Service Learning

A service learning project is collaborative, authentic, and meets a community need. The purpose of either a series of service learning experiences or a single large service learning project is to ensure participation in collaboration, develop new skills or strengthen previously obtained skills, and use knowledge gained from academic studies to improve understanding. The IBCP candidates should show initiative when creating their projects either close to home or abroad.

50 hours minimum are expected for Service Learning.

The Five Service Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes:

Identify your strengths, abilities, and skills as well as which areas are in need of growth.

2. Participate in either individual activities or in activities with other participants, or both.

3. Demonstrate skills and discuss the benefits and challenges of working

4. Show an understanding of global issues by taking appropriate action whether locally, nationally or internationally.

5. Consider consequences and ethics when planning and carrying out service experiences.

NOTE: not all learning outcomes will be achieved all at once, but within the two year time frame of the program all students should be able to show evidence in their portfolios for all five learning outcomes.

FIVE SERVICE LEARNING STAGES: These stage of learning occur while working on the project and can also need to

1. Investigation: What is the community need? How does it match my interests? Who are the community partners?

2. Preparation: What is the plan for accomplishing this service? What are the roles? Responsibilities? A timeline? Resources needed?

3. Action: Carry out the plan through direct or indirect service, working individually, with partners, or in a group.

4. Reflection: What did I learn? What benefits did my service provide? How did I feel during the service cycle? What difference did this make?

5. Demonstration: How do I show what and how I learned, accomplished, and achieved. This can be done through sharing informally or formally, the documentation in the service learning portfolio, or by other means.

The Types of Service Learning

There are many types of Service Learning available to IBCP candidates but once they have chosen the type of service there are for types of action that may be used to complete the Service Learning Project: Direct Service, Indirect Service, Advocacy and Research.

Types of Service Learning:

ONGOING—Continued service over a period of time teaches commitment and perseverance.

SCHOOL-BASED—Find an authentic need within our school. The skills learned can then be transferred to action in the greater community.

COMMUNITY-BASED—Local community issues and needs are addressed. Interactions on a regular basis are best.

IMMEDIATE NEED—Response to a disaster, or sudden need. There should also be a commitment to ongoing assistance later.

FUNDRAISING—Raising funds for an identified cause can also address community needs. Direct communication with the organization that benefits from fundraising efforts is important. Accountability of the funds raised should also be established.

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Adopt a business approach to address an authentic community need. This approach can develop business skills, as well as meet a community need.

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE—Students are encouraged to participate locally first. If service outside their own country is possible, make clear links to parallel issues in the local community

VOLUNTEERISM—Become involved in service organized by other students or an outside organization. It is helpful to use the Five Service Learning Stages first.

4 Types of Action:

Direct Service: working directly with people, animals or the environment Example: tutoring, working in an animal shelter, planting a flower garden at a non-profit
Indirect service: students don’t work directly with the people served, but their actions benefit the community or environment Example: redesign a non-profit’s website, write picture books to teach a language, Holiday Basket collection
Advocacy: speaking on behalf of an issue to promote awareness Example: a campaign for anti-bullying, create posters to promote public library services to teens
Research: collect information from a variety of sources, analyze data, and report to influence policy

Copy of Gathering Information About a Community Need.pdf

One way to gather information on a community need can be by using the form at left. The purpose is to assist students in finding the need through media, interviews, surveys, and observation within the community in order to pinpoint where needs may be.

Service Learning Portfolio

A Service Learning Portfolio is required to show the extent and outcomes of the Service Learning Project. You may choose a format that works best with your personal learning style. Suggestions include written paragraphs, a dialogue, a poem, a video, a collage or a blog.The portfolio is to be broken into three sections as follows:

A. PROFILE SECTION This section includes personal interests, skills, talents, areas for growth, plans and goals for service.

B. EXPERIENCES: This section includes a chronicle of active engagement in service. It could incorporate a variety of reflections, learning moments, personal achievements and how they have put the five service learning stages into practice. Reflections on involvement and achievement related to the Five Service Learning outcomes can also be included in this section.

C. EVIDENCE: This section include evidence of involvement, such as service hour verifications, planning documents, letters or acknowledgments of participation, photographs, videos etc. Be sure to keep track of your hours! Work on the Portfolio should be ongoing throughout the two years in the CP, and not left to the end, or just prior to the second or third interview. It is much easier to collect evidence, to reflect on experiences and to monitor progress as you go rather than to try to reconstruct later.

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