Service learning

Amnesty International aims to identify, bring attention to, and petition grave abuses of human rights across the world. The Amnesty International Club (grades 9-12) is an officially recognized affiliate of Amnesty France, and so the club often works in conjunction with their headquarters in Paris; while still remaining independent, with the flexibility to choose which topics the club members wish to pursue.

The Upper School club, Compassion Without Borders, works to support refugees and homeless in the Paris area through fundraising, gathering essential supplies and food distribution. Although much of their work focuses on providing crucial material needs to the local refugee population, they also make it a priority to find opportunities for their group to work directly with refugees, whether by serving breakfast or through a friendly game of football. They work alongside Serve the City, a Paris based volunteer group, and Utopia 56, an organization dedicated to aiding refugees through provision of food, clothing and other essential needs.

The India Club (Grades 9–12) raises funds and collects donations for the Jyoti School for handicapped children in Rishekesh, India as well as the Luxman Jhula Medical center, which treats people with leprosy. Goals include giving as much support as possible to these two institutions and learning about India and its culture, as well as how to perform community service.

The Kenya Club (Grades 9–12) is a philanthropic organization which conducts fundraising in order to help a special youngster in Kenya, Kelvin A, pursue his education. The club has been in existence for several years. Its immediate goal is to support Kelvin through to the end of his secondary education. The club has recently broadened its interests to fund the education of a young woman and address issues particularly affecting young African women.

The annual Middle School Walkathon is a fun event that both raises critical funds for an important cause and gets Middle School students moving! Students spend the day walking the beautiful paths of the Parc de Saint-Cloud and with each kilometer walked, money is raised for the Jyoti school for mentally and physically challenged children in Rishikesh, India. For many years, money raised through this event has enabled the Jyoti school to invest in its resources.  Most recently, with ASP support, the school has been able to build a multi-purpose room and dormitories and has purchased school buses, computers, and educational tools.

The entire ASP community looks forward to the annual Restos du Coeur can drive each year. This school-wide initiative supports the incredible efforts of Restos du Coeur, a local organization dedicated to feeding and supporting individuals and families in need.

For over ten years, the Romania Club (Grades 9–12) has been supporting the work of Romanian Children’s Relief/Fondatia Innocenti, which runs a playroom for abandoned babies and a program for elementary school Roma children in Bucharest. The club usually sends groups of students to Bucharest for a week during the Toussaint and April breaks to work.

Room to Read is a non-profit organization supporting children's literacy and girl's education across developing countries in Asia and Africa. The Lower School Grades 1–5 hold an annual read-a-thon fundraiser.

The ASP community has long been involved in helping to feed our homeless and refugee neighbors through our weekly sandwich-making program. Families prepare 120–160 bagged sandwiches in their homes to be distributed in central Paris by Serve the City Paris volunteers, several of whom are ASP parents. In addition, ASP students, faculty, and staff make 100–150 bagged sandwiches together at school. These sandwiches are distributed to those in need by our longtime partner Utopia 56.

The Sumba Club (Grades 9–12) is an ASP service club that, through fundraising, aims to lessen the consequences of poverty on the island of Sumba. Each year we focus on a specific goal that can be anything from funding mosquitos nets to funding water tanks for the villages. We try to come up with fun and original fundraising ideas while spreading awareness and making a difference.

The Green Service Squad is a group of Grade 4 and 5 students dedicated to service learning and green initiatives in the Lower School. They organize fundraisers and clothing and food drives in support of their refugee and homeless neighbors in Paris. They engage directly with other community service providers near the school, such as the local food pantry and nursing home. They establish and communicate proper recycling practices amongst their peers.

In spring 2022, students and faculty took on a number of projects to support refugees in Paris and those affected by the crisis in Ukraine. From bake sales and clothing drives to a technology drive, a benefit concert, and fabulous art auctions, our students showed their creativity and compassion as they looked for ways to make a positive difference in the world during a very challenging time.