Service Learning

1. PROS

1.1. Relevancy- aged old question "why am I learning this? SL gives teachers opportunities t apply knowledge gained in the classroom  in the real world

1.2. Leadership skills, self esteem, confidence, engagement, improvements in attitudes toward skills, academic achievement

1.3. Studies have shown that school that implement SL have seen decreases in behavior incidents

2. CONS

2.1. Difficult to plan, must be connected to learning standards or else it becomes community service

2.2. Difficult to find meaningful SL opportunities in area

2.3. Logistics- Difficult to fit SL opportunities into an hour or block schedule. Also difficult to transport students to and from SL if it is off campus

3. SL and Dropout Rates

3.1. 81% of dropouts respond that learning should be connected to real world

3.2. 82% of students who participate in SL have reported that afterwards their feelings about high school became more positive.

3.3. Boredom is a key factor in dropout rates- SL offers new and outside the box learning opportunities that may increase engagement

4. What is it?

4.1. Teaching strategy that incorporates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility , and strengthen communities