Service-learning provides students the opportunity to work with others, gain valuable
insights, and acquire different skills. Through varied community projects, they can apply
what they have been taught in class by formulating appropriate solutions to the problems they
encounter in their chosen communities.
RENDER SERVICE & PERFORM ACTS
1. Monitor the effects of POOR NUTRITION and LACK OF EXERCISE by organizing
health related activities, concoct NUTRITIOUS recipes, and putting up fruit and
vegetable stands in the schools in the community.
2. Monitored streams and eliminate invasive aquatic species.
3. Help struggling LOCAL non-profit organizations cope with difficult economic
conditions.
4. Provide ASSISTANCE in holding events in the community.
CHARACTERISTICS
of
1. It brings good, substantial, and practical results for the participants.
2. It promotes COOPERATION rather than COMPETITION where the skills associated
with TEAMWORK and ACTIVE community involvement are developed.
3. It gives appropriate rather than simplified solutions to problems that seriously affect the
community.
4. Provides REAL-LIFE experiences wherein students gain knowledge from a particular
community engagement activity rather than from a textbook. Through these direct
experiences, service-learning offers great opportunities for students to develop their
critical thinking skills and learn how to identify relevant and emerging issues in
community settings.
5. Gives students a DEEPER UNDERSTANDING of concepts and real-life situations in the
community through immediately observable results.
6. Becomes a more SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE for students, leading to their emotional
and social development and cognitive learning.
is NOT
1. An episodic volunteer program
2. An add-on course to an existing school or college curriculum.
3. Logging a set number of community service hours in order to graduate.
4. Compensatory service assigned as a form of punishment by the courts or by school
administrators.
5. Only for high school or college students.
6. One-sided, that’s beneficial only to the students or the community.
THEORY
It is a form of experiential education wherein learning occurs through cycles of action
and reflection. Students work with others in applying what they have learned in class to
solve community problems while, at the same time, reflecting upon their experiences as
they seek to attain their goals for the community.
Benefits of
1. Increase the level of understanding
2. Gain firsthand experience
3. Question or defend values & beliefs
4. Have the opportunity to act on values and beliefs
5. Increase the knowledge of diverse cultures and communities
6. Learn more about social issues and their causes
7. Improve the ability to handle difficult situations
8. Be open to change and become more flexible
9. Develop or enhance their skills, especially in the areas of COMMUNICATION,
COLLABORATION, and LEADERSHIP.
10. Connect with professionals and community members who will also learn from the
service-learning program.
11. Grow a professional network of people, whom they can contact later for career
growth.
12. Be encouraged in joining public service or social organizations.
Steps in
Implementing
1. Assess the community resources
2. Establish partnership and linkages
3. Indicate the specific learning objectives and syllabus
4. Initially plan on the chosen program
5. Plan the details of the program
6. Look for funds
7. Implement and manage the program
8. Organize reflection activities
9. Assess and evaluate the program
10. Celebrate the achievements
