Liberate the children of the rich and powerful from the paralyzing awareness of their privilege.
Taking responsibility for other people has been at the core of Salem education from the start. But helping people who are weaker or in distress requires special skills and knowledge, as well as dedication. These things are learned and practised in the Salem services. There are practical and technical skills, eg a first aid attendant must know how to put on a bandage properly, but also emotional qualities like reliability, team spirit, and staying power, because the tasks are carried out as a team. The Salem services are certainly one of the most original ideas of the school's founder, Kurt Hahn. Five principles define what they are meant to achieve: a sense of duty, competence, continuity, seriousness and opening up the school to the outside world. All Salem students from Year 9 onwards commit themselves to one of the services for one afternoon a week. They can choose from a many-facetted range of options according to their own main interest:
The Fire Brigade is similar to a factory fire service. The students are trained within the framework of the Baden-Württemberg Voluntary Fire Service, but they have their own fire engine and the necessary technical equipment. They take part in the work and training sessions of the local fire service.
In the Civil Defence Service the students learn essential skills for action after all kinds of disasters. The service mentors and captains are trained at the Baden-Württemberg disaster control school. Salem is an official Civil Defence Centre and is supported by the THW support association as well.
The Sea Rescue Service is one of the four operation services at Schule Schloss Salem. The school's own harbour is an official base of the DLRG (German Life Rescue Association) and affiliated to the Sipplingen branch of the German Life Rescue Association/Base Spetzgart.
In the Ambulance Service students are taught how to give first aid in all kinds of accidents. The members also support the local German Red Cross associations in their work, and take part in competitions.
Students in the Social Service spend their afternoons helping in families with a lot of children and in nursery schools. They are looking after children at special schools, help the children of migrants and asylum-seekers with their homework, offer computer courses at the primary school, work in homes for the disabled, and visit old people. Once a year, the Social Service organises an adventure week for children from socially deprived families, the Hohenfels Burg Children's Week.
The Bicycle Service is responsible for promoting cycling in Salem. The members run their own repair center where the school bikes are maintained and the students of Salem have the opportunity to rent a bicycle.
The Hohenfels Service focuses on the personal interaction between the older Salemers and their youngest fellows. Every week the college students support the Hohenfelsers with individual tuition or support them in activitites such as horse riding, hockey, the school circus or dancing - and they are always ready to listen for personal problems or issues regarding boarding school life.
Global Concerns is a human rights´ service, that cooperates with Amnesty International and takes actions beyond school boarders. It aims at increasing the awareness for human rights all over the world amongst the students.
The Environmental Protection Service was founded only a few years ago. The students help to conserve the reeds on Lake Constance, protect toads crossing the road from traffic, set up nesting boxes for endangered species of birds, organise collecting points for recycling waste, and much more besides.
Whoever has taken a look behind the scenes of a theatre knows that the real action does not take place on stage. All this work is done by the College Theatre Service. We build the sets and operate our complex lighting and sound technology, and we take care of the costumes and make-up of the actors for all kinds of theatre productions, shows and musicals, concerts and related events.
The Music Service represents a forum of talented Salemer musicians playing either solo or in an ensemble. Under own responsibility performances are rehearsed and brought to a larger audience. This way the Music Service fulfils the aims of the Salemer Service in two ways: On the one hand the members of the service shape the cultural life in Salem decisively, on the other hand though, the pieces of music are frequently performed in nursing homes and homes for the disabled as well as for charitable events.
The Round Square Service is one of the services open to international students. The core of the Round Square Service is formed by the fundraising work. By means of the collected money Round Square Salem supports, among others, scholarships for 5 students at "Starehe Boys Center and School" in Kenya, one of the Round Square Partner Schools of Schule Schloss Salem.
The International Service shall facilitate the integration of foreign students and exchange students into Salem’s boarding school life in the Middle School.
The Library Service took its present form in 2000 with the opening of a greatly enlarged library in Haerlen. It assists the librarian in the maintenance and development of the library collection and promotes the use of the library through user assistance at the front desk and a self-designed homepage in the school’s intranet.
The Photography Service records the constant development of the school and services in photo-optical mannor. The service is present at any type of event. Thanks to their work pictures for the "Chronik" are provided and other charitable events are supported. A photography lab and studio like equipment allows professional work.
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