A GUIDEBOOK FOR ENGAGING AMERICA’S STUDENTS IN A LIFELONG HABIT OF SERVICE

August, 2002

Dear Friend:

In order to foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility in America’s communities, President Bush

has called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years of their lives—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—

in service to their communities, our country, or the world. The challenge the President issued is significant

—research shows that community involvement and volunteer service in the United States have been

steadily declining over the past three decades. Research also shows that two of the main reasons individuals

give for not volunteering are that they were never asked or that they did not know where to start. 

Young people’s service can be an asset to their neighborhoods. Service to others can also develop important

habits and skills. This document has been created to help adults—teachers, parents, after-school providers,

and members of community-based organizations—to find and create opportunities for young people to

answer the President’s Call to Service. 

As part of the USA Freedom Corps initiative, the U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation for

National and Community Service worked with the Points of Light Foundation and the Volunteer Center

National Network to create this guide and the accompanying CD-ROM. Developing a lifelong habit of

service among America’s young people will require that individuals and organizations work together to

achieve that important goal. 

The mission of the U.S. Department of Education is to ensure equal access to education and promote 

educational excellence throughout the Nation. The Corporation for National and Community Service is an

independent federal corporation whose mission is to provide opportunities for Americans of all ages and

backgrounds to engage in service that addresses the Nation’s educational, public safety, environmental,

and other human needs. The Points of Light Foundation and the Volunteer Center National Network is a

nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting volunteering. The resources of each of these three entities

have been brought together in this document to provide support for your efforts to engage youth in 

service. Whether you are a teacher, a school principal, a service-learning coordinator, someone working in

a nonprofit organization, or someone volunteering in a youth program, this guide can help you enhance

service opportunities for the young people with whom you work.

Sincerely,

Leslie Lenkowsky Rod Paige Robert K. Goodwin

CEO U.S. Secretary of Education President and CEO

Corporation for National and U.S. Department of Education Points of Light Foundation

Community Service
Letter from the President of the United States of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Letter From Supporting Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Fostering a Culture of Service, Citizenship, and Responsibility

The President’s Call to Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The USA Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Examples of Student Projects Already Part of the USA Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Bringing Service to the Classroom

Developing Habits of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Hallmarks of Effective Service Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Ten Steps for Bringing Service to Your Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

About Service-Learning

What Is Service-Learning? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Benefits of Student Service and Service-Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Examples of Service-Learning in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Tools and Resources

In Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Outside the Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Recognition Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

This report is in the public domain. A printable version is available at www.usafreedomcorps.gov and on the enclosed 

CD-ROM. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While permission to reprint this publication is not

necessary, the citation should be: Corporation for National and Community Service, Students in Service to America,

Washington, D.C., 2002.
The creation of an informed citizenry, able to participate in our democratic institutions, has always been a primary goal of America’s schools. Given the challenges

we face as a Nation, educating our young people to be knowledgeable, skillful, and

engaged citizens of a free society has never been more important. 

Achieving that goal requires that our schools become centers of academic excellence.

It also requires that they become places where our students can acquire the habits

of civic participation, responsibility, and service that are essential to American

democratic life. For this to occur, students must learn about our democratic

institutions. They must also learn to see themselves as participants in our democracy.

They need to be able to put their knowledge and ideas into practice by helping to

solve real community problems alongside other community members.

Through high standards for student achievement, accountability for results, and

enhanced local control, America’s schools are helping our students develop essential

skills and knowledge in reading, math and other academic subjects. American

schools have also long encouraged students to participate in volunteer service in

many forms—ranging from individual volunteer activities, to service projects

organized by student groups or faculty members, to formal service projects that

link to academic lessons. 

In recent years, educators have become more conscious of the importance of these

kinds of activities for both their students and the communities in which they live.

Some school systems, in fact, have established volunteer service as a requirement

for graduation. Others have tried to integrate community service more closely into

their curricula, a practice known as "service-learning." Whatever the means used to

foster it, service must be encouraged if we are to become the Nation of "citizens,

not spectators" that President Bush has urged us to become. 

Service can be undertaken by individuals or groups, in school or after school, and

by younger and older students alike. This guide offers parents, teachers, and other

adults who work with children resources for helping young people develop habits PAGE 4

“Education should prepare children for jobs, and it also

should prepare our children for life. I join you in wanting

our children to not only be rich in skills, but rich in

ideals.Teaching character and citizenship to our children

is a high calling ... I’m grateful for your work.”

President George W. Bush
of service. It does not mandate or prescribe a particular curriculum or lesson plan.

It is being offered as a resource that educators in particular may find helpful if they

choose to make an effort in their classrooms to help their students step forward to

answer President Bush’s Call to Service.

You will find additional resources on the CD-ROM that is enclosed with this guide,

as well as online at www.usafreedomcorps.gov. These materials can help you plan

student service opportunities and engage the young people with whom you work.

Our hope is that by serving something greater than themselves, young people will

learn about their rich democratic traditions as Americans, help meet vital community

needs, and become responsible and engaged citizens. 

THE PRESIDENT’S CALL TO SERVICE

To harness the outpouring of civic pride that emerged after the 

terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and foster a culture of

service, citizenship, and responsibility in America, President

Bush created the USA Freedom Corps. As part of that initiative,

he called on all Americans to commit at least two years of their

lives—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—to the service of others. 
While some Americans will respond to the President’s Call to Service by signing up

for the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or other programs that enable them to commit a

year or two to full-time service, most Americans will serve a few hours each week

or month throughout their lives. A young person who participates in a welldesigned service program in every grade of elementary and secondary school, for

example, could accumulate approximately 800 hours by high school graduation.

Most importantly, he or she will have acquired the habits and skills for a lifetime of

volunteering.

THE USA INITIATIVE

A school or community organization may encourage service and service-learning

for many reasons, including bringing students into closer contact with their community, meeting state or district requirements, improving students’ commitment to

their school, or as a strategy to increase civic engagement. Performing acts of service

and kindness may also be a way of enabling people to respond positively to a 

crisis. The USA Initiative of the Points of Light Foundation and the Volunteer Center

National Network offers schools, students and organizations the opportunity to

begin or continue a service or service-learning program in honor of those who lost

their lives on September 11, 2001.

The USA Act, now called the USA Initiative, was passed by Congress in 2001, and

signed into law by President Bush. The Act calls for the creation of living memorials

to those who lost their lives on September 11, while uniting Americans in service to

their communities and to one another. Administered by the Points of Light

Foundation and the Volunteer Center National Network, the USA Initiative offers

Americans the opportunity to respond to the tragedy in a uniquely American way—

by volunteering to rebuild and revitalize communities in memory of those who lost

their lives on that day. 

