High School community partnerships

Winter timetable

Community partnerships are the core of our high school program. The partnerships give students the opportunity to work after school directly with people from the broader London community. Programs take place in a variety of settings—including youth centers, schools, playgrounds, shelters, and senior citizen centers—and give students the chance to work with people in a wide range of circumstances.

Commitment

The community partnerships program is aligned with our athletic seasons. Partnerships take place once a week after school for two hours. Students travel to and from the partnership as a group along with their partnership coach (an ASL faculty/staff member). Students commit to one season at a time.

Attendance

As with all high school commitments, we take attendance seriously. Students with repeated or unexcused absences are asked to step down from the program.

Assessment

At the end of each semester, advisors, deans and college counselor receive an assessment of their students’ performance in the program, which they may share with parents and students.

Consent form

After registration, parents will be emailed a link to an online consent form which they will be asked to submit before the first meeting of the season.

Transportation

Students are accompanied to each site by a member of staff.  Depending on the site location, students will walk, take a bus or school van, or underground train to the site.  Students are then invited to return to ASL with a teacher or in ASL approved transport, or, with parental consent, are permitted to make their own way home directly from the site.

Orientation

After school on the first day of each season, an orientation meeting takes place in O-320, O-321 and O-322 in the High School.

Reflection

Group reflection is a key part of the learning associated with the program. It is integrated into the daily sessions by coaches.  

Fall timetable

Community partnerships follow the school athletic season calendar.  Students register for one athletic season at a time, enabling them to alternate between partnerships and sports participation.

Fall Season
Registration begins: Friday, 5 September, 8.10am outside the HS office
Registration closes:  Tuesday, 9 September, 12pm
Programs commence:  w/c Monday, 15 September
Fall season concludes: Friday, 14 November

Winter Season
Registration opens: Tuesday, 11 November, 8:10 am outside HS Office.
Registration closes: Friday, 14 November
Season begins: Monday, 17 November
Last partnership meeting before Thanksgiving break: Monday, 24, November
Last partnership meeting before Winter break Thursday, 11 December
Partnerships resume: Monday, 12 January
Winter season ends: Thursday, 12 March

Spring Season
Registration opens: Tuesday, 17 March, 8:10am
Registration closes: Thursday, 19 March
Season begins: Monday, 30 March
Spring season ends: Thursday, 28 May

Note:  In spring season Monday partnerships are not open to Grades 11/12
During AP Exam weeks we will run a reduced schedule.

Community Partnerships Attendance Policy

Joining a Community Partnerships is both a privilege and a responsibility.  We are privileged that the organizations with whom we work have chosen to welcome ASL students to their sites and entrust us with the young people with whom they work.  With this privilege comes our responsibility to be fully present whilst at the site, and fully committed to our partnership. This means being there consistently for the site and for the young people with whom we work. 

Attendance Expectations:

• You are expected to attend every session of the partnership you have registered for. 
• You are expected to remind your teachers and parents of the commitment you have made and ensure that appointments are not scheduled during partnership meeting times.
• If you are required to attend after school study hall on partnership days, please let your Ms. Moola know that you have a partnership.  Under these circumstances the study hall will be rescheduled for the following day. 
• If, in extraordinary circumstances, you are required to miss a partnership, you are expected to email your partnership coach at least two days in advance.  Do not simply fail to show up or depend on friends to pass along a message.  If you are not sure how to reach your coach, email Mr. Block
• If you miss two or more sessions of your partnership within a season, and these are on days that you have been present in school, your coach will inform Mr. Block.*  You must then see Mr. Block to discuss your absences and your continued participation in the program. 
• If you are removed from the program for inconsistent attendance, your Advisor, Deans and College counselors will be informed that you have not successfully completed the activity.  Conversely, when you DO successfully complete the program, your advisors, deans and college counselors are informed to celebrate your contributions.
• By participating in the program you indicate your agreement to the policy above.

* Exceptions will be made for officially scheduled school events (field trips, one-off sports fixtures etc.) so long as you communicate to your coach about these in advance

Fall timetable

There is a range of projects across the School whose success depends upon students taking leadership roles.

