Service-Learning

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When you combine learning goals with a service experience you create the powerful learning strategy of service-learning. For example, if a person studies Spanish that is learning. If a person translates English into Spanish for immigrant patients, that is service. If a person studies Spanish and practices that language learning by translating English into Spanish for immigrants patients, that is service-learning.

Service-learning works because it makes learning relevant and meaningful. High quality service-learning is powerful because the learning deepens the service experience and the service experience deepens the learning experience. Students preparing to take part in a creek restoration project might study the causes of soil erosion and the importance of native plants before going to the creek site. The learning prepares for and informs the service. At the site, students might photograph samples of erosion and select plant samples to bring back to the classroom for analysis. The service experience contributes to and informs classroom learning.  

Research has recently identified 8 elements of quality practice in K-12 service-learning:

• Meaningful Service
• Link to Curriculum
• Reflection
• Diversity
• Youth Voice
• Partnerships
• Progress Monitoring
• Duration and Intensity

A printer-friendly version of these standards that provides details for each standard is available at www.nylc.org/standards.