29Sep

Is Your School Ready for a Service Learning Program?

Posted by HandsOn Network | Category: Education, Volunteerism | No Comments

In service learning, one element builds on another. Plans lead to service that fosters learning. Students build on what they learn and develop their leadership skills in ways that enhance future planning and service efforts.

When a school wants to begin offering service learning opportunities to its students, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure that the school, the students, and the partner organization all benefit from the experience.

A good place to start is simply asking whether the school is ready to support a service learning program. Here are some questions that schools need to ask themselves before starting a service learning program.

  • How much are students currently engaged in school based service project, including extra curricular programs?
  • How much does the school integrate service, give credit for documented service experiences, or require that students perform service?
  • How available is an assigned teacher or coordinator to organize the program, meet with students and agency representatives?
  • How convinced is the faculty that community based learning experience can be an important component of an effective educational program?
  • How supportive of service and experiential learning are the principal and other administrators?
  • How much experience does the school have in setting up and running effective business or community partnerships?
  • How much contact does the school have in the community with people who could facilitate a service learning partnership?
  • How much does the school set and follow through on goals to improve its curriculum and educational programs?
  • How many people on staff have a solid understanding of service learning and an ability and commitment to lead and support his or her peers?
  • How well can the school’s ongoing staff development process include education in service learning best practices?
  • How flexible is the schedule to allow students to be in the community as part of their education experience?
  • How much are learning outcomes that include citizenship, community involvement, respect for diversity, and social responsibility seen as part of the school’s mission?
  • How prepared is the school to measure learning gains that result from service learning?
This isn’t a comprehensive list of questions to ask about service learning programs, but its a good place to start. Asking questions will inevitably lead to more questions, and that’s ok!
Making sure your school has addressed these issues, and can answer the questions positively is an important first step to building a successful, long-lasting service learning program.
Have you helped to prepare a school to begin using service learning in the classroom? What troubles did you have, and what was easy about it? Let us know in the comments!
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