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Why Service Learning?
Students who participate in service learning projects are more likely to be civically engaged in their community and develop a sense of community with those around them -- locally and globally. Oftentimes, the communities students interact with are ones they would not have interacted with otherwise. This broadens their perspective and helps them view the world through a new lens. Working in partnership with people they may not have otherwise, service learning improves students' ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It builds interpersonal, critical-thinking, and leadership skills. Through service learning, students are instilled with a passion to connect with others, find possible future careers they had never thought of before, and become more globally competent.
Service learning can easily be set up as a club or activity within your school. It can also be weaved into your curriculum. The beauty is that the planning is up to you, so you can meet with your students on your own schedule to work on the project. I set my service learning group up as an enrichment activity students could join. We met once a week over the students' lunch period for most of the school year.
4-Step Process to Service Projects
Step 1: Get Engaged!
The first step in service projects is to inspire students to get engaged in their community.
Student Characteristics Emphasised:
Introspective
Hopeful & Optimistic
1. Watch the TedTalk by Montawan (Nae Nae) Chairatchaneeboon with your students. This short TedTalk can be used as a "hook" for your students before you jump into your own service project.
2. Brainstorm the meaning of community. Students should end this brainstorming session with the idea that a community can be as small as their family or as large as our planet. We are all connected!
This image shows a session of brainstorming that middle school students completed this year. The word community was placed in the middle. I wrote students' ideas about what could be a community around that central idea. During brainstorming, there are no wrong answers! Ideas were up for debate, but everything was included.
3. Encourage your students to create their definition of a community. This will be written as a class using the ideas formed from the brainstorming session.
This image shows the definition of community a middle school class decided upon after brainstorming. You can see that as we started writing our definition other ideas floated to the surface. We continued to add those ideas to our definition as long as the class was in agreeance that they should be included. This process often leads to critical thinking and debate as students have to decide together what should be included and what should be excluded.
4. Introduce the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Per the United Nations website, "The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity." The SDGs will be a jumping-off point in deciding what problem students would like to try to solve. Students will watch the short video introducing the SDGs and then explore the SDGs on the United Nations website using the Jigsaw method (instructions provided below). At the end of this activity, students will have a basic understanding of the SDGs.
The jigsaw template below can be modified for your classroom needs.
1. Introduce to Home Groups
Divide the class into their home groups. Explain the strategy and the topic of study. Tell students that they are going to be responsible for teaching one segment or selection to the group they are sitting with now.
2. Break into Expert Groups
Now students will leave their home group to sit with a group of students assigned to the same reading segment or selection, their “expert group.” Ask students to begin reading to themselves, or have them take turns reading aloud. When students are finished reading, the group should discuss their segment, fill out their direction sheet, and decide what and how they should present to their home groups.
3. Regroup with "Home Groups"
Students regroup with their home groups. Each student is responsible for teaching their reading segment or selection to their home group. All students are responsible for learning all material. Determine how you’d like students to organize and summarize all the information they’ve learned. For example, you can provide a graphic organizer or ask them to make a poster to share with the class.
SDGs Jigsaw.docxBelow is an image of the SDGs that can be displayed in a classroom.
Step 2: State the Problem
What action do your students want to take? Students use their knowledge of the SDGs and identify problems they would like to help solve.
Student Characteristics Emphasized:
Introspection
Empathy
Collaboration & Open Communication
2. More brainstorming! After studying the SDGs students have a better idea of the problems the United Nations is trying to address. This is where it gets fun. Open a Google Doc and start brainstorming ideas for problems your students would like to tackle. I do this as a whole class activity and record all of the ideas on one Google Doc. Remember, it's just brainstorming! There are no wrong answers.
3. Create a Google Form. Add all of the ideas your students generated. I allow my students to vote on the five ideas they find the most interesting. This allows them to feel like they have some choice in what we are doing even if their top choice does not get picked. Below is the Google Form from my 2022-23 class of middle school students. After we have our top five choices, students vote again on their top three choices. This is the final vote. The idea that gets the most ideas is our service project.
4. Now we are ready to define the problem and come up with a plan! This process will be specific to the service project your students decide to tackle. Things to consider:
a. How will you connect your service project to the SDGs?
b. Is this a one-time project or a long-term project?
c. What do we already know about the people/place/animals/environment that we will be serving?
d. What do we need to learn about the people/place/animals/environment that we will be serving?
e. Will this project require outside support? (i.e. donations, fundraising, partnerships)
Knowing that building a school is a huge endeavor, we partnered with a nonprofit organization already working in Rwanda. Our goal was to build one classroom for the school, which would cost $10,000.
