As those Chicago students showed, the classroom encompasses the entire community. By enriching students' classroom experiences with activities that encourage them to contribute to their communities, we can create a sense of involvement that makes students more motivated to stay in school and graduate. A recent study conducted by the RAND Corporation and UCLA proves the connection between service learning and academic achievement. The study focused on college students who participate in Learn and Serve America, a service learning program run by the Corporation for National Service. Those students earned better grades, displayed a greater sense of civic responsibility, and developed stronger leadership skills than other students.
Community service is central to the education of hundreds of thousands of students.
Law students at Southern Illinois University volunteer in conflict-resolution programs that help migrant workers and elementary school children to avoid resorting to violence when settling their differences. Elementary school students in Maryland raise rockfish to help replenish the feeder streams of the Potomac River. These young people are among the 750,000 students from kindergarten through college who engage in service through school and community projects sponsored by Learn and Serve America. No matter what you do or how busy you are, there is always a way to serve a larger community. The story of your generation should be the story of how we restore broken lives and shattered promises through citizen service.