Jumpstart's Service-Learning Initiative: Enhanced Outcomes for At-Risk Children

This chapter addresses the research gap of the effect of service-learning on community outcomes by discussing the results of a quasi-experimental study that compared outcomes for low-income preschool children mentored by Jumpstart college students enrolled in service-learning courses to a matched group of low-income children mentored by Jumpstart students not enrolled in service-learning courses. The results indicated that gains in early language, literacy, and social skills were significantly greater for children working with service-learning students than children not paired with service-learning students. (author)