Knowing that building a school is a huge endeavor, we partnered with a nonprofit organization already working in Rwanda. Our goal was to build one classroom for the school, which would cost $10,000.
Example Project from Washburn Rural Middle School, Topeka, KS:
SDG Goal #4
SDG Goal #4
While this project could have supported several SDG goals, my students chose to focus on SDG goal #4. By helping to build a school, they are working to ensure inclusive and quality education for the children around Kigali, Rwanda. As one of my students said, "Our group values education and we would like to give people around the world the same opportunities we have."
This school year, my students learned of a nonprofit organization called Imana Kids. Imana Kids is based in the United States, but partners with Rwandans in an "effort to eradicate poverty, promote education, and overall raise the well-being of Rwanda's citizens. Over the past six years, Imana Kids has worked in Rwanda, specifically Kigali and Bugesera to create long-term, sustainable solutions to help some vulnerable children attend school, have healthcare, and have three nutritious meals a day. " (imanakids.org)
The students' goal was to help build a classroom for the school Imana Kids is building in Rwanda for orphaned children. We gathered data and knowledge including how much it costs to build in Rwanda, what cultural and historical factors play a role in building the school, and who are the people this school will benefit. We also talked to the founder of the nonprofit organization and learned about the life of the orphans by talking to a young man from Rwanda who is an "Imana Kid" via Zoom.
Step 3: Take Action
The ‘Take Action’ step is when your students use the knowledge and planning they’ve completed to implement their service project.
Student Characteristics Emphasized:
Acts with Purpose
Is A Team Player
Thinks Critically
Collaborates & Communicates Openly
Is Adaptable & Resilient
At this point, you should be ready to implement your service project. This is often the most exciting part! Your actions will vary based on the service project your students have chosen. Below is an example of how my students implemented a service project. The key is to let your students take charge!
Example Project from Washburn Rural Middle School, Topeka, KS:
To help build a school was a long-term project that we knew would take an entire school year. Students planned and implemented various fundraising events in order to meet their goal of raising $10,000. They hosted two events at restaurants that donated a portion of their profits -- one on Giving Tuesday. They planned and hosted a dodgeball tournament for our school. They planned and ran a snack sale during our school lunches. We also had a website to collect donations and keep track of our fundraising.
Step 4: Reflect and Celebrate
While reflection should happen at every step of the project, there should be intentional time at the end of the project for students to reflect on the significance of their actions.
Student Characteristics Emphasized:
Introspective
Empathetic
Inspiring to Peers
Hopeful & Optimistic
Example Project from Washburn Rural Middle School, Topeka, KS:
In May of 2023, my middle school students reached their goal of raising $10,000 to help build the school in Rwanda, Africa. It was time to reflect on our plan, what we learned, and what we actually accomplished. It was also time for me as a teacher to reflect on this service learning project and decide what I would take with me into next year.
What went well? Many things went well. We successfully organized three large scale fundraisers, as well as several smaller fundraisers. Students stayed engaged and interested in their project because they were given the opportunity to have a say in what they were going to tackle. We met our goal of raising $10,000.
What would you have done differently? There are always opportunities for students to learn more from a service learning experience. Although we did some, on reflection, I think I could have done a better job of teaching the students about the country of Rwanda and it's complicated history to help them have a better understanding of why the school is needed.
What feedback did you get from your students? My students were enthusiastic about this project for the entire school year. The biggest feedback I received was that they wanted more time talking with Isaac (a former orphan from Rwanda) and Kara. They are also interested in going to Rwanda to see the school.
How do you know that this was successful? Several measurements tell me this project was successful. The biggest was that we met our fundraising goal. Second, students now have an understanding of Rwanda and its culture, which helps to broaden their global competence. Third, they were able to talk to and make a connection with people that live in another country, showing them that people are people everywhere. Lastly, my students have a better understanding of the SDGs.
How do you plan to incorporate this strategy/project in the future? I will continue to use the 4-Step process for service learning each year.
What else should be considered when incorporating this strategy/project into instruction? Please remember that not all students will have the same depth of understanding and empathy. For some, it will be a moving experience that changes them forever. It will inspire them to continue serving others without your guidance. It might inspire a future career or cause them to be more civically engaged. For others, it will be a project they think little about after. The latter is not a failure. Your goal is to expose students to people and organizations they may never have been exposed to otherwise. This small step will help to build empathy and compassion to different cultures, lifestyles, and perspectives.
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