Character and Citizenship Education lessons for the upper secondary students.
SLP empowers students to exercise greater choice and ownership of their VIA projects which are beneficiary-centred. As students work effectively in teams to ideate and initiate solutions for innovative community engagements, their leadership skills are honed while teamwork, creativity and confidence are nurtured. SLP involves active learning with a focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills as students take on real community issues.
Through SLP, students grow to become a community of learners who value the importance of being empathetic and giving back to society.
SMS(S) Self-Initiated VIA Approval & Submission
Students who wish to undertake self-initiated VIA (Values in Action) projects, particularly those involving external organisations, must ensure that their projects align with school and national guidelines. Please refer to the Student Handbook for more information.
Students should submit their project details before starting the project and upload the necessary documentation after project completion using this form: https://go.gov.sg/2025-smss-self-initiated-via
Please note that a photograph or scanned copy of the official document provided by the organisation must be included as part of the submission.
Target Group
Values in Action community partners and focus areas by level
Level | Focus | Community Partners |
|---|---|---|
Secondary 1 | The Environment | North West Community Development Council (NWCDC) |
Secondary 2 | People with Special Needs | Heartware Network |
Secondary 3 | The Elderly | St. Andrew's Nursing Home (Queenstown) |
Secondary 4 and 5 | Family, Youth & Children, The Elderly | Self-initiated Partnerships |
Videos
WeCare @ North West - Service Weeks 2020: Interview Ms Kwang Wan Yi (Subject Head National Education and Values in Action)
Internationalisation Trips (LIGHT of the World)
The Light of the World programme aims to foster cross-cultural friendships while helping students develop leadership and communication skills through meaningful Values-in-Action (VIA) projects. By travelling overseas, students are exposed to diverse learning experiences beyond their comfort zones, encouraging personal growth and a deeper sense of purpose in serving others. These trips also offer valuable opportunities for students to bond with their peers and strengthen their ability to collaborate effectively as a team.
Students came together to pack essential food items for the local villagers in Cambodia — a heartwarming display of community support.
Leaving a lasting mark — students in front of the mural they had designed and painted for the Cambodian school community.
A collaborative creation by students and teachers from St. Margaret’s and a local Cambodian school. This mural symbolises cross-cultural friendships, shared empowerment, and a lasting legacy for future generations.