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Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy through which young people learn and develop by designing, organizing and participating in meaningful service experiences:
that meet actual community needs;
that are coordinated in collaboration with the school and community;
that are integrated into the students' academic curriculum;
that provide structured time for thinking, writing and talking about what is seen and done in the service-learning process;
that enhance what is taught in the classroom by providing opportunities for students to apply new academic knowledge and skills in real life situations in their own communities;
that help to foster the development of a sense of caring for others.
Essential Elements
The essential components of the effective service-learning model are:
preparation,
service,
reflection/evaluation, and
celebration/recognition.
Students begin by conducting research on their community (the school or larger community) to identify community needs; they prioritize to determine areas of greatest need; they select needs they can help meet; they design projects which include any further preparation necessary for meeting the needs selected; they provide service to meet those needs, reflecting throughout the process to create the greatest impact; and then they acknowledge accomplishments and reflect on what was learned that could be applied in other situations.
Effective service-learning programs engage students in action research to identify real community needs and help students design service projects to meet these needs while enhancing student achievement. Service-learning projects can meet diverse student, school, and community needs in social services, the environment, education, and safety. Examples include:
cross-age tutoring as tutors and tutees with at-risk-students,
community gardening with students and community partners to meet nutritional needs,
intergenerational programs with an integrated reading and writing component to develop student literacy,
community history projects where students utilize primary sources to establish and maintain historical exhibits,
watershed reclamation projects with students and community members working together to restore habitat and maintain water quality,
health and human services projects where high school health students enrich their academic learning by volunteering in a local hospital, and
civic studies projects that allow high school government students to learn first-hand about citizenship, democracy, and leadership.
The Benefits of Service-Learning
For Students:
Personal Growth and Development
Self-esteem
Personal efficacy and sense of responsibility
Moral development and reinforced values and beliefs
Exploration of new roles, identities, and interests
Willingness to take risks and accept new challenges
Intellectual Development and Academic Learning
Basic skills, including expressing ideas, reading and calculating
Higher level thinking skills, such as problem-solving and critical thinking
Skills and issues specific to service experience
Motivation to learn
Learning skills, including observation, inquiry, and application of knowledge
Insight, judgment, and understanding
Social Growth and Development
Social responsibility and concern for others
Political efficacy
Civic participation
Knowledge and exploration of service-related careers
Understanding and appreciation of, and ability to relate to, people from a wide range of backgrounds and life situations (Conrad and Hedin, 1989)
For Schools:
Paradigm shift - teachers as coaches and facilitators; student responsibility for their own learning.
Motivated learners engaged in authentic and significant work. Cooperative learning environment.
Teachers as reflective practitioners engaged in planning, curriculum development, and inquiry.
Collaborative decision-making among administrators, teachers, parents, students and community members.
Positive, healthy, and caring school climate.
Community involvement resources, and support in the educational process.
For Communities:
Valuable service to meet direct human, educational, health and environmental needs.
Schools as resources - School / teacher / student teams serving as researchers and resources in problem-solving and community development.
Empowerment - School / community partnerships to assess, plan, and collaboratively meet needs.
Citizenship - Students become active stakeholders in the community.
Infusion of infusion towards improving the institutional practices of schools and communities.
Understanding and appreciation of diversity - across generations, cultures, perspectives, and abilities.
Source: Service Learning Outcomes from The Service Learning Planning and Resource Guide by The Council of Chief State School Officers, 1994.
Texas Center for Service Learning
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