Service Learning Required

Although school-based service learning programs have become increasingly popular, too few of these programs teach students the skills that democratic citizens must have if they are to help shape social policy on behalf of those in need. Serious questions about what service learning programs are actually teaching students must be asked by those who seriously believe that school-based community service can be a vital part of educating citizens in a democracy. The authors discuss several reports that state that while service-learning is on the rise, the lessons learned via service-learning are limited because there is little to no emphasis on social action. Students are gaining experience in the field and learning about altruism, but they are not making the connection between service-learning and social change. Programs are setting up a belief that volunteerism is necessary to level inequities, rather than promoting service-learning as an opportunity to teach students how to create, evaluate, criticize, and change public norms and policies to promote equality. Available at www.edweek.org/ew/index.html.