Students also play an important role locally by assisting farmers and flower growers in this horticultural area with plant propagation through tissue cloning. For their independent project, students must identify one site or issue for their service, write an action plan, keep a journal and participate in the school's annual Service-Learning Exhibit with a visual display and an oral presentation. They also must select a public policy or law that affects the area in which they are performing their service and write a research paper about the policy and how they think it affects their service site. The research paper counts both in their history class and as part of their service-learning grade. Each student has a mentor who has received training in the program and has an interest in the student's area of service.
Mentors help with questions about the service site as well as with the research paper.
Sharon, Massachusetts Service-learning is well integrated into the culture and curriculum of the schools in Sharon, Massachusetts. From elementary to high school, students learn the value of hands-on learning connected to the curriculum and service to their community. With the help of a community service liaison, teachers develop service-learning projects that are part of the curriculum and standards. Fifth graders have shared their literature and arts with residents of a senior care center. One class of 6th graders used the research skills they learned in their English curriculum to make books on animals which they gave to the 1st graders.