Sometimes they can be the means to keeping an at-risk student in sc hool with positive directions. It helps to foster personal, emotional and social development. It makes school relevant to students by connecting academic concepts to real-life application. Service Learning p rojects should be planned by students and teachers after they have completed a careful needs assessment of the community. It is imperative that the students create workable programs that address real needs.
Reflection is a critical aspect of service lea rning.
Student participants need to meet on a regular basis for shared discussion, learning and integration of the service into their academic curriculum. Service learning increases the students' understanding of their community and raises their sense o f social responsibility, advocacy and active citizenship. Herkimer Partnership Herkimer County Schools and the Department of Social Services have established a partnership that offers a full continuum of social services and programs to address in a coordinated manner the essential needs of all those children and families referr ed to them. The three components of this program are Shadowing, Career Day and Senior Internships. Interns are excused for two hours of the school day to work at an outside site.