Service-learning guides and opportunities
What is service-learning?
Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with classroom curriculum, allowing students to connect academic studies with real-life solutions in order to strengthen communities.
How does it work?
Within the classroom, students identify community needs and apply their skills and studies to research solutions. Then they plan service activities, implement the activities, and evaluate and reflect on the experiences and impact.
Who does it?
Data gathered from educators in the 2016-17 school year revealed 442,452 students participated in at least one school-led service and/or service-learning activity. An overwhelming majority of responding schools reported that school-led service and/or service-learning activities have a positive impact on their students’ development and ability to benefit their community
What kinds of resource are included here?
This collection includes two kinds of resources: planning guides and classroom resources to help educators and school leaders develop service-learning in their classrooms and school communities, followed by links to organizations that provide opportunities for educators and school leaders who want to integrate service-learning into their classroom curriculum.
How can I learn more about implementing a program in my school?
This collection is shared by Service in Schools, an initiative of the NYC Department of Education in partnership with NYC Service, Office of the Mayor. Service in Schools strives to expand the number of NYC students engaged in transformative community service and service-learning experiences that enable them to use their voice, skills, and critical thinking to affect positive change in their communities and the world.
Service in Schools provides direct assistance to schools to develop and improve their community service and service-learning programs, professional learning workshops for educators interested and ready to implement service-learning, leadership programs for students, and resources to create and enhance schools’ community service and service-learning programs.
Email ServiceinSchools@schools.nyc.gov to have a member of the team visit your school to learn about your service projects and see the impact your students are making on the community.
Please note that the files in this collection cannot be downloaded from WeTeachNYC because they link out to an external site.
Included Resources
Service learning offers students opportunities to benefit from real world applications of academic learning while still in school. This one-page article, by Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., CBK Associates, author of The Complete Guide to Service Learning, explains the service learning framework and process that is key for students to deepen understanding and transfer knowledge and skills. For more information on developing service learning programs, explore the resources shared on Cathryn’s site, CBK Associates.
When students understand the five stages of service learning, they become more adept at the process. They can also apply this framework to diverse situations. With this learning experience, Cathryn Berger Kaye, M.A., CBK Associates, author of The Complete Guide to Service Learning, provides teaching tools to guide your students in understanding each of the five stages. You will find this adaptable to different grades and ages. For more information on developing service learning programs, explore the resources shared on Cathryn’s site, CBK Associates.
Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots is a global youth-led community action program comprised of thousands of young people dedicated to making the world a better place. Roots & Shoots provides educators with tools that develop students’ 21st Century learning skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, and a spirit of collaboration. This guide to community mapping outlines how to adequately research communities before developing service learning projects and was created by Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots youth service program.
Roots & Shoots offers educators many other resources on their website, including a free curriculum-based service-learning program and the opportunity to win a $200 Mini-Grant to support their service learning projects.
Explore their website or click here to join a campaign and form a Roots & Shoots team. Contact rootsandshoots@janegoodall.org for more information.
generationOn provides programs, tools and resources to engage kids and teens in service and volunteering. generationOn has a wealth of lesson plans, toolkits, webinars and other resources to help K-12 educators implement service learning in their school. Discover how you can advance your teaching practice and enhance your students' learning with generationOn resources on our website today!
Lead2Feed is a student leadership program teaching middle and high school students to become passionate, service-minded leaders for life. Lead2Feed offers free teacher and student lesson plans, resources to make integration into any subject area easy, and alignment guides for subjects such as literacy and CTE. As a bonus, student teams can enter their work in the Lead2Feed Challenge by April 6, 2018. Fifty teams will win up to $10,000 for their chosen charity and tech products for their school. Explore their website to learn more and register. Contact Debby Dodge at debby@liftalifefoundation.org for more information.
The WE Schools program provides educators and students with curriculum, educational resources, professional development, and a full calendar of action campaign ideas for service-learning. WE Schools is free for teachers and school staff – simply register here. Once registered, educators can search the WE Schools’ library of resources by topic, class subject, and grade level to find resources for grades K-12 on a wide variety of local and global issues. Educators can also take advantage of pre-packaged service campaigns or sign up for AP with WE Service, a collaboration between WE and The College Board that incorporates service-based learning modules into existing AP classes. Registered schools will also be able to attend WE Day! WE Day unites world-renowned speakers and award-winning performers, such as Malala Yousafzai, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with local youth who have engaged in service.
Through the free WE Schools program, students gain an understanding of the root causes of pressing issues including hunger, poverty, and lack of education and explore what they can do to help. Click here to register for the program or contact Christopher Parrucci at christopher.parrucci@we.org for more information.
Learning to Give provides educators with K-12 service-learning lesson plans and teaching resources on a variety of issues, searchable by Common Core State Standards, New York State standards, classroom subject, and keywords.