THE Giving Tree" charity (a program of the Community Center Shanghai) is an activity that the Shanghai Singapore International School community will be looking forward to every November.

The school community has been a part of the "Giving Tree" program since 2005, when it started with a modest number of 87 bags. The number has grown to almost 1,000 bags this year with the support and help from the students, parents and staff members.

Each donor receives the profile of a child and fills a bag with gifts specifically for that child. These gift bags are then delivered and presented to the underprivileged children at a distribution ceremony attended by representatives from Community Center Shanghai and SSIS.

SSIS strongly believes such a charitable activity provides a platform for its students to learn about empathy, love and the joy of sharing and caring for the underprivileged in the host country.

Earlier this month, five senior school students and some staff members visited one of the migrant children's elementary schools in Minhang District for the distribution ceremony. As they got off the bus, they were led to the schoolyard, where all the students of the school showed their appreciation through well-coordinated and well-practiced energetic performances. SSIS students and the staff members also had the privilege of dancing together with them. The speeches were made by both teachers and students to communicate their gratitude. In return, Mary-Lucy Spoke, the head organizer of this charity, explained why they came to give these gift bags.

After the ceremony, the children went back to their own classrooms to receive their gifts. They came up to the front of the class to receive the presents as their names were called one by one. The students who had received gift bags had huge excited smiles on their faces. The joy in them was evident.

SSIS students certainly witnessed their joy and smiles becoming a reality. In this vast and fast-growing city, they are called migrant workers' children and are marginalized from other children in Shanghai. Yet they dream and hope like every other child. As SSIS students participated in this event, they also gained joy through these children's smiles.

They realized that this event was not only about filling these bags but filling the children's and their hearts as well. Students lead from the heart

During this time of giving, students, teachers and staff at Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS Shanghai) took the opportunity to reflect on what it means to be responsible global citizens giving back to the community. At the core of YCIS Shanghai's education is a strong emphasis on good character that is promoted, in part, through acts of charity from a young age.

Luke Watson is the creativity, action and service coordinator for YCIS Shanghai Puxi campus. During his five years at YCIS Shanghai, he has worked with students to develop fundraising and charity ideas:

Empowering Students: There are a million different activities and fundraisers we can do, but instead of me telling them, they decide what they want to do. I work with the students through the ideas and help make it happen. Because these are their ideas, they'll spend extra time making posters and selling tickets to their friends. It's good to empower them and let their ideas go wild.

Balancing Act: They're looking for opportunities, not only the students but also the parents and the teachers. It's important to have a fair variety of activities. The teachers are fantastic and really work with the students to make sure they have time for their studies as well as for charity work.

Mini Me: You see a massive amount of enthusiasm. From Years 7 to 11, it is low key - we do small activities. By the time they hit Year 12, they are really excited. They've been watching the other Years 12 and 13 students beforehand, so they've got a lot of ideas.

Evolution: Originally, the CAS coordinator role was strictly tied to the IB Program, but it has evolved a lot. Most of the students do far more than the minimum service requirement - some students are up to 200 hours.

Heart of the Matter: Putting an hour value on it doesn't really measure the activity very well. The Years 12 and 13 students really analyze what they are doing - they ask themselves whether this activity is really helping people or not. What are the consequences of doing this? Considering the ethical implications of your actions is something the students really start to consider.

Year 13 students Judy Lee and Jin Lee talked about their recent charity activities:

Spread the Love: Every month we have a different charity focus. We try to come up with different activities to raise attention and money. Many people are involved and we all have different responsibilities to take care of.

Leaders in the Making: It's about helping people, and also learning how to organize. We divide and delegate jobs, and even have to learn about marketing. Because I am organizing and helping, I feel more responsible to the charity.

Project Du Jour: We've been working with the Baobei Foundation. The children there are really young and they're really sick - they really need our help. During lunch we had live bands to promote our Baobei festival, which helped students become aware of the program. The music department helped us a lot. Many teachers gave their time and energy.

Love Bug: At the start of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, I felt that charity work was compulsory, but now I want to help people and even do more. I learn stuff - cooperating and learning and feeling that I am helping little kids.

Do as much as you can, it will be really fun!

Robert Watson first joined YCIS Shanghai in 1999 and currently serves as primary coordinator for the Pudong campus:

Through becoming involved in charity work, the students gain a greater sense of perspective of the world around them. It really brings home to them that many children and adults around the world don't even have the essential basics.

Get to Give: For our recent project "The Giving Tree," a Christmas tree was placed in each campus as a collection point for donations to support an orphanage in Anhui Province. Children were asked to donate essential items that we usually take for granted, such as rice, milk powder and blankets. Through this activity, our students shifted their focus from "What am I getting for Christmas?" to "What can I give for Christmas?'

A Heart for Impact: What excites the children most about getting involved with charity work is the fact that they can make a difference in some way, no matter how big or small it may be. The Heart to Heart project where children raised money for local children to have essential heart operations emphasized this fact. Through this, the students have helped change the lives of so many children.

Seeing is Believing: What has been really motivating for the students is seeing the photos of these children, and knowing that they have helped change their lives. Some students have even visited them in hospital after they have had the operations.