During the first part of the 2002-2003 school year, educators can seek to designate

hands-on service projects with learning or curricular objectives as USA Initiative

projects. The projects may be new or a continuation of past activities, and should

involve direct service to the community. Examples of direct service activities

include food drives for local food pantries, tutoring projects, park cleanups, 

community gardening, or playground building. 

In order for a project to be designated a USA Initiative project, it must be registered

with the Points of Light Foundation and the Volunteer Center National Network by

March 1, 2003. Projects should be "largely completed" by May 3, 2003, meaning

only a minor component should still be in progress on that date. For example, a house

that is constructed but not painted by May 3 would be considered "largely completed."

To register a project, visit the USA Initiative web site at www.usa.pointsoflight.org.

By linking your project or program with the USA Initiative, you may find access to

new resources that will support your service program, such as connections to local

Volunteer Centers and nonprofits in your area that can provide their expertise on

working with community-based organizations and help you find partners for your

project. By linking to a national initiative, you can also gain recognition for your

program and create opportunities for civic learning.

PAGE 6

USA FREEDOM CORPS

As a coordinating council housed at

the White House and chaired by

President George W. Bush, the USA

Freedom Corps is working to strengthen

our culture of service, citizenship and

responsibility and help find opportunities for every American to start

engaging in volunteer service. 

Established in 2002, the USA Freedom

Corps works with key service agencies

in government, as well as organizations in the nonprofit and private

sectors, to provide opportunities and

incentives to serve others at home

and abroad. The USA Freedom Corps

has also built a comprehensive USA

Freedom Corps Volunteer Network,

through which individuals can find

service opportunities that match

their interests and talents in their

hometowns, across the country or

around the world. The Network is

available at the USA Freedom Corps

web site: www.usafreedomcorps.gov.
EXAMPLES OF STUDENT PROJECTS ALREADY

P A R T OF THE USA INITIATIVE

l One community organization is working with students from 10 regional schools

to create a memorial to honor those lost on September 11. Students have

designed a 15-foot sculpture that will be carved from the trunk of a felled cedar,

with guidance from a woodworking teacher who is leading the carving effort. Its

creators hope the sculpture will find a permanent home in their downtown area

in time for a September 11 dedication. 

l Journalism students at one high school are exploring the impact of September

11 by researching former high-school students who are members of the armed

services. Students will publish biographies and pictures of these former students to bring attention to the service these men and women have performed.

The students will improve their research, writing, and photography skills, while

documenting local history and the impact of current events.

l On the anniversary of September 11, one volunteer resource center will initiate

a recycling program in partnership with a local school. Students at the school

will develop and staff a recycling project for the entire community. Research on

the rebuilding efforts necessary to respond to tragedy will also be tied to awareness of the environment and the importance of involving the entire community

in such issues. Through the project, students will apply planning and math

skills and learn about the environment and the history of America's responses

to crises.

DEVELOPING HABITS OF SERVICE

Service is a habit, and like most habits, it is most effectively developed at an early

age. Research shows, for example, that young people who were leaders in student

government are more likely to be engaged in civic affairs as adults. 

Service is also a way that young people can contribute to their community while at

the same time receiving something in return. For example, older students who tutor

younger ones not only benefit from the experience of helping younger students do

better in school, but studies show they also improve their own academic skills.

Students are already developing the habit of service in many ways, including 

participation in the National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society, the

American Legion and Legion Auxiliary Boys and Girls State programs, the Hugh

O’Brian Youth Leadership Program, and 4-H Clubs.

A 1999 study of service-learning and community service in America’s public schools

conducted by the U.S. Department of Education found that 57 percent of all public

schools organized community service activities for their students, while 32 percent

specifically organized service-learning activities. 

PAGE 7

THE POINTS OF LIGHT

FOUNDATION AND THE

VOLUNTEER CENTER

NATIONAL NETWORK

The Points of Light Foundation and

the Volunteer Center National Network

seek to engage more people, more

effectively, in volunteer service to

help solve serious social problems.

The Foundation accomplishes its

mission by raising public awareness

about the impact of volunteering,

building the knowledge and skills of

volunteers and volunteer leaders,

and providing local delivery systems

to mobilize volunteers. Recognizing

the power of service-learning to meet

that mission, the Foundation serves

as a Senior Program Advisor for the

Learn and Serve America National

Service-Learning Clearinghouse. In

that role, and through other programs,

the staff works to develop training

and resources about youth leadership,

service-learning partnerships, and

community-based service-learning.

Link: www.pointsoflight.org
Those numbers reflect an increase in school-organized service activities over the

course of the 1990’s. Yet according to another study, the majority of college-bound

high school seniors devoted less than an hour per week to volunteer service, indicating

service forms just a small part of the lives of young Americans. In addition, social

trends show sharp declines in membership in groups such as the Kiwanis Clubs

and Parent-Teacher Associations, which involve young people in service.

These are perhaps some of the reasons school-based service has grown in popularity.

According to the same U.S. Department of Education survey cited above, in 1999

service-learning was offered by 25 percent of all public elementary schools, 38 

percent of middle schools, and 46 percent of high schools. The survey results

showed that service-learning is used in all regions of the country and in all types of

communities—urban, suburban, and rural. 

Service in schools will help to ensure that this habit of service is created in

our Nation’s youth—whether through general service projects such as food

drives, visits to senior citizens, peer tutoring, or formal service-learning

programs that link to curriculum. 
HALLMARKS OF EFFECTIVE SERVICE PROGRAMS

Service and service-learning can be used to teach any subject and meet a wide variety

of community needs. However, to provide valuable service, build civic skills, and increase

student achievement, project and program designers may wish to consider including

some of the following practices, which program experience has shown to be effective:

l Service activities should be of sustained or significant duration. Program experience

suggests that a minimum of 40 hours over a school year is necessary to yield

positive results for students and the community.

l Teachers or after-school program coordinators or sponsors need to work

with students in order to draw the connections between what the students are

doing and what they should be learning. Even if service activities are 

conducted outside of class, it is important that the project have clear and 

specific learning objectives.

l The service that students perform should have a strong connection to the 

curriculum they are studying or to their after-school activities.

l The relationship between service and democratic practices, ideas, and history should

be made explicit in order that students see service as a civic responsibility.

l Project participants should be given time to reflect on their service. That may

involve asking students to keep a journal, or having teachers and organizers

lead discussions or coordinate activities that get participants to analyze and

think critically about their service. These activities need to be planned, not left

to chance.

l Students should have a role not only in executing the service project, but also

in making decisions about its development. Students should be involved in

leadership roles in all phases of the project.

l In order to ensure that service is really useful and strengthens community ties,

strong partnerships with community groups based on mutually agreed upon

goals, roles, and responsibilities are essential. 

