Service Learning  is the development and application of knowledge and skills towards meeting an identified and authentic community need. 

All students in the Career Related Program are required to engage in a minimum of 50 hours of service learning that demonstrates student achievement of the five service learning outcomes. Students will engage in three formal interviews with their service learning coordinator. Evidence of student achievement of the five outcomes is documented by the Service Learning Coordinator. 

1. Investigation: Students participate in social analysis of a selected issue, with identification and confirmation of a community need, often with a designated community partner. Having an inventory of interests, skills, talents and areas for personal growth, students are able to make choices based on their priorities and abilities and the designated need. 

2. Preparation: Students acquire and develop the knowledge and skills needed for deeper understanding of the issues that prepares them for purposeful action. Students design a service plan appropriate to the identified need, with clarification of roles and responsibilities, resource requirements and timelines to successfully implement the plan. Any community partners are likely to be consulted. 

3. Action: Students implement the plan through direct service, indirect service, advocacy or research. Their service may be a combination of one or more of these types of service. Students may work individually, with partners or in groups. 

4. Reflection: Students examine their thoughts, feelings and actions applied to the context of self, community and the world. With service learning, reflection often occurs with greater frequency as students identify significant moments generated by new situations and insights.

5.  Demonstration: Students make explicit what and how they learned and what they have accomplished, for example by sharing their service experience through their service learning portfolio, or with others in an informal or formal manner. Through demonstration and communication, students solidify their understanding and evoke responses from other.

Examples & Guidance on Selecting Service Learning

• School-Based Service Learning: While students are encouraged to participate in meaningful service that benefits the community outside school, they may well find appropriate service learning opportunities within the school. 

• Community-based service learning: Participating in service learning within the local community advances student awareness and understanding of social issues and solution 

• Social entrepreneurship: A social entrepreneur is someone who adopts a business approach towards addressing authentic community needs 

• International service: Students are encouraged to participate locally in service learning before considering service learning opportunities outside their country. Students benefit most from serving in an international context when able to make clear links to parallel issues in their local environs and they understand the consequences of their actions. 

• Volunteerism: Students often volunteer in service learning experiences organized by other students, the school or an external group.

• Fundraising: For fundraising to have meaning and purpose, students must initially develop their understanding of the cause and issues being addressed and then choose the organization to support. 

• Immediate Need: In response to a disaster, students often want to take immediate action. Typically they quickly attempt to assess the need and devise a planned response

• Service learning arising from the curriculum: Teachers plan units with service learning opportunities in mind, leading to student action 

*Students provide the school with evidence in their service learning portfolio of having achieved each learning outcome at least once through their service learning program.