Higher Learning: Volunteering Through School

Here's something you don't hear about too often: a positive trend in our educational system. Unlike recent initiatives (No Child Left Behind, for example), service-learning-linking community outreach of some kind to an educational objective-is being promoted, embraced and lauded. And as a result its popularity is growing: In 1984 only 2% of all schools had such programs; currently one-third of all schools now offer them.

One reason for the expansion of these programs is government support. In 1992 the federally funded Learn and Serve America launched its first round of awards to state education agencies, colleges and universities. It now doles out more than $37 million in grants annually. But perhaps even more important is a new perspective among educators and policy makers alike. "There has been a fundamental change in the way we view young people in this country. Instead of seeing them as liabilities, or problems to be solved, we're viewing them as assets and resources," says Steve Culbertson, president and CEO of Youth Service America, in Washington, D.C. "The old idea that youth are to be seen and not heard is being thrown out. Youth are being seen and heard, and are participating."

And the results have been impressive. In 1999 the National Research Council identified service learning as one of the most effective ways to engage students, and it's now considered an essential tool in preventing kids from dropping out. It has also been found to have a positive academic impact, particularly in social studies, writing and English. Though educators point out that service-learning is not a replacement for more traditional forms of learning, it is an enhancement-and, from the kids' perspective, an energizer. "This is the way we can tap into every student's skills and talents and put them into action," says Cathryn Berger Kaye, author of The Complete Guide to Service Learning (Free Spirit Publishing). And while the programs help create better learners, they also may be creating better citizens. A 2007 report from Learn and Serve found that students involved in service learning have an increased sense of personal and social responsibility.