Student Outcomes from Participation in Community Service

This paper reviews evidence of the effects of community service on young participants, with a particular emphasis on elementary- and secondary-school students. While a widespread belief exists that young people benefit from serving, there is surprisingly little firm evidence that students who engage in service learn more, develop in different ways, or learn different things than those who do not. The first section describes data on levels of participation in voluntary service and then identifies the areas of development in which educators expect benefits to occur. The next section reviews findings regarding the effects of service, including program elements that appear effective. The following section discusses methodology and discrepancies among study findings. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of legislative initiatives and gaps between program goals and measured outcomes.