Service-Learning With a Side of Hometown Security: A Learning Module

In our post-September 11th society many organizations have implemented updated safety procedures and emergency plans. However, on occasion, these procedures may not be up to date. Additionally, the familiarity with an environment can lead to oversight on safety matters. In this module students serve their communities by reviewing safety procedures and looking at an environment from an outsider's point of view. In some cases, students may not find any areas of improvement, in others valuable insights may be the end result. In the former situation, even if students find that the location they are working at is safe and up to date, the process of investigating itself is a powerful educational tool. In the latter situation, discoveries by students can be of great assistance and may one day save lives. Examples of some things students may discover are; out of date or missing evacuation plans clearly marked and understandable to visitors to a building, confusing exit plans, lack of first-aid materials and many other potentially life-saving discoveries.

By working within their community, students, in a service-learning environment establish relationships with members of the community they may have had no previous experience with. This is a key factor in service-learning, the building of relationships within the community while gaining knowledge at the same time from classroom-based instruction. The list of possible partners is only limited by the number of outside businesses willing to participate. In the initial implementation in the Worthington, Ohio school district, over forty partners teamed up to participate in this project. (authors)