Service-Learning: Strategies for Developing Character

Service learning connects school-based curriculum with the inherent caring and concern young people have for their world--whether on their school campus, at a local food bank, or in a distant rainforest. With the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, young students are especially attuned to how we as a nation, truly rely on the spirit and actions of volunteers to bring both essentials for daily living and to restore hope. The results of participating in service, whether inspired by tragedies observed on television or developed in a classroom to establish relevance and meaning to subject matter, are memorable lifelong lessons for students that foster a stronger society for us all. When this becomes part of a school culture repeated in a variety of classes affording a range of experiences and opportunities, students gain the intrinsic motivation to participate in community. This article discusses the strategies that can be used to engage students in service.