Service Learning Projects - 1 Running Head: Service Learning Projects in Civic Education
The Use of Service Learning Projects in Civic Education to Reduce Student Political Apathy
Brittany Sizer
Peabody College
Capstone Experience
March 5, 2008
Service Learning Projects - 2 Abstract
According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, since
1972 when 18-21 year old U.S. citizens were given the right to vote, political participation has
declined (Youth, 2007, p. 1). Many researchers have found different reasons for this current
apathetic state of affairs, but I would argue that although the current state of political engagement
looks dreary when studying the 18-24 year olds, simple educational reform could solve many of the
problems plaguing the political scene today. Research has shown consistently that although the
youth of America are reluctant to get involved in politics, they still are extremely enthusiastic about
volunteering and making a difference in their community. With that in mind, it is clear that the most
effective means of teaching civic education to adolescents is by combining traditional civic
education with service learning. By designing a program that concentrates on service learning and
focuses on proven modern education best practices and concepts, I feel that students will be able to
see real world application more clearly. Understanding how different types of people learn, and
how to appeal to an individual’s strengths in order to build upon their weaknesses, is vital for
student success. However, understanding learners and learning is not enough for students to be
achieve, rather educators must also accompany this with a strong curriculum. The idea that “one
teaching style fits all,” tends to reflect a teacher-centered instructional approach that does not work
for all students due to their diverse needs and learning styles. A strong curriculum centered on real
world application, discussion, higher order thinking skills, and preparation for college, reduces the
conflicts between teaching styles and learning styles. A relaxed and supportive learning
environment where students feel comfortable discussing their thoughts, feelings, ideas, and attitudes
about public life and politics is also essential. When students feel comfortable to share, they take
greater pride in the learning process and feel more invested in their learning. It is also essential to
Service Learning Projects - 3 remember that these three components are most successful when teachers administer various
authentic assessments that indicate students’ abilities to apply skills and knowledge to projects and
activities. By providing a wide range of assessments, all students have the opportunity to showcase
their strengths and build upon weaknesses. In short, combining these four areas of interest with
current trends of student interest in volunteerism will serve not only to educate students about the
importance of political participation, but also begin to reverse the trends of political apathy in our
nations young people.
Service Learning Projects - 4 -
Looking back on the passage of the Twenty-sixth amendment in 1971, many hoped that
allowing eighteen year olds the right to vote would encourage them to not only vote in vast
numbers, but also begin to transform American politics. However, studies have illustrated that
people age eighteen to twenty-four have actually had little or no real impact on the political system
or elections over the past forty-years. For example, in 1994, “one in five eligible young voters
(those young persons registered to vote) showed up for the midterm election,” and in the 2000
presidential election only 38% of young people ages eighteen to twenty-nine year olds voted (Bose
& DiIulio, 2007, p.196). Many scholars have contributed this lack of participation to a rampant
sense of apathy that plagues young adult views regarding politics and politicians themselves. What
is striking, however, is that even while these young people exhibit political apathy, they also
embrace community service much more than past generations—leading other Americans in overall
civic duty (Bose & DiIulio, 2007, p. 198). Kevin Mattson (2003), a leading contemporary history
professor from Ohio University, notes though that although “young citizens sense no civic
connection between voting and volunteering or between political campaigns and community
affairs,” they still feel (and display) a sense of civic responsibility in the form of volunteerism (p.
195). Thus, as teachers we must motivate our students and illustrate to them that there is a way to
“move beyond this disconnect by reconnecting voluntary service and political education” (Bose &
DiIulio, 2007, p. 195).
