The benefits of service learning

Debbie Jacob

IN MY laundry list for education that I wrote about in last week’s column, I mentioned the importance of having service learning in all TT schools. Some people asked for more information on this and wanted to know the difference between volunteering and service learning.

Simply put, volunteering is the act of giving time to a community service project. Service learning applies academic skills to a community service project conceptualised and implemented by students.

Many US-based universities now look for applicants' service learning experiences. It is arguably a bigger selling point than the essays or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores that universities once used for accepting students.

But this doesn’t mean students should engage in service learning just to get a place in university. Service learning is an important aspect of self-development, community awareness and relevant education that is necessary to bridge the socio-economic gaps that divide this country. It is an exciting, complex and meaningful learning experience.

Florida State University (FSU) says that service learning is “experiential education that combines classroom instruction with organised service to the community, emphasising civic engagement, reflection and application of learning.”

The university stresses the educational process and reflection involved in these projects.

“Service learning includes academic preparation, service that meets an identified community need and structured reflection. A service-learning experience can enhance learning and development, encourage civic responsibility, foster community-based scholarship, provide a forum for leadership development and address social issues.”

Service learning is a real-world application of academic skills students learn in schools. For struggling students or students who are visual, hands-on learners, these projects offer an opportunity to feel successful and experience. It turns abstract educational concepts into tangible goals, maximises students’ strengths and addresses students’ weaknesses.

Students transcend theoretical concepts to shape a workable project that is relevant for the recipients. They identify a need and organise ways to make their project happen, do applied research and actively engage in the project by volunteering.

For example, the International School of Port of Spain (ISPS), where I once worked as an English/history teacher and librarian, had school-wide committed service learning in place. The school redefined the role of service learning during the covid19 pandemic in 2020 and explored its relevance on a whole new level.

Secondary school students in one class identified an important need, hand sanitiser, and then looked at a market for their product. Students contacted and interviewed me about needs I might have in prisons and hand sanitiser was a pressing concern.

Next, they did research and contacted Carib Brewery to learn how to make hand sanitiser in the school lab. They raised money to purchase bottles and supplied me with the finished product. Students followed up on their project by reporting their success and their challenges to the student body.

Another group of ISPS students wanted to do a prison project, so they contacted me and prison officer Winfield Walker to see what needs prison might have. Students settled on making hampers to help the most destitute inmates who had no money to buy from the prison stores. They provided T-shirts, boxers, soap, deodorant and other toiletries and created 40 hampers.

Students raised money through raffles and bake sales to buy the products and followed up on distributing the hampers. They too reported to the student body about how they organised their project and what they learned from this experience. This reflection process is always part of service learning.

Student learning projects are generally class projects broken down into groups. Students bring their expertise to the table. Those who are more technologically oriented might design advertisements and other publicity in the early stages and presentations in the end. Business-minded students might organise fundraisers. Everyone participates in the project.

Students identify and plan a project, develop time management skills, communicate their needs and accomplishments at every stage of the project, and reflect on what they learned. These reflections help to understand what worked and what didn’t, a real-life lesson in accomplishing a goal and avoiding future mistakes.

Students develop leadership and collaborative skills, engage in research and problem-solving. The process develops confidence and empathy. Service learning expands learning from an individual academic exercise to a group-oriented real-life experience that uses students’ knowledge and helps communities. It changes lives and provides indelible images of what true learning is all about.