Community Service Programs in High Schools

SALLY A. RASKOFF [*] RICHARD A. SUNDEEN [**] I INTRODUCTION Numerous observers have commented on the need to increase civic participation, including volunteering, as a means of strengthening our democratic system. [1] In the United States, with its strong tradition of volunteerism in the provision of services, the creation of social capital, and the representation of collective interests, the inclusion of young persons in volunteer roles is extremely important. [2] Consequently, the socialization of youth into community service roles has become a topic of considerable interest in the United States, and educational policymakers, educators, and the media have begun to focus their attention on the role of community service in school settings. This article examines youth socialization and civic participation through community service among high school students, with special focus on southern California. Along with the contributions that volunteerism makes to society, the younger volunteers also purportedly benefit from increased self-esteem, academic skills, career and occupational direction, community involvement, and political skills. [3] The resulting effective socialization of its younger members will ensure that society has a sufficient supply of competent "amateur" policy implementers and active citizens. Without effective socialization, in the cautionary words of a recent observer, "we are in danger of producing a whole generation of children with [civic] and philanthropic retardation. " [4] The agents of socialization through and from whom young persons usually learn about the values and behavior appropriate for volunteer roles include families, churches, schools, other community associations and organizations, peer groups, and the media. Earlier research, for example, found that adults whose parents volunteered or who volunteered with their family when they were young are more likely to volunteer than adults whose parents did not volunteer or who did not volunteer with family. [5] Also, in a national survey of teenagers, Sundeen and Raskoff found that, while schools, families, and churches all played important roles in shaping volunteer behavior by the respondents, the strongest predictive variable was attending a school that encouraged or required community service. [6] In addition, a recent study on political participation has underscored the importance of high school activities in contributing to adult participation. [7] Most schools provide their students with at least the opportunity to participate in service activities, and many now require participation or give class credit for it. For example, in 1995, nearly fifteen percent of the 130 largest school districts had a district-wide service requirement for graduation, and forty-five percent had at least one school that required volunteer service. [8] In 1998, nearly twenty percent of the fifty largest school districts required volunteer service, and nearly one-half provided the opportunity to earn academic credit for community service participation. [9] This article focuses on high school community service programs: their practices, their collaborative relations with community organizations for which the students volunteer, and the perspectives of students regarding their participation in these school-sponsored programs. CONTEXT AND TYPES OF HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS II A. History The current support for school-based volunteer service in the United States has developed along two lines that have occasionally intersected. One source of support has come from those interested in the educational and character-building benefits of service for students. The other source of support has come from governments, especially the federal government, but also some state governments. Support for educational programs can be traced to at least the early 1900s. …