How do we make learning—and school—more engaging for young people? A recent report by the Search Foundation, Teen Voice 2009, provides some clues. This study of 1,817 15-year-olds identifies three essential elements that go into creating resiliency, strength, and engagement. One is Sparks, a metaphor for how young people experience their talents, interests, and strengths. The second is Teen Voice Index (TVI), which reflects “teen engagement in social issues and civic life.” The third is the Relationships and Opportunities Index (ROI), which measures “being valued and treated fairly; having access to and being involved in high-quality opportunities, such as after-school programs, and having people who help nurture their sparks.” Teens who score highly in all three areas are much more likely to have a sense of purpose and hope for the future—key attributes of resiliency.

On way to help young people identify their interests, find their voice, and connect with others is through service-learning. Often confused with community service, service-learning is actually a teaching and learning strategy that combines student service with academic learning. Service-learning experiences share five major attributes:
1. Students have a strong voice in determining the actions they want to take and in implementing their plans.
2. Service-learning is aligned with the curriculum.
3. Students partner with others to take action.
4. Students reflect on their experiences in multiple ways before, during, and after performing the service.
5. Service-learning is of sufficient duration to allow students to meet community needs and also achieve learning objectives.

When students are engaged in these kinds of experiences, what they’re learning suddenly matters—for them and for others. It’s the path of Relationships, Relevance, and Rigor (not the other way around!), which Ray McNulty of the International Center for Leadership in Education has aptly noted.

Service-learning enables students to make a difference in their community at any age or ability level. The following examples are all based on actual service-learning:
• Pre-kindergarten students can visit a local nursing home every week to perform songs and dances that reflect the patients’ cultural traditions, thereby learning about different cultures and the contributions they can make to other generations.
• Third graders can create a community garden to provide vegetables for low-income senior citizens and learn science and math skills while improving their understanding of the needs of others.
• Fourth graders can develop planning and problem-solving skills while designing and implementing a plan to conserve environmental resources.
• Sixth graders can design wheelchair accessible ramps and make a presentation to the city council about the importance of accessibility, which can help them learn about abilities and disabilities and nurture compassion for others.
• Eighth graders can learn about the Korean War by interviewing local veterans.
• High school Spanish students can improve their fluency by becoming pen-pals with bilingual fourth-grade students—who in turn can bolster their language skills by writing back in English.
• High school seniors can develop a public service announcement for a teen crisis hotline, thereby applying knowledge and skills in language arts and social studies.
• High school students who struggle with state mandated testing can improve their math skills and their self esteem by tutoring middle school students who struggle in the same area.

It’s never too early or late for students to learn to make a difference by addressing real needs, starting right in their community. By discovering their interests, expressing their voice, and getting the support they need, young people can become the change agents we need to make our world a better place.

John Spence
Director, Service Learning Texas

If you want to learn more about service-learning, including information on the 7th Annual Summer Institute in Austin on June 16-18, please visit the Service Learning Texas website at www.servicelearningtexas.org.