Service learning takes place in the real world. It benefits students because they see firsthand the diversity of needs that exist within the community. They learn the complexity of issues and how they are related to political, social and economic factors. Students try new skills and reinforce others such as communication, collaborative teamwork, critical thinking and public discourse. Students experience success in the eyes of others and they observe their personal impact on the community through tangible, valued projects.
Students experience the world of work and learn the importance of academic subjects to careers.
The community benefits from the contributions of the students and schools extend their opportunities to teach students citizenship skills. Service-learning projects can become part of any curricular subject, an extracurricular club, or an independent study project. Projects can incorporate mathematical, linguistic, citizenship, organizational and communication skills. Identify the problem's symptoms and underlying causes. In addition to local resources, use Newsweek articles to learn about the topic on a national or international level.