Service & Leadership

In the Service of Others

Service and Leadership

Service is integral to Saint Kentigern’s identity. We encourage students to pursue service areas they are passionate about, embodying the belief that “Anyone can be great because anyone can serve” (Martin Luther King Jr.). 

Our vision for our graduates is to ‘serve and lead with distinction’, to understand how acts of service, no matter how small, lay the cornerstones for ethical reasoning and compassion for the human experience.

Lives of Service

Service takes various forms, and it's not always about grand gestures. Little acts of kindness, consideration, and compassion that occur in classrooms, sports fields, or at home have as much impact on personal growth as on those being served. Our emphasis on service learning empowers our students to discover their best selves and cultivate lifelong values. 

As students journey through the College, service opportunities unfold at school and community levels. They actively engage in projects like World Vision's 40-Hour Famine, the Sharing Shed (the Saint Kentigern Foodbank) and contribute to food, clothing, and stationery banks that aid the underserved in the broader community. They learn the purpose and results of Chapel offerings, fostering a sense of responsibility and empathy. 

Middle School students, working together as tutor groups, visit local primary schools regularly and actively participate in service projects during the Year 9 Challenge Week. Additionally, Year 10 students venture to Cambodia as part of their service journey. 

For our senior students, service often leads them into uncharted territory, where their willingness to offer help sets them apart. A team of Year 12 & 13 students spend their July holidays building homes in Vanuatu each year. They also contribute to primary schools and get involved in community projects like reforestation on Motutapu Island, assistance at schools, breakfast clubs, and spending quality time with older people. 

The Duke of Edinburgh programme is also strongly promoted at Saint Kentigern.