Students also use the service experience as a foundation to examine themselves, their society, and their future. Service learning meets community needs Service learning is based on a reciprocal relationship in which the service reinforces and strengthens the learning, and learning reinforces and strengthens the service. Service learning is integrated into the academic curriculum. Service learning provides structured opportunities for students to reflect critically on their experience through a mix of writing, reading, speaking, listening, and group discussions. Service learning identifies and tracks specific learning objectives and goals.
Service learning fosters a sense of caring for others and a commitment to civic responsibility.
Service learning gives academic credit for demonstrating learning achieved through the service, not just for putting in hours. Thus, the academic rigor of a course is retained.