Overall, the most important feature of effective service and service-learning 

programs is that both learning and service are emphasized. For example, students

in quality service-learning programs are graded on what they learn, just as they

would be for any other class. But they are also expected to carry out service 

projects of genuine benefit to the community. Students volunteering outside of a

course should also be encouraged to take on meaningful activities and, with the

aid of teachers or community group leaders, find ways of reflecting seriously on

them or communicating to others what they have learned.

For example, a social studies teacher in a community where historical monuments

are in disrepair could develop a project in which students work with the local

historical society to find ways to repair them. In the process, the students would

research local history, create exhibits for the public, further their civic understanding,

and even learn preservation techniques. 

PAGE 9
Similarly, a science teacher in an urban area with little access to fresh produce

could teach students about botany, biology, and agricultural practices by having

them build and maintain a community garden. The students might even set up a

vegetable stand, where they could put the concepts they are learning in their math

or economics classes into practice. 

Or, a Spanish language teacher in an area with a growing Spanish-speaking population could develop a service-learning project to translate brochures and fliers put

out by local social service groups or schools. This would not only give students an

opportunity to hone their language skills, but also learn more about Hispanic culture.

Each of these projects could be done as part of a course or outside of class. The 

critical element is that they should combine worthwhile service with well-defined

educational objectives if they are to be effective in developing the habits of

citizenship and service.

TEN STEPS FOR BRINGING SERVICE TO 

YOUR CLASSROOM

The following steps will help you create an effective service project or service-learning

program. While all these steps are useful to consider, you may not need to perform

them all, or follow them in the order presented here. The planning and implementation

of service and service-learning programs are dynamic processes, and projects vary

greatly. Read through all the steps before undertaking your project, and remember

to include participating youth in as many phases as possible.

Step 1: Assess the Needs and Resources of Your Community and School

In selecting a project, consult with community members, civic groups, businesses,

government officials, school personnel, and students to determine both the needs

of your community and the available resources, including partnership opportunities.

Find out who else is doing (or has done) something similar.

Step 2: Form Community Partnerships

Most successful service projects require forming partnerships. You can build on

existing relationships and connections, or you can develop new ones with potential

partners identified in Step 1. Be realistic about your resources, needs, and limitations, and make sure that your goals are of mutual interest to all of your partners.

Also be concrete about the roles and responsibilities of each partner organization.

Step 3: Set Specific Educational Goals and Curriculum

Determine what you expect the young people to learn. Even service and servicelearning projects organized by community-based organizations or after-school

programs should set specific educational goals. Establish what content objectives

or standards will be addressed, and incorporate your service and learning objectives into lesson plans. Devise ways to measure and assess whether those goals

are being met, including reflection and assessment activities. When evaluating 

student performance, assess their effort and mastery of the subject. Service outcomes may not be what you expect.

PAGE 10
Step 4: Select a Project and Begin Preliminary Planning

Pick a project and determine how all partners can work together to achieve the

desired goals. Try to determine your human, financial, physical, and intellectual

needs and whether you need additional partners to provide the required resources.

Be sure to identify people in your school or organization who can coordinate the

project and maintain continuity from year to year.

Step 5: Plan Your Project in Detail

Set up a timeline, create a budget, and assign tasks. Think about how to include

your partners in this process. As with any project, thorough planning, including the

creation of schedules, benchmarks, budgets, evaluation and assessment tools,

and documentation, can identify and correct many potential problems.

Step 6: Acquire Necessary Funding and Resources

If additional funds, goods, or services are needed, consider seeking

assistance from local businesses, national corporations, parents,

faith-based organizations, government programs (e.g., AmeriCorps,

Senior Corps, Learn and Serve America, your State Education Agency),

civic groups, and other community organizations or sources of federal,

state, and local funds.

Step 7: Implement and Manage Project

Put your plan into action. Continually assess your project to determine

what is working and what could be improved. Involve project partners in

evaluating and improving your project. 

Step 8: Organize Reflection Activities

Make sure students are thinking about their service experience on a regular

basis (e.g., through journals or classroom assignments) and organize

activities that allow students to analyze their service and see how their

ideas, knowledge and perceptions are changing. Use such reflections to help

assess and improve the project. You may want to use the on-line or printable

Record of Service found at www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

Step 9: Assess and Evaluate Your Service Program

Ensure that your evaluation assesses the outcomes of the service project for the

youth, the community, and the organizations involved. Documentation and evaluation

of the project will create a legacy for the individuals and the organizations who 

participated in and benefited from your service activities. It will also point the way

to the next project for your classroom, and may foster activities in other classrooms.

Step 10: Celebrate Achievements

Everyone likes to be recognized for a job well done. Recognition of students can help

build habits of service and lead to a lifetime of community involvement. Don’t forget

to recognize key community partners as well. Recognition may include: displays in

school or online, celebratory events such as ribbon cuttings or groundbreakings,

visits by local officials, and participation in national recognition programs, some of

which are listed in the Tools and Resources section of this guide. 

PAGE 11
WHAT IS SERVICE-LEARNING?

In recent years, more and more schools and teachers have been expanding upon

student service activities with service-learning programs that link student volunteer

service activity directly to academic coursework. 

According to the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, service-learning: 

l Is a method whereby students learn and develop through active participation in

thoughtfully organized service that is conducted in and meets the needs of

communities

l Is coordinated with an elementary school, secondary school, institution of higher

education, or community service program and the community

l Helps foster civic responsibility

l Is integrated into and enhances the academic curriculum of the students, or the

education components of the community service program in which the participants

are enrolled

l Provides structured time for students or participants to reflect on the service

experience

Service-learning aims to build knowledge, character, and civic skills in young people

by combining service to the community with academic learning. By directly linking

service to the academic curriculum, service-learning creates a place for service that

is integrated into a school’s core mission: education. Instead of becoming one

more burden on the already busy lives of teachers, families, and students, servicelearning strives to make their lives easier by combining academic instruction with

civic involvement.

A good service-learning program reinforces specific educational objectives—such

as developing students’ presentation skills, teaching them how a bill becomes a

law, or showing them how to translate a drawing from miniature to life-size—while

also engaging students in meaningful and structured volunteering. 

