Teachers

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 accommunity-foundation.complishment, 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.