In contemporary society, the education system is often associated with knowledge, grades, and exams. But is that enough to raise a mature and responsible individual? Increasingly, we speak about social engagement in schools—volunteering, helping the community, participating in civic initiatives. The growing need for such activities shows that the education system is beginning to see a person not only as a recipient of knowledge, but also as an active member of the community. Yet the question arises: Are we striving today to educate a student who merely “collects” social service hours, or a young person who is capable of creating real change? Klaipėda Lyceum Director Kristijonas Mineikis shares his expert insights.
The Philosophy of “Service as Action”
In the national curriculum, the regulation of social activities often takes on an overly formal character. General education plans set a specific number of required hours, which leads schools to speak about “accumulating” social hours. Such an approach turns volunteering into a task rather than a way of life—just another item on a student’s checklist.
At Klaipėda Lyceum, the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, implemented from grades 1 through 12, offers a different perspective. The principle of “Service as Action” invites students not only to perform meaningful work for society, but also to understand its significance. By helping others, students learn to better understand themselves. They encounter realities often very different from those described in textbooks. Seeing pain, injustice, or loneliness—alongside hope—they gain what no lesson can teach: empathy, patience, and the ability to truly listen.
Albert Einstein once said, “Perfection of means and confusion of goals seem—in my opinion—to characterize our age.” This thought resonates strongly today. We constantly refine methods and assessment systems, yet sometimes forget to ask what kind of person we aim to educate.
Society’s Well-Being Depends on Shared Responsibility
Social engagement in education helps restore the purpose behind all the means: to educate a person who not only knows, but understands, feels, and acts for others. Unfortunately, counting hours often does not contribute to this goal—on the contrary, it distances us from it.
Experiences gained through helping others shape a student’s outlook on life. They begin to understand that meaning lies not only in personal success, but in the common good. The Preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania states that the nation strives for “an open, just, and harmonious civil society.” This is not merely a legal provision, but also a moral compass.
The constitutional principle of solidarity emphasizes that society’s well-being depends on the shared responsibility of all its members. Even a student can contribute through small daily actions. When a student helps a senior citizen, participates in environmental clean-up efforts, or initiates a project at school, they directly embody the constitutional idea—helping to build a more just and compassionate society.
At Klaipėda Lyceum, the “Service as Action” principle is systematically integrated into the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). In this programme, social engagement is understood as a meaningful process in which students not only take action but also reflect on its significance, develop social responsibility, and strengthen their values. Students work toward defined learning outcomes: understanding their strengths and areas for growth, taking on challenges that foster new skills, planning and evaluating student-initiated activities, persevering in achieving goals, collaborating with others, developing international-mindedness, and considering the ethical consequences of their actions.
How to Successfully Combine Knowledge and Values?
Students in grades 6–8 of the MYP at Klaipėda Lyceum are required to participate in five different social engagement initiatives during the academic year. This diversity of experiences allows them to explore various community needs and purposefully achieve the intended learning outcomes. These activities include strengthening the school community as well as supporting local organizations and civic initiatives.
Students in grades 9–10 continue their social engagement journey by selecting two independently chosen activities in which they can apply their accumulated experience and further develop social and ethical competencies. In addition, they participate in a chosen vocational education module at the Klaipėda Technology Training Centre, where they acquire competencies in specific professional fields.
Available modules include interior visualization design, digital communication channel development, and brand identity design. These practical experiences allow students to combine creativity, responsibility, collaboration, and ethical decision-making—all core principles of “Service as Action.” This model demonstrates how knowledge and values can be successfully integrated when social engagement becomes not a formal obligation, but meaningful personal and community growth.
Social engagement in education is a fundamental way of learning to be human. By participating in meaningful activities, students understand that respect, dignity, and responsibility are not theoretical concepts—they exist only when they are practiced. The purpose of education should not be limited to preparation for exams or careers. Its true aim is to teach individuals to act according to their conscience.
As Einstein stated, means cannot be more important than the goal. And that goal is to educate a person who thinks, feels, and acts not for evaluation, but for meaning.