Likewise, an after-school or community-based program can be linked to classroom

academic instruction when teachers collaborate with the organizations sponsoring

the program. Over the last 10 years, community-based organizations that have long

sponsored service programs, including the YMCA of the USA, Camp Fire USA, the

United Cerebral Palsy Association, and the National 4-H Council, as well as newer

organizations including the Points of Light Foundation and the Volunteer Center

National Network, Youth Volunteer Corps of America, and America's Promise, have

begun working with schools to support service-learning through their community programs. The goal of these partnerships is to provide an experience that enriches the

classroom work of students, while also fostering civic responsibility and addressing real community needs.

PAGE 12
CIVIC EDUCATION

Service can foster civic responsibility by giving young people responsibility for significant activities, encouraging interaction among people, and having students perform tasks that are important

to community well-being. However, not all service and service-learning can be called civic education. In order for service to be an effective strategy for building civic engagement and participation

in American democracy, civic and historical knowledge should be a part of the learning or training

associated with the service the individuals perform. An effective civic engagement strategy might

include three components:

1) Instruction in the fundamentals of democracy, including essential civic documents and 

history; civic and government processes; and instruction in civic skills, including responsibility, tolerance, public debate, making presentations, information-gathering, and

analysis of current events

2) Meaningful community service activities

3) The effective linkage of the above through reflection and analysis

While civic education is most commonly a part of social studies or history, it can be incorporated in all service projects and through all curriculum areas. (For more information on

civic education, go to the civic education links in the Tools and Resources section of this

guide, the CD-ROM that accompanies it, or at www.usafreedomcorps.gov)
BENEFITS OF STUDENT SERVICE AND SERVICE-LEARNING

Although still in the early stages, studies suggests that schools with well-designed

service and service-learning programs can provide a number of benefits for students,

teachers, schools, after-school programs, and communities. These benefits, which have

emerged from existing studies, deserve to be followed up with more rigorous research.

In 2000, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, a long-time supporter of service-learning,

appointed a National Commission on Service-Learning. The Commission, cosponsored by the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy and chaired

by former U.S. Senator John Glenn, spent a year studying the state of service-learning

in the Nation’s schools. The Commission consisted of 18 education, government

and community leaders. The Commission’s findings are included below. The findings

took account of a study of K-12 school-based programs conducted between 1994

and 1997 to evaluate Learn and Serve America's service-learning programs and also

included other program experience. For more details from the Commission’s report, go

to www.learningindeed.org/slcommission. A summary of the Learn and Serve

America report can be found at www.learnandserve.org/research.

The following is a summary of the Commission findings and other studies on potential

service-learning effects:

l Increased student engagement

Students who participate in high quality service-learning programs can become

more active learners. Service-learning allows students to make the critical

connection between the knowledge they are acquiring in the classroom and its

use in the real world. Through service-learning, students are taught to think

critically, make key decisions, interact with others, and provide service that

makes a difference both to themselves and the community. As a result, their

school attendance and motivation to learn can increase.

l Improved academic achievement

When teachers explicitly tie service activities to academic standards and learning

objectives, students can show gains on measures of academic achievement,

including standardized tests. Service-learning that includes environmental

activities, for example, can help students apply math skills (e.g., measurement

and problem solving) and science skills (e.g. prediction and knowledge of

botany), if they are explicitly woven into the experience. 

l Improved thinking skills

Service-learning helps students improve their ability to analyze complex tasks,

draw inferences from data, solve new problems, and make decisions. The

degree to which improvements occur in these "higher order thinking skills" can

depend on how well teachers get students to talk about and understand the

service activities they are performing. 

l Improved character

Service-learning promotes responsibility, trustworthiness, and caring for 

others. Through service projects, students can learn not to let each other down

or to disappoint those being served. Young people who participate in servicelearning are the students who acquire an ethic of service, volunteer more 

frequently, and say they plan to continue to volunteer as they get older.

PAGE 14

CHARACTER EDUCATION

Character education helps young

people to know, care about, and act

upon core ethical values such as

fairness, honesty, compassion,

responsibility, and respect for self

and others. While parents and other

family members have the primary

responsibility for nurturing their 

children's character, schools, religious

institutions, and community-based

youth service programs can support

and emphasize values through 

character education. Character education can be provided in a variety of

ways, including civics classes that

emphasize constitutional principles

and the responsibilities of citizenship;

school wide projects on ethics and

character; student government; and

other extracurricular activities.

Volunteer service is a frequent feature

of character education programs. It

helps young people to practice the

values of compassion, caring, cooperation, responsibility and citizenship

through meaningful service to others

in the community. For more information on character education, go to the

character education links in the Tools

and Resources section of this guide, the

CD-ROM that accompanies it, or at

www.usafreedomcorps.gov.
l Improved social behavior

Young people who are active in service programs are less likely to engage in

risky behaviors. For many young people, service-learning provides a venue in

which they can be more successful than they have been in more traditional

classroom settings. Service and service-learning can also reinforce the kinds of

social behaviors that are crucial for success in the workforce.

l Stronger ties to schools, communities, and society

Service-learning can give students a sense of belonging to and responsibility

for their communities. For example, through service projects, young people

often come to believe that they can make a difference in their schools, communities,

and society. Some studies have established a strong connection between this

sense of "efficacy" and academic achievement, as well as greater concern for

personal health and well-being. 

l Exposure to new careers

Through service-learning, many students come into contact with adults in

careers that would otherwise remain hidden to them. For example, students

may meet social workers, scientists, park rangers, government workers, health

workers, and others who work in community agencies. By assisting them and

seeing how schoolwork relates to what they do, students can acquire higher or

more varied career or job aspirations, along with a more realistic understanding

of what is necessary to attain them.

l Positive school environments

Where service-learning is practiced school-wide, program experience shows

that teachers can feel reinvigorated, dialogue on teaching and learning can be

stimulated, and the school climate can improve. In fact, many teachers become

advocates for incorporating more service into the curriculum. Service programs

have also been associated with reduced negative student behaviors and 

disciplinary referrals, as well as dropout rates. 

l Stronger community groups

When young people form early connections with community groups through

service activities, the groups themselves are often the beneficiaries. Young

people can infuse a charity or civic group with energy and inspiration; become

members of the volunteer force, staff, or board; help build awareness of the

group’s mission throughout the community; and help an organization garner

positive press and media attention.

l Increased community support for schools

Community members who work with the young people engaged in service 

activities frequently say they come to view youth differently, seeing them as

assets who contribute to the community in positive ways. Public support for

schools can grow as a result of student involvement in community activities.

The benefits described here do not come about without careful attention to the

design and implementation of service and service-learning projects. In particular,

teachers, principals, and community group leaders must tie the service to particular

educational goals and learning standards; facilitate discussion of and reflection 

on the service and civic principles involved; and give students real choices in the

planning, implementation, and assessment of the projects.

