|
Confirmed in compliance
with National Standards for
U.S. Community Foundations
|
 Service
Learning is an
educational strategy by which young people can learn more about
themselves and their world through active participation in thoughtfully organized and
meaningful service experiences
that:
Why do you think service
learning is important?
 “I
think service learning is important because it teaches
you things as you do them rather than just learning
about it in a text book and then never using the
information.”
“Service learning is
important because one gets more familiar with the
society where he/she lives. It helps put into
perspective the importance of helping one another
without needing a physical reward in the end.”
“Because it helps
others but it also helps you because you can see what
each situation takes to pull off and then see its
results. It is a dominos effect because it encourages
others to get involved and every situation teaches
something new.”
“Service learning is
important because it requires you to give something of
yourself. You know that saying, “It is in giving that
you truly receive” (or something close to that). It’s
so true! Giving back to your community/surroundings is
an awesome way to make an impact both on those you help
as well as yourself. I also think that it is important
because it goes beyond simple volunteerism by teaching
life skills in the midst of everything else.” |
Service-Learning Impacts on Youth, Schools, and Communities:
Research on K-12 School-Based Service-Learning, 1990-1999
The Impact of
Service-Learning on Youth Personal and Social Development
Service-learning has a positive effect on the personal development
of public school youth in the following areas:
- Increases in personal and social responsibility, communication, and
a sense of educational competence;
- Higher sense of responsibility than students in control groups;
- Perceive themselves to be more socially competent;
- More likely to treat each other kindly, help each other, and care
about doing their best;
- More likely to increase their sense of self-esteem and
self-efficacy; and
- Have fewer behavioral problems.
Students who
participate in service-learning are less likely to engage in “risk”
behaviors:
- Reduced levels of alienation;
- Less likely to be referred to the principals office for
disciplinary measures; and
- Less likely to engage in behaviors that lead to pregnancy or arrest.
Service-learning
has a positive effect on students’ interpersonal development and the
ability to relate to culturally diverse groups:
- Better able to trust and be trusted by others, be reliable, and
accept responsibility;
- More likely to develop positive bonds with adults;
- Showed greater empathy and cognitive complexity;
- Greater acceptance of cultural diversity;
- Increased awareness of cultural differences and attitudes towards
helping others; and
- Became more dependable, felt more comfortable communicating with
ethnically diverse groups.
The Impact
of Service-Learning on Civic Responsibility
 Service-learning
helps to develop students’ sense of civic and social responsibility
and their citizenship skills.
- Increased awareness of community needs, believed they could make a
difference, and were committed to service in the future;
- Were more likely to think about politics and morality in society;
more likely to consider how to effect social change;
- Greater sense of civic responsibility and an ethic of service;
and
- Increased understanding of how government works.
Service-learning
provides an avenue for students to become active, positive
contributors to society.
- More likely to be engaged in community organization and to vote;
- Increased political awareness; more politically active;
and
- 80% felt they had made a positive contribution to their community.
The Impact of
Service-Learning on Academic Learning Service-learning helps
students acquire academic skills and knowledge.
- Moderate to strong gains on student achievement tests in language
arts, and/or reading, engagement in school, sense of educational accomplishment, and
homework completion;
- Associated with higher scores on the state test of basic skills and
higher grades;
- Service-learning tutoring programs helped “at risk” student to
improve grade point averages; these students were also less likely to drop out of school;
and
- Improved problem-solving skills and increased interest in academics.
Students who
participate in service-learning are more engaged in their studies
and more motivated to learn. Service-learning is associated with
increased student attendance.
The Impact
of Service-Learning on Career Exploration and Aspirations
Service-learning
helps students to become more knowledgeable and realistic about
careers.
- Gain in career related skills, communication skills, and positive
increases in career exploration knowledge; and
- More positive work orientation attitudes and skills.
 The Impact of
Service-Learning on Schools
Service-learning results in greater mutual respect between teachers and
students. Service-learning improves the overall school climate.
Engaging in service-learning leads to discussions of teaching and
learning and best ways for students to learn.
The Impact of
Service Learning on Communities
Service-learning leads to more positive perceptions of school and
youth by community members.
If
you would like help
developing a service learning project and learning how to write a
good grant, contact ECLIPSe at
419-425-1100 or
kbash@community-foundation.com
|
Need Help With
Your Project?
|
“Service learning is a particularly fertile way of
involving people in community service, because it ties
helping others to what they are learning in the
classroom. In the process, it provides a compelling
answer to the perennial question: “Why do I need to
learn this stuff?” Secretary of State Colin
Powell, founding chairman of America’s Promise |
|
“By its very definition, civic responsibility
means taking a healthy role in the life of one’s
community, state and nation. That means that
classroom lessons should be complemented by work
outside the classroom. Service learning does just
that, tying community service to academic lessons.”
Senator
John Glenn |
|
