Why is Service Learning Important in Education?

When you want to really drive home a concept about the importance of your community and civic responsibility, service learning provides a perfect opportunity. The most effective way for students to learn concepts of such as empathy, service, and trustworthiness is through doing and for that, Service Learning provides the ultimate forum.

Service Learning is Application Based

In essence, service learning describes a way of teaching and learning that benefits not only the students but the surrounding community as well. It works by teaching concepts in the classroom, which can be applied within that community; as a result, it is mutually beneficial to everyone involved. Although this type of learning breaks away from the traditional classroom, it offers students a chance to connect what they are learning with action, while at the same time helping to improve the lives of others around them. Like Project Based Learning, Service Learning requires students to not only apply their learning to real life scenarios, but fosters reflection on their learning in order to learn more deeply about real life practice of critical concepts such as empathy, service and trustworthiness.

Service Learning is Student Driven

Service Learning can be most impactful when it is genuinely student driven. Encouraging and enabling students to collaborate and research where Service Learning may be most valuable or what might be most meaningful to them, allows for investment and ownership that reaps the biggest rewards.

As part of a team effort, students at Method Schools came up with organizations they wanted to provide a service for and each organization was based on a personal connection students had to that organization. For example, one student's grandparent once lived at a local an senior assisted living site and because he had memories of his grandparent there, he wanted to participate there. The students all agreed and the time they now regularly spend with residents there serves to be equally valuable to thestudents than it is to the residents. Students bake cookies, read stories, play board games and "story tell" with the residents. Because they have made personal connections, they look forward to returning with fresh ideas on how to connect and share time with the residents there.

How Service Learning Can Benefit Students Of All Ages

Most people come across service learning in college, before they forget about it again. However, its benefits are just as true in a K-12 environment. Here, each lesson is created to be appropriate for the age of the child, fitting in with their developmental stage and skills to apply (and learn) the same basic lessons..

For example, service learning in an elementary school may result in the older students helping to teach their younger counterparts essential reading skills. After working and collaborating together, all of the students gain something: the younger children learn how to read, while older students begin to understand patience, understanding, and taking the time necessary to get a point across.

Of course, as children get older service learning concepts and applications will become more advanced. For example, learning about the history of a river within a community can be followed up with a collective effort to remove trash from that river. As a result, the students can make the connection between the history of a local landmark and its continued importance today.

Another way to add practicality to knowledge learned about the river is a more scientific approach: collecting samples, identifying life in the river, and looking for toxins or pollution. Once students have identified the problem, they can come up with a clever solution, such as creating flyers that remind the community to not litter or throw hazardous materials into the river.

The possibilities of service learning within a school environment are almost endless. After doing some survey research, one school in Philadelphia found that the number one problem facing their community was foster care. Students learned that in many situations, these children are taken from homes with only the clothes on their back.

The students then decided to have a suitcase and toy drive, so that social workers could take suitcases for children entering foster care to take their belonging and have a toy--making a stressful situation for a child less traumatic. The project not only addressed the needs of foster children who are removed from abused and neglected homes, but taught the participating students the importance of being kind to others, how to come together for a great cause, and how organize a community event.

Service learning is an amazing way for students to learn about fundamental concepts such as giving and collaborating. It not only prepares your child in the classroom, but gives them valuable insights into the community and practical application of their knowledge in the real world. In turn, it helps them to not only be successful adults, but good people. Finding a school that embraces the concept helps your children advance and grow, both in the short term and for the rest of their lives.