Impact of Service Learning on College Students, (The)

While service-learning programs have become popular on college campuses across the country there has been relatively little empirical data about their effects on students. The Comparing Models of Service-Learning research project has gathered data from over 150 students at 20 colleges and universities to attempt to answer some of the pressing questions about the value added to students by combining community service and academic study. The study has found that students who choose service learning differ from those who do not in the target attitudes, skills, values and understanding about social issues. And participation in service-learning has an impact on these outcomes over the course of a semester.