PAGE 15

LEARN AND SERVE AMERICA

Learn and Serve America is a 

program of the federal Corporation for

National and Community Service.

Established in 1993, Learn and Serve

America's goal is to provide young

people with opportunities to serve

America through service-learning.

The program supports the creation or

expansion of service and servicelearning programs in schools, 

community-based organizations, and

higher education. It also works to

enhance the quality of those 

programs and link practitioners in

the field to resources to help improve

their practice. 

Learn and Serve America provides

training and technical assistance to

its grantees and the public through

the National Service-Learning

Clearinghouse and the National

Service-Learning Training and Technical

Assistance Program. It supports

studies of service-learning and works

with other educational organizations

to increase awareness of the value of

service-learning and demonstrate

how it complements other educational

reform efforts. Its network of grantees

at the state and local levels are linked

together so they can share ideas and

curricula and provide feedback and

solutions to issues they face in their

programs. Its web site can be found

at www.learnandserve.org. 
EXAMPLES OF SERVICE-LEARNING IN ACTION

Service-learning programs can take many forms. They may take place during the

school day, after school, on weekends, and/or during the summer. They may

involve a single class or youth group, several classes, the whole school, or an entire

school district. In Ohio, service-learning is organized on a statewide level. 

What most of these programs have in common is that they began with one good

idea and grew to become complex projects involving many people. The following

are some examples of school-based and community-based programs that demonstrate the diversity of service-learning programs and projects. The CD-ROM that

accompanies this guide and www.servicelearning.org offer additional examples of

service-learning.

S ERVICE-LEARNING IN ONE CLASS

Sixth grade students in one classroom began a program designed to teach active

citizenship and participatory skills by polling classmates,

family, and neighbors about problems in their community

that could be corrected with public policy. The group decided

to improve a two-lane road shared by cars, trucks, walkers,

skaters, and bikers.
Students measured the road, conducted traffic surveys, questioned drivers and

pedestrians, and photographed problem areas. Finally, they proposed a pedestrian

bridge and path. They designed a path with a highway engineer, prepared testimony

and documentation, and appeared before a meeting of county commissioners to

present their plan and request materials and equipment. The students pledged to

raise the necessary $4,500. The county commissioners voted unanimously to

authorize the construction of a gravel path.

Not satisfied with gravel, the students approached a construction company that

agreed to donate and install asphalt. Construction was completed with the help of

the Conservation Corps, and the path was dedicated in less than a year from its

conception on November 1, 2001.

S ERVICE-LEARNING ORGANIZED BY COMMUNITY

ORGANIZATIONS IN AFTER-SCHOOL HOURS

Middle school students working with their local YMCA shop for and deliver groceries

to homebound seniors twice a month through a program called the Grocery

Connection. The project builds consistent relationships between seniors and young

people. Youth in the program examine issues related to health and nutrition, as

well as the economics and processes of agriculture and food production. The program

expanded to include a partnership with a local school in which teachers incorporate

service-learning activities that focus on food and nutrition into a variety of subjects,

including geography. 

WHOLE SCHOOL OR DISTRICT-WIDE SERVICE-LEARNING

One school district has been honored for its efforts to link service, character development, and civic education across all schools and grade levels. Every teacher in

the district involves students in service and service-learning. 

Many of the district’s schools have been given special recognition, including one

program featured below. Other programs in the district involve first graders in an

ongoing reciprocal relationship with a local senior center that involves tutoring and

reading, and fourth graders in adopting and preserving local wetlands as a part of

a yearlong science curriculum.

At one district high school, service-learning and civics education are strongly interconnected. For example, every freshman takes an integrated civics-English course

that engages students in actively exploring the question: "What are the rights and

responsibilities of a citizen in a just society?" The English and civics components

meet on alternating days in an extended block over an entire year. In English, the

themes discussed in civics are explored through literature. For the first half of the

year, civics students study the structure of and rationale behind our democratic

system of government. During the second half, they study the conditions that gave

rise to dictatorship in Germany and, eventually, the Holocaust. The juxtaposition of

these themes allows students to weigh the benefits of our system of government,

recognizing the value of individual freedom and limited government. At the same

time, students recognize that these values are never guaranteed, that a just society

can "easily be lost, but never fully won." Democracy, the students learn, is an 

PAGE 17
ongoing struggle, kept alive and vital by an active and informed citizenry that

recognizes the rights of others and is empowered to effect change.

For the service component of the course, every ninth grade student develops his

own community service-learning project. In the fall, while studying national, state,

and local government, students identify various community needs and consider the

extent to which these levels of government effectively address these needs.

Students are encouraged to focus on one need that matters to them. In the winter, they design a project that will address this need. In the spring, they carry out

their project.

The projects that the students develop are varied, but they all have connections

to their course work. Students who developed an arts awareness dance 

performance for elementary students partnered with elementary principals

and teachers as well as the local Arts Alliance. Others planted flowers and

cleaned up around an elementary school, partnering with the building 

principal and grounds keeper. Students who organized a canned-food drive

joined forces with both the local food pantry and a supermarket, where they

held the drive. The teacher keeps track of these relationships so that the 

following years’ classes can use and build upon the networks that have been

created.

S TATEWIDE SERVICE-LEARNING

While every state has many service-learning programs, and most states have

strong statewide networks of service-learning schools, teachers, and students,

only one state has developed a project designed to link together the entire state in

a common goal—the Ohio Bicentennial Service-Learning Schools Project. In 2003,

Ohio will be celebrating its bicentennial, and the Ohio Bicentennial ServiceLearning Schools Project will offer Ohio students the opportunity to participate

actively in the creation of a bicentennial legacy. The Project expects to enlist one

middle and/or high school in each of Ohio’s 88 counties, designating them "Ohio

Bicentennial Service-Learning Schools."

The project engages students in three service-learning activities tied to the

school’s current course materials and objectives:

PRESERVING THE PAST: Students will perform research and interviews to

arrive at a characterization of their county and community. Each school’s work will

be collected into a historical account of Ohio written by its school children, which

will be presented to the Ohio State Legislature.

ENRICHING THE PRESENT: Students will partner with others to conduct a

countywide needs assessment to explore and identify a local need. Then project

partners will design and implement a project to address the targeted issue.

SHAPING THE FUTURE: Students will create a service-learning project

designed to enhance their county’s future. 

PAGE 18
Listed below are tools and resources that may assist you in designing and implementing service and service-learning programs. Those listed here are available on

the Internet. They are organized according to key topics that represent some of the

major components of service activities. 

