Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy through which young people learn and develop by active participation in thoughtfully organized projects that are conducted in and meet the needs of a community.  Service-learning combines service to the community with student learning in a way that impacts both the student and the community. As they participate in their community service projects, actively meeting the community needs, youth develop practical skills, self-esteem, and a sense of civic responsibility.  Service-learning values active learning that continues to ask young people:  What did you learn? What does it mean? What actions can you take with the knowledge you have gained?

In 2008, the service-learning field released evidence-based standards and accompanying indicators that K-12 practitioners can use to ensure high-quality service-learning practice. For decades, those involved in service-learning have known that quality matters if service-learning is to live up to its promise of helping young people grow in academics and civic engagement. Educators now have a set of standards and indicators to guide them in improving their practices.

K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality

• Practice Meaningful Service - Service-learning actively engages participants in meaningful and personally relevant service activities.
• Link to Curriculum - Service-learning is intentionally used as an instructional strategy to meet learning goals and/or content standards.
• Reflection - Service-learning incorporates multiple challenging reflection activities that are ongoing and that prompt deep thinking and analysis about oneself and one’s relationship to society.
• Diversity - Service-learning promotes understanding of diversity and mutual respect among all participants.
• Youth Voice - Service-learning provides youth with a strong voice in planning, implementing, and evaluating service-learning experiences with guidance from adults.
• Partnerships - Service-learning partnerships are collaborative, mutually beneficial, and address community needs.
• Progress Monitoring - Service-learning engages participants in an ongoing process to assess the quality of implementation and progress toward meeting specified goals, and uses results for improvement and sustainability.
• Duration and Intensity - Service-learning has sufficient duration and intensity to address community needs and meet specified outcomes.
  

Additional information on service-learning is available at the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse at http://www.servicelearning.org.