Summary of Service Learning
What is Service Learning?
Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience. It enhances the community through the services provided, and gives the student the ability to enhance their skills associated with teamwork, community involvement, self-reflection, and citizenship.
Service learning is a great way to:
• help others and get your voice heard on what matters in your community and what problems should be addressed.
• learn effective problem solving, critical thinking, and project management skills.
• strengthen academic and social skills.
• make academic content more relevant and practical...you get to use what you learn!
• meet amazing people that you would not ordinarily get to meet. They can stretch the way you think about the world.
• learn about potential careers by completing a project in collaboration with a community organization.
Service learning FAQ
How many service learning hours are required?
Every high school student must complete 40 hours of service learning by June 1st of their 12th grade year. The expectation is for students to complete 10hrs a year.
When can I begin my service learning hours?
Incoming freshman may begin accruing service learning hours as of their first day of class.
What is the process for gaining my service learning hours?
- Find a service learning opportunity.
- Print out the service learning forms online or pick up copies of the forms in room 100B.
- Have Ms. Grube approve your site and then you must complete your pre-service reflection.
- Have your site supervisor complete the site agreement form and after your service is complete make sure you write your post-service reflection. Turn in all completed paperwork to Ms. Grube in 100B.
In what ways can I earn my hours?
Classroom-based projects: Teachers may have service learning projects built into the units you are covering.
Example: A unit on the Great Depression may lead a class to explore local issues of poverty and target a specific community to provide with a clothing drive.
Advisory-based projects: Service projects may also be built into the advisory unit.
Example: After a unit on bullying the students create information to educate lower school children on how to prevent school violence.
Individual/group projects: You can participate in service learning at non-profit community organizations where you receive preparation for the work and can produce reflection/analysis of your work.
Example: A student researched the benefits of blood donation and contacted the America Red Cross. The student was able to create and distribute posters illustrating the need for donors. The student worked with a group of other students to organize a blood drive on campus.
Restricted Service Activities:
Students may not earn service-learning credit through the following:
- Work with for-profit businesses and corporations
- Work with religious organizations if the service involves promoting a particular faith
- Volunteer work where no academic objective is addressed
- Work that is financially reimbursed
Students may not earn hours for the following specific activities:
- Volunteer work with a political campaign without the mediation of an approved community organization or classroom instructor
- Participation in a sports team or other extra-curricular activity unless that group designs a service-learning project that contains the components listed above
- Assisting a teacher (i.e. correcting papers, cleaning the classroom)
- Artistic performances unless students are involved in creating a project that includes a performance as an outcome of the project
- Attending a training or other educational event unless that training leads directly to a service project
Sites for service learning opportunities
CPS Standards for Service Learning
http://www.servicelearning.cps.k12.il.us/
