Students want to have authentic experiences, O'Neill adds. Because service learning provides a way for students to apply knowledge and skills, it should not be seen as an add-on, experts say. Instead, it should be closely coordinated with the curriculum. If students serve by monitoring the water quality of a river, for example, they should study related issues in the classroom, Halperin says. It makes the curriculum alive.
Educators can integrate service activities into the curriculum in a variety of ways, experts say.
In science classes, students can take on environmental projects, for example. In art classes, students can consider how their art could make life better for people. In home economics classes, students can use their newly acquired skills in cooking and child care to help those in need. In teaching a novel or autobiography, an English teacher can help students examine social problems, Hoffman says. The novels of Dickens, for example, explore poverty and the oppression of children.