The list is not exhaustive, but is a sample of useful and readily available materials

that will lead you to additional resources according to your needs and interests.

While we include a sample of many prominent organizations operating nationwide,

there are also a number of other organizations and religious denominations that

sponsor youth-service programs. Many of the sites listed contain valuable service

and service-learning resources far beyond the category in which they are listed.

IN SCHOOLS

GETTING STARTED/TOOLKITS

Getting started may seem like a daunting task, but there are several resources to

assist you in your efforts, as well as toolkits to help you from start to finish. 

COMPACT FOR LEARNING AND CITIZENSHIP: This nationwide coalition of

chief state school officers, district superintendents, and others committed to servicelearning in K-12 classrooms gathers and disseminates information, provides training

and technical assistance, builds partnerships and networks, and serves as a

national voice for creating high-quality service-learning opportunities for all

students. The site has links to various issue areas, meetings, and publications.

Link: www.ecs.org/clc

NATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL: The NYLC Essential Elements

Publication site serves as a clearinghouse of information for service-learning,

including news, events, online resources, and descriptions of publications. The

Essential Elements Publications is a fee-based product that provides examples of

programs from novice to expert. Link: www.nylc.org/publications.cfm

NORTHWEST REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY: This servicelearning toolbox provides information to help start your program and keep it going.

It offers information in a narrative format along with work pages and checklists that

help you personalize the information on starting and maintaining a program. The

document is divided into four key areas: preparation (project identification and

planning), action, formal evaluation, and online resources. 

Link: www.nwrel.org/ruraled/learnserve/resources/SL_Toolbox.pdf

PEACE CORPS, PAUL D. COVERDELL WORLD WISE SCHOOLS: This

model provides valuable background information needed to start a service-learning program. Subject areas include: a definition of service-learning; standards and

framework; getting started; project ideas; and lesson plans. It also provides links

to other service-learning web sites and information on other resources. 

Link: www.peacecorps.gov/wws/service/getstarted/slmodel.html

PAGE 19

This document contains contact

addresses and web sites for information created and maintained by other

public and private organizations.

The collaborators do not control or

guarantee the accuracy, relevance,

timeliness, or completeness of this

outside information. The inclusion 

of information, addresses or web

sites is not intended to endorse 

any views expressed, or products or 

services offered.
POWER OF FIVE: Developed by America's Promise and Weekly Reader, Power of

Five is a turnkey service-learning tool for classroom educators and small group

leaders to use in engaging 11-14 year olds in service around the five critical needs

of other children and youth, called the Five Promises. Link: www.poweroffive.org 

THE NATIONAL SERVICE-LEARNING CLEARINGHOUSE: Among the clearinghouse

resources is a compilation of funding sources, including government organizations, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and businesses. Link: www.servicelearning.org

THE NATIONAL SERVICE-LEARNING PARTNERSHIP: The Partnership is

a national membership organization bringing together practitioners, administrators,

policy-makers, researchers, community leaders, parents and young people to 

support K-12 service-learning. Link: www.service-learningpartnership.org

FINDING HELP

Many organizations may offer funding resources as well as personnel resources

such as a service-learning or volunteer coordinator who can connect you with other

community resources, and recruit and manage volunteers. The links below will help

you find these kinds of support.

AMERICORPS: A program of the Corporation for National and Community

Service, AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs that engages more

than 50,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. Many AmeriCorps members are

assigned to serve in schools and can be used as coordinators. This link leads to an

online index of AmeriCorps programs throughout the United States. You should

contact AmeriCorps program sponsors to see if any members would be available to

help. Link: www.americorps.org

LEARN AND SERVE AMERICA: This is a program of the Corporation for National

and Community Service, providing funding and training support for service-learning

programs in schools, community-based organizations, and higher education institutions. Nearly every State Education Agency (SEA) operates a Learn and Serve

America program that makes funds available to local schools and their servicelearning partners and provides training and technical assistance. The SEA Learn

and Serve America representative has expertise in service-learning across the

state. In addition, Learn and Serve America makes competitive grants to national

nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions and associations, tribes,

U.S. territories, and state commissions on national and community service. 

Link: www.learnandserve.org

POINTS OF LIGHT FOUNDATION AND THE VOLUNTEER CENTER NATIONAL

NETWORK: The Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization devoted to

promoting volunteerism whose mission is to engage more people more effectively

in volunteer service to help solve serious social problems. The Foundation works

closely with the Volunteer Center National Network. These organizations, which are

found in over 500 communities, match volunteers with community groups seeking

help. This link leads to an index of the National Network of Volunteer Centers. 

Link: www.pointsoflight.org

PAGE 20

RECORD OF SERVICE

The USA Freedom Corps offers a

reflection tool that may be helpful in

your classroom. A Record of Service

journal that includes facts and 

figures on volunteer service as well

as inspirational quotes from historical

figures, philosophers, authors, poets

and others can be downloaded at

www.usafreedomcorps.gov or ordered

from the USA Freedom Corps. If your

students have Internet access in the

classroom, you may want to use the

online Record of Service available on

the USA Freedom Corps web site. 
THE NATIONAL SENIOR SERVICE CORPS: This network of three major programs (Foster Grandparents, Senior Companion, and Retired and Senior Volunteer

Program) is based at the Corporation for National and Community Service and

engages more than 500,000 volunteers aged 55 and over in service to meet critical

needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. Many members

work in schools and can be used as coordinators. This link offers an index to Senior

Service Corps programs throughout the United States. Contact local Senior Service

Corps sponsors to see if any members would be available to help. 

Link: www.seniorcorps.org

THE STATE EDUCATION AGENCY K-12 SERVICE-LEARNING NETWORK:

This site has information on policy development, best practices, resources, and a

map that links to all the individual state departments of education homepages.

Link: www.seanetonline.org

YOUTH SERVICE AMERICA: Youth Service America is a resource center and

alliance of over 300 organizations committed to increasing the quantity and

quality of opportunities for young Americans to serve locally, nationally, or

globally. The site offers a listing of funding sources and access to the full text

of the funding opportunities. Link: www.ysa.org
CURRICULUM

Many curricular resources exist to help you link service with learning. Many states

have also published guides to linking service-learning with your curricular standards.

Contact your Learn and Serve America state education agency representative

(www.seanetonline.org) for more information.

CELEBRATION USA: This nonprofit educational organization was established in 1992

to encourage young people to honor the principles of democracy, good citizenship,

and patriotism. It is a sponsor of Pledge Across America. Link: www.celebrationusa.org

LEARNING IN DEED: This site is primarily a catalog of links for K-12 servicelearning curricula. Link: www.learningindeed.org/tools/other/currnet.html

PROGRAM DIRECTORIES AND MODELS

Examples of existing programs, model programs and best practices are available

on several web sites, including the following.

