BISS on the Road






Secondary School

At Beijing BISS International School, our mission is to empower our students to attain personal excellence and positively impact the world.

To achieve our mission, students need to be given real, authentic learning opportunities to serve others and take action to help make the world a better place for everybody. IB learners strive to be caring members of the community who demonstrate a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

Hence, the purpose of BISS On The Road is to provide these types of experiences for our students to develop their sense of self and personal and global responsibility. Students are presented with this opportunity through our Service As Action programme in the Middle Years Programme (MYP), and our hands-to-work (HTW) in the JPED diploma.

Using the subject area knowledge and learning skills gained through our courses, students will help to plan and engage in activities during this ‘school without walls week’. Students' participation at every grade level in BISS On The Road is meant to strengthen their understanding of the implications of their actions in a service learning experience.



The Cambodian Volunteer Support Initiative

The Cambodian volunteer aid project is a bespoke initiative designed by students to cater to the comprehensive needs and characteristics of their peers. It aims to lead students out of their comfort zones and into the forefront of regions where educational resources are scarce. The project integrates hands-on construction of campus facilities with international volunteer service, in-depth research and visits to Cambodian educational institutions, and the design of real problem-solving learning projects. It encompasses the practice of design thinking that fosters grace under pressure, enlightens innovative thinking, and explores social innovation, creating a holistic experience that embodies endurance, achievements, impact, and sustainability. This global innovation impact project shapes a transformative experience, enabling youth to partake in world-changing endeavors.

In July 2019, the Cambodian aid project came to a successful conclusion. The children's pure intentions, high enthusiasm, and beautiful dreams garnered the attention of Cambodia's largest Chinese-language newspaper, the Khmer Daily, which reported on the project.



Elementary School

In the Elementary School, authentic, experiential learning is at the heart of quality education. From Pre-K to Grade 5, we embrace opportunities to relinquish daily schedules and explore the world as our classroom.  As a week-long inquiry, BISS on the Road can be a transformative in a child’s life. Students have opportunities to develop:

  • skills and understandings that transcend subject areas. For example, by preparing their own meals, students may apply mathematical, language, fine motor and social skills to achieve success.
  • independence, as they complete tasks that might otherwise be done for them, such as buying subway tickets, shopping for food, managing their own needs and organising belongings.
  • resilience and self-esteem is enhanced as they face unfamiliar settings, encounter new problems and experience distance from family. In this, students have an opportunity to conquer fears and overcome physical and psychological challenges.
  • deep friendships and closer bonds with classmates and a cohesive class community, built on the foundation of shared experiences, collaborative endeavours and lasting memories.
  • an understanding that learning is not limited to school, but occurs every day in the real world, thus developing lifelong habits of inquiry.
  • knowledge of the rich culture of our host city, by exploring local architecture and natural landmarks in Beijing and its surroundings.
  • an appreciation of the natural environment, and an understanding of how to be caring and responsible custodians of the Earth.