HS Community Action Council

The new HS Community Action Council coordinates student-led action projects and fundraising activities. The council leads and delivers some projects directly (such as the annual Giving Tree project) and also coordinates whole school initiatives with the Middle and Lower schools. Election for Council members will be held this fall.  
Questions? Write to community_action@asl.org or reach out to the Council Presidents Layla Khatiblou '25 and Ella Friel '25.

Community volunteer day

Community Volunteer Day brings the ASL community together twice a year to make a positive and visible impact at a dozen local charities.  Volunteers spend three hours transforming local sites taking part in activities such as gardening, painting, clearing and tidying. It's an incredibly important and rewarding activity involving over 400 ASL volunteers. Each site is led by two High School Site Leaders who work with a parent to plan and organize the event.  Applications for leadership of this Fall's CVD (Sunday, October 25) will be released in early September.

Parents also play a key role; interested parents should write to parent Laura Beal at pca.cvdays@asl.org

Launch your own Partnership!

Some of our most exciting after-school partnerships are those which are inspired by student passion and dedication.  In recent years students have launched and led partnerships leading a dance club at a local primary school, teaching robotics at local high schools, teaching sustainability and art to 4th graders, and much more.  If you have an idea for a partnership you would like to build reach out to Brandon Block. 

SHINE assistants

On Saturdays, from November through March, year 8 and 9 students from across London come to ASL for an engaging and creative learning program. ASL students play a key role in SHINE, befriending participants, and serving as program mentors. Students wishing to apply to be SHINE assistants must commit to attend at least three Saturday mornings during the season. For more information, contact ASL SHINE project managers Rita Bediako and Sandy Mateus or see the SHINE website.
 

West London Model United Nations

West London Model UN is an annual two day conference organized by the Community Action program, which draws together students from 20 schools across London for a two day simulation of a meeting of the United Nations.  ASL middle and high schoolers serve as conference delegates, while upperclassmen serve as the conference secretariat, and committee chairpeople. This year's conference will take place on Saturday, 7 February 2026.  Applications for conference chairpeople will open in mid-September.  Contact Leila Meilman '26 or write to wlmun@asl.org  Students interested in being delegates should apply via the ASL Model UN club: write to Ms. Lanting Xu. 

Youth London Climate Conference

Founded in 2025 the YLCC is the product of collaboration between ASL's Sustainability Council, ASL Community Action and the Wildlife and Wetland Trust.  The conference, held at the beautiful Wetland Center in Barnes brings together young people from 8 London Schools to explore issues of climate change and biodiversity and lay the foundations for action in their school and communities.  Students interested in serving as conference organizers can do so by application.

Community partnership media team

The team is responsible for documenting service events. We are looking for people skilled in filmmaking, photography or reporting to document our programs. If you are interested in applying to join this team, please email Brandon Block.

youngPOWER

Launched ten years ago by students from ASL and Westminster Academy, the youngPOWER conference brings together students from across London to breakdown stereotypes, demolish the walls that divide us, and identify paths for taking action in our communities. Participation in the program is by application, and is open to all high school students. Applications for this year’s Conference Executive Team will open in early September. Questions to Laila Taraporevala '26, Mr. Block or Mr. Rojas.

Service clubs

ASL students organize a wide range of clubs dedicated to service and fundraising. If you are interested in forming a service club, please complete a proposal form. Club sign up takes place following the clubs assembly in early September.

Fundraising

Any ASL students seeking to fundraising for a charity must do so under the auspices of an approved council or club.  They are also required to complete a fundraising application form -- Dr. Shearer can give you the link.

Athletics and Community Action

Student athletes can find it challenging to participate in our after-school programs owing to time constraints. However, as athletes do not have sports on Thursdays, they can participate in programs on that day. Athletes can also become involved in Community Action through:

Community Volunteer Day

Athletes can serve as participants or apply to be site leaders for our community volunteer days. Athletes are encouraged to involve their entire team!

If you are interested in organizing a team site, speak to your team captains and Brandon Block before submitting a site leader application.

SHINE

As SHINE (see above) runs on Saturdays, it is a great way for athletes to get involved in community action.