LEARN AND SERVE AMERICA GRANTEE PROGRAM DIRECTORY: At this

site you can search for service-learning programs and descriptions by geographical

location (city and state), type of program (higher education, K-12, community-based,

etc.), location (rural, suburban, and urban), school subject area, and community services.

Link: www.servicelearning.org/resources_tools/program_directory/index.php

THE NATIONAL SERVICE-LEARNING LEADER SCHOOLS: This national

initiative recognizes schools for their excellence in service-learning on the basis of

their exemplary integration of service-learning into the curriculum and the life of

the school. Link: www.leaderschools.org

CIVIC AND CHARACTER EDUCATION LINKAGES

Among the academic subjects that help students develop responsibility are character and civic education. The following is a list of organizations that offer civic education or character education resources to educators. More information on these

and other organizations can be found on the CD-ROM that accompanies the guide

or on-line at www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

CIVIC EDUCATION

BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE: Link: www.billofrightsinstitute.org

CELEBRATION USA: Link: www.celebrationusa.org

CENTER FOR CIVIC EDUCATION: Link: www.civiced.org

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS FOUNDATION: 

Link: www.crf-usa.org/lessons.html

PAGE 22
CHARACTER EDUCATION

COLLABORATIVE FOR ACADEMIC, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL

LEARNING: Link: www.casel.org

GOODCHARACTER.COM: Link: www.GoodCharacter.com

THE CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF ETHICS AND CHARACTER:

Link: www.bu.edu/education/caec

THE CHARACTER COUNTS! COALITION: Link: www.charactercounts.org

THE CHARACTER EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP: Link: www.character.org

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Service and service-learning programs can go on outside the school too. To be

effective, however, they need to be well-organized and meaningful, and connected as closely as possible to what young people are expected to learn.

NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Several national organizations have programs and affiliates that work

with youth. The organizations listed here work primarily in service-learning and youth development. More information on these organizations

and others can be found on the CD-ROM that accompanies the guide or

on-line at www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

AMERICA’S PROMISE: Link: www.americaspromise.org

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT ACTIVITY

ADVISERS: Link: www.principals.org

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS

(NASC): Link: www.dsa.principals.org/nasc

NATIONAL PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION:

Link: www.pta.org/index.asp

NATIONAL SERVICE RESOURCE CENTER: Link: www.etr.org/NSRC/

AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

After school is an ideal time to engage young people in service and service-learning.

Activities may be linked directly to school-day content, or to academic, civic, social,

and recreational enrichment activities.

21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS (CCLC): The 21stCentury

Community Learning Centers program is a component of President Bush’s No Child

Left Behind Act. These centers provide opportunities for students and their families

to continue to learn new skills and discover new abilities after the school day has

ended. Link: www.ed.gov/21stcclc

PAGE 23
AFTERSCHOOL.GOV: A vast list of federal resources and ideas for after-school

programs is available at this web site, including ways to plan, support, and conduct

programs; community and organizational linkages; and how to keep current

through the use of clearinghouses, government programs, listservs, newsletters,

publications, research, and reports. There is also a related site for younger 

students and teenagers. Link: www.afterschool.gov

NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON OUT OF SCHOOL TIME: You will find an issue brief

on service-learning after school that focuses on specific ways of inspiring youth to

learn, connecting to school-day academies, fostering civic duty, and maximizing

volunteers and community resources. Link: www.etr.org/nsrc/pdfs/niost/IssueBrief9.pdf

THE AFTERSCHOOL ALLIANCE: This nonprofit organization is dedicated to raising

awareness of the importance of after-school programs and advocating for quality,

affordable programs for all children. The web site includes news, events, research

and resources related to after-school programs. 

Link: www.afterschoolalliance.org

S ERVICE CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Many nonprofit groups sponsor chapters and programs for young people, 

especially in high school and middle school. Their activities often include

community service. The following is a list of some of the better-known

ones, whose programs feature both regular service and service-learning.
AMERICAN RED CROSS: The Youth Office works to help students enhance selfreliance, develop concern for others, and make commitments to community service. Program themes include Volunteer Service, Leadership Development,

Youth/Adult Partnerships, School-Based Partnerships, and International

Awareness. Link: www.redcross.org/services/youth/edu/index.html

CAMP FIRE USA: Camp Fire USA is one of the Nation's leading nonprofit youth

development organizations, serving over 650,000 participants annually. Camp Fire

USA provides all-inclusive, coeducational programs in hundreds of communities

across the United States. Founded in 1910, Camp Fire USA's outcome-based 

programs include youth leadership, self-reliance, after-school groups, camping

and environmental education, and child care. Link: www.campfire.org

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: Habitat for Humanity’s campus chapters are unincorporated, student-run, student-led organizations that perform three main functions:

building or rehabilitating houses in partnership with Habitat affiliates, national

offices and homeowners; educating the campus and community about affordable

housing issues and the work of Habitat for Humanity; and raising funds for the work

of Habitat. Link: www.habitat.org/ccyp

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT: Beginning at the elementary school level, Junior

Achievement reaches approximately 5.2 million students worldwide. Through ageappropriate curricula, Junior Achievement programs teach children how they can

impact the world around them as individuals, workers and consumers. Programs

use a mixture of classroom instruction and student-run projects aimed at applying

economic and business principles to real-world issues. Link: www.ja.org

KEY CLUB (KIWANIS EDUCATING YOUTH): Key Club is a coeducational

service organization for high school students, organized and sponsored by local

Kiwanis clubs. A self-governing organization, it elects its own officers, determines

its own service activities, and establishes its own dues structure. Some objectives

include: developing initiative and leadership; serving the school and community;

and developing a more intelligent, aggressive and serviceable citizenship. 

