Service Learning: Making the world your classroom

Service learning is a method of teaching through which students apply newly acquired academic skills and knowledge to address real-life needs in their own communities. It connects meaningful community service with academic learning, personal development, and civic responsibility. It also provides structured time to reflect on the experience.

At the World Affairs Council, we would especially like to encourage people to create and participate in service-learning projects that provide opportunities for young people to experience an aspect of citizenship in not only our local community, but our global community as well. To assist teachers, we have identified a number of Service Learning Projects related to our Curriculum.

For a deeper understanding of Service Learning, keep reading...

Different types of service learning

Academic service learning focuses on providing academic instruction through service experiences. It connects classroom learning and community service, actually using the service as a context for teaching. Community-based service-learning targets the same overall goals as academic service learning but from a different perspective, focusing on service while supporting that service with clear learning goals.

What sets service learning apart from other hands-on and project-based learning experiences?

Service learning projects must:

1. Have clear Learning Objectives. Learning must be an intentional and important component. (“Why are we learning this?”)
2. Meet Genuine Community Needs. The strength of service learning is that learning is utilized to make a real difference.
3. Include Systematic Reflection. Rather than being viewed as a summary of activity, reflection is understood to be an effective form of teaching which, when coupled with clear learning objectives and a genuine community need, has the power to not only strengthen both service and learning but has the power to transform the learner and teacher as well.

These three additional elements are essential for high quality, high impact service learning:

4. Youth Voice. Youth voice heightens the importance and relevance of the service for these young people if they have a say in what service will be provided, to whom, and how it will be preformed. It could potentially strengthen their buy-in and commitment to the project, as well as impact the probability that they will continue to volunteer beyond the service-learning project.
5. Significant Service. Although meeting a genuine community need is a defining factor of service learning, providing significant service strengthens the impact. Choosing a project where young people will have the opportunity to make a noticeable impact with regards to the outcome may help them feel that their work is significant. It is nice for people to see the result of work that would not have been done if it were not for them!
6. Partnerships. Service learning built on strong partnerships not only strengthens the impact of the activity for both participants and recipients, but partnerships have a direct impact on service learning sustainability.

Excellent service learning programs feature the following:

• An opportunity for students to learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences that meet actual community needs and are coordinated with the school and the community
• An opportunity for students to use newly acquired skills and knowledge in real-life situations in their own community, enhancing what schools teach by extending student learning beyond the classroom and into the community, thereby helping to foster the development of caring and civic responsibility

Benefits of Service Learning

According to numerous studies on individuals’ participation in service learning projects, many benefits were found to be associated with this type of community engagement.

• Participants consistently scored higher on standardized tests as well as on other basic skill tests.
• Participating in service learning has increased improvement in various problem-solving skills and on outcomes involving complexity of understanding, problem analysis, critical thinking and cognitive development.
• Level of engagement in school and community activities increased following their participation in service learning.
• Students reported stronger relationships with faculty and other caring adults, and observed more positive relations among their peers as well.
• Middle and high school students showed an increase in measures of personal and social responsibility.
• An increased self-esteem, a greater sense of connection to others, and an attitude of caring were seen among service learning participants as well.
• Interpersonal development can be fostered, helping to reduce stereotypes and facilitate cultural and racial understanding.

To learn more about service learning, check out these links:

http://learningindeed.org/about/ A national initiative to engage more young people in service to others as part of their academic life

http://servicelearn.com “Helping Take Service Learning to a Higher Success”—Service Learning work book and guide for students

http://www.crf-usa.org Constitutional Rights Foundation: Educating tomorrow’s citizens

http://www.dosomething.org Programs that encourage young people to make a difference

http://www.idealist.org/teachers/servicelearning.html On Idealist Teachers you'll find a Volunteer Resource Center, service learning information, free online lesson plans and teaching materials offered by nonprofit organizations and guides on how to find issue-specific resources on Idealist

http://www.servicelearning.org National Service-Learning Clearinghouse

http://www.servicelearningnw.org Online resource center to help educators connect service activities to classroom curriculum

http://www.ysa.org Making service and service-learning the common expectation and common experience of all young people in America

http://www.learnandserve.org/about/index.html About “Learn and Serve America”

Community Resources and Service Opportunities

2VAct: www.2vAct.org
Idealist: www.idealist.org
King County Home Page: www.metrokc.gov
National Youth Leadership Council: www.nylc.org
Seattle Community Network: www.scn.org
Seattle Works: www.seattleworks.org
SERVEnet: www.servenet.org
The Freechild Project: www.freechild.org
United Way of King County: www.uwkc.org
Washington State Home Page: www.access.wa.gov

Acknowledgments
The information and links on this page were researched and compiled by our Global Classroom intern in summer 2004, Beth Bennett, who spent a year working with schools on service learning as a VISTA Volunteer with Americorps. The information here is adapted from the Americorps materials on service learning..