When done well, service learning has the potential to benefit everyone involved.
While involving children and teenagers in service learning requires a significant commitment and may require redesigning some elements of your volunteer program, many agencies find that the rewards more than make up for the extra work. Agencies have seen many benefits when they include youth service learning in their volunteer programs:
- Agencies gain new partners in their efforts to fulfill their mission
- Young people bring a sense of vitality and excitement to the organization
- The agency gains positive visibility and exposure in the community and the school
- Service learning can open up new opportunities for funding and other resources
- By involving young people in an agency’s work, service learning helps to nurture the next generation of committed volunteers
Just as anyone who provides service gains from the experience, students benefit particularly when their needs for learning are taken into account in the planning and implementation of a project. There are a lot of benefits for students who take an active role in planning and executing their own service projects when they’re tied to a lesson plan:
- Service learning can enhance personal development in areas such as self esteem, moral reasoning, social skills, communication skills, problem-solving abilities and concern for others and society
- Involvement in service learning makes the subject matter in school real and relevant for students as they try out their knowledge and skills
- When young people serve others, they can see that they are valued and can make a real difference
- As young people discover their own abilities to address issues, they are empowered to become active citizens and communities begin to see them in a different light
- Young people learn leadership skills as they take responsibility for designing and implementing service experiences
There is virtually no limit to what young people can do, no social need they cannot help meet. Through service-learning programs, communities gain many things:
- Unmet needs are addressed and problems solved
- Creative ideas and solutions are offered for perplexing problems.
- New energy and commitment emerge for the community and the common good.
- Communities see students as valuable resources
As schools search for more effective educational strategies, many are turning to service learning as a powerful method for revitalizing education and improving student achievement. When students participate in service learning, schools benefit:
- Students are more engaged in their education and their community
- Students learn more readily because they are learning by doing
- Community members become partners with schools in educating students
- Schools are seen as resources to the community, helping t build support for the schools
Have you planned service-learning projects with your students? Has your organization benefited from students’ service-learning projects? Tell us about your experience in the comments!