Link: www.keyclub.org/index.htm

NATIONAL 4-H COUNCIL: 4-H is a youth development program administered

through the Land Grant college system. It promotes "Learning by Doing" and the

development of youth leadership skills for the future. National 4-H Council is the

national, private sector nonprofit partner of the 4-H chapters and the Cooperative

Extension System. It works with 4-H clubs at all levels—national, state and local—

providing training and support, fostering innovative programming, and facilitating

meetings and connections within the 4-H partnership. It uses service-learning in a

growing number of its activities with young people. Link: www.fourhcouncil.edu

NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR TEACHING ENTREPRENEURSHIP: NFTE's mission

is to teach entrepreneurship to low-income young people, ages 11 through 18, so

that they can learn more about becoming productive members of society by improving

their academic, business, technology and life skills. NFTE programs are offered in

a variety of settings, including public schools, after-school programs at communitybased organizations, and intensive summer business camps. Link: www.nfte.com

PAGE 25
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY: The National Honor Society (NHS) and National

Junior Honor Society (NJHS) recognize outstanding high school and middle level

students. More than just an academic honor roll, NHS and NJHS honor those students

who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of leadership, service, and character

(and citizenship for NJHS). School-based chapters often sponsor tutoring and

other service activities. Link: http://dsa.principals.org/nhs

STUDENTS AGAINST DESTRUCTIVE DECISIONS: Students Against

Destructive Decisions (SADD) is a youth organization that promotes teen

empowerment and uses peer influence to spread the message of positive decision-making. The SADD organization is comprised of thousands of high school

and middle school chapters that embrace a "No Use" policy and help educate

other students about potentially destructive decisions regarding underage

drinking, impaired driving, drug use, violence and suicide. 

Link: www.saddonline.com

YOUTH LEADERSHIP CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

A variety of organizations seek to develop civic leadership skills in young 

people. Their programs involve having students learn about how government or community groups work, then having them role-play or take part in their

activities. Participants often take part in service projects or are chosen on the basis

of records of service.

BOYS AND GIRLS STATE (AMERICAN LEGION/AMERICAN LEGION

AUXILIARY): The American Legion Boys State and American Legion Auxiliary

Girls State are selective educational programs of government instruction for high

school students. Each participant becomes a part of the operation of his local,

county and state government. Activities include legislative sessions, court proceedings, law enforcement presentations, assemblies, bands, chorus and recreational programs. Link: www.legion.org/events/evt_bs.htm Link: www.legionaux.org

HUGH O'BRIAN YOUTH LEADERSHIP: This program enrolls outstanding

high school sophomores who meet with recognized leaders in business, government, science, education, and the professions. Seminars take place at the community, state, and international levels. Participants are expected to provide at least

one hundred hours of service. Link: www.hoby.org

JUNIOR STATE OF AMERICA: Through school-based chapters, regional conferences, and academic summer programs, this student-run organization helps

youth learn how to actively participate in public affairs. Link: www.jsa.org

UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

Model United Nations is an authentic simulation of the U.N. General Assembly and

other multilateral bodies, catapulting students into the world of diplomacy and

negotiation. Participants have to learn about international issues and then work

with other "delegations" to try to solve them. Link: www.unausa.org

PAGE 26
YMCA TEEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS (YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT):

YMCA programs help teens learn how to express themselves, come together for a

common cause, and be active and informed citizens. Leaders Clubs involve teens in

community service projects, and the Youth and Government program involves students in hands-on activities that teach them about state government. High school

youth participate in model state legislatures and the annual Youth Governors

Conference held in Washington, D.C. each summer. Link: www.ymca.net/programs/teens/Teens.htm

RECOGNITION PROGRAMS

Service is often its own reward, as is learning. But both are more likely to take place

when students are recognized publicly for their efforts. A number of programs aim

to do exactly that.

CONGRESSIONAL AWARD: This award program of the U.S. Congress is open to

all 14- to 23-year-olds. Participants earn Bronze, Silver and Gold Congressional

Award Certificates and Bronze, Silver and Gold Congressional Award Medals.

Attaining each level involves setting goals in four program areas: Volunteer Public

Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration. 

Link: www.congressionalaward.org

DAILY POINT OF LIGHT AWARD: Designed to honor those who have made 

a commitment to connecting Americans through service to help meet critical needs

in their communities, these awards are given daily by the Points of Light Foundation

and the Volunteer Center National Network. 

Link: www.pointsoflight.org/dpol/ ProgramInfo.htm

THE NATIONAL SERVICE-LEARNING LEADER SCHOOLS: This is a national

initiative, sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service, that

annually recognizes junior and senior high schools for their excellence in servicelearning. These schools are chosen competitively, based on their integration of

service-learning into the curriculum and life of the school. 

Link: www.leaderschools.org

THE PRESIDENT’S STUDENT SERVICE AWARD: All full-time students from

kindergarten through college who contribute at least 100 hours (50 hours for

younger students) of service to the community are eligible for the award. Students

may be certified by their school, college or a community organization. 

Link: www.student-service-awards.org/awards_index.htm

THE PRESIDENTIAL FREEDOM SCHOLARSHIPS: Each high school in the

country may select up to two students to receive a $1,000 scholarship in recognition of their outstanding leadership in service to the community. The students

selected may be either high school juniors or seniors. The Corporation for National

and Community Service provides $500 for each scholarship, which must be

matched with $500 secured by the school from a local service club, business or

other organization. Link: www.nationalservice.org/scholarships

PAGE 27
THE PRUDENTIAL SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AWARDS: Sponsored by Prudential

Financial Services, these awards recognize middle level and high school students

who have demonstrated exemplary, self-initiated community service. Schools may

select one honoree for every 1,000 students. Students are recognized at the local,

state, and national levels. Link: www.prudential.com/community

To meet the challenges our Nation faces, our youth must be well-educated and

engaged citizens. Many of our young people already participate in volunteer 

service, and should be recognized for following in the tradition of generations of

Americans who have served their neighbors and their Nation. But there are more

needs to be met, and more young people who have the talents and abilities to help

meet those needs.

The President issued his Call to Service to all Americans. As you use this guide 

to help American students answer that Call to Service, you will be helping our

young people develop habits of service that will meet important needs in your 

community. You will also be helping them develop characteristics of responsibility

and citizenship and connecting them to the basic principles and traditions of our

democracy. 

In addition to the materials in this guide, you will find resources to help you 

create service and service-learning opportunities for young people on the 

CD-ROM enclosed and online at www.usafreedomcorps.gov, where you will

also find the USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network. The USA Freedom Corps

Volunteer Network is the most comprehensive clearinghouse of volunteer

service opportunities available. You or your students can enter geographic

information, such as state or zip code, and areas of interest ranging from

education to the environment, to access volunteer service opportunities

offered by a range of partner organizations across the country. Together,

these materials will help you plan student service opportunities and

engage young people in their communities.

With your help, this generation will fulfill great challenges and strengthen

our Nation through a lifetime of service. 

PAGE 28
The Students in Service to America guidebook and CD-ROM were developed through a collaboration of the

Corporation for National and Community Service, the U.S. Department of Education and the Points of Light Foundation

and the Volunteer Center National Network with the USA Freedom Corps.
www.nationalservice.org www.pointsoflight.org www.usafr www.ed.gov eedomcorps.gov