The political disaffection of young people today poses a major political problem that must
be changed, as American youth are the future of the nation. Thus, if young citizens continue to be
apathetic and apolitical about public life, the Nation will continue to deteriorate. There are
numerous approaches to civic education which make it difficult to achieve a consensus, however,
Service Learning Projects - 5 during my literature review it became apparent that the best way to move beyond debate is to
combine traditional civic education with an in schools through programs like Kids Voting and
Youth Vote 2000. Using the school as the main venue is preferred over outside venues, which tend
to focus on consumer culture—like MTV’s Rock the Vote, for example. In fact, statistics illustrate
that one of the main problems with civic participation is that students do not get excited about
political issues until right before the polls open. For example, according to Valerie Sulfaro, an
associate professor in the political science department at James Madison University, “political
interest usually starts to increase two weeks before an election,” thus people who procrastinate may
find that it is too late to register or apply for an absentee ballot (Youth, 2007, p. 2). Students need to
be constantly aware of politics around the country and also when they need to act. Simply, “tuning
in” to politics when it is convenient cannot be the only path for involvement. Teachers and
educators can use volunteerism to demonstrate to students that through volunteering, it is easy to
become involved politically. In fact, most campaigns view young people as some of the best
potential volunteers and staffers, as they possess lots of enthusiasm and have ample free time when
compared to working professionals (Youth, 2007, p. 3).
In the beginning, I thought that the best way to teach what it means to be a responsible
citizen of the United States and the value that that privilege holds was to use certain elements of
Project Citizen, a portfolio based civic education program, to educate my students about the
workings of government and the importance of political participation. This semester long program
focuses on encouraging students to become active participants in both local and state governments
by teaching them how to monitor and sway public policy. Following each semester, committee's
composed of community members meet to decide if student work is capable of actual
implementation. By simply tackling the weaknesses of this program and applying my knowledge in
Service Learning Projects - 6 learners and learning, environment, curriculum, and assessment, I thought I could make Project
Citizen more successful and further aid students by presenting the greatest learning experience
possible. However, I soon realized that the program had significant problems, as even with my
changes it required too many resources for most schools to implement. Additionally, other problems
- like resistance from older teachers who are set in their teaching ways, lack of accountability, and
students who lack the background knowledge to understand various issues stood as significant
barriers to the likely success of my new program. Although there are ways that these problems
could be minimized, I realized that I really needed to scrutinize the apathetic nature of young people
towards politics from a different angle.
Mattson (2003) notes that many colleges and universities have developed ‘service learning’
programs (p. 204), in which enrolled students perform service, but also discuss what they are doing
in the classroom. For example, students in a specific class that focuses on housing policy might
work at a homeless shelter with their classmates while enrolled in the course. This definition of
“service learning” is far from what many high schools, like East Literature Magnet in East
Nashville, TN, play out. In my experience, students that participate in service learning courses
simply report to a sponsor (usually a teacher) during a specific period of the school day and help out
with grading and room arrangement. Thus, in order for service learning based civic education to
truly work, the words, “service learning” need to take on a new connotation within the high school
realm. After all, I believe that if teachers can capitalize on student interest, students can connect
what they do at their service site with policy efforts, their attitudes will change towards politics.
This would not only have the effect of maximizing the effectiveness of civic education, it also
greatly reduces the required resources by utilizing time already built in to the academic schedule.
According to research, under this model, students’ leave with a clearer perspective on social issues
Service Learning Projects - 7 and their forthcoming implications (Bose & DiIulio, 2007, p. 204). In order to begin to reverse the
widespread political apathy of the American Youth, I believe that civic education must not be taken
for granted, as I have seen during my experiences both as a student and student teacher. Educators
must properly address and implement understanding in four key areas in order to ensure that
students reap the maximum benefit of the social studies education and make a lasting impression in
regard to the importance of community involvement and political participation of our youth.
Every year, teachers are confronted with the seemingly impossible task of making one
semester of a student’s senior year of high school so memorable that the lessons taught last a
lifetime. In order to connect volunteerism with civic education, educators must be willing to
“master the fine art” of connecting content knowledge with students, in addition to “doing what it
takes to adapt their teaching so that what they teach takes hold in the lives and minds of students,”
as the same formula does not work for every student (Tomlinson, 2006, p. 16). These key phrases
truly embody the first of the vital key areas that must be addressed: learners and learning. Simply
put, in order for students to maximize their learning opportunities, they must be able to directly
relate to them. After studying Howard Gardner, I realize that students view themselves as gifted in
multiple ways. Under his theory of multiple intelligences, teachers may describe students’ cognitive
abilities in terms of numerous fairly “independent, but interacting cognitive capacities,” instead of
in terms of one ‘general’ intelligence (Moran et al., 2006, p. 23). This simply means that students
are really a combination of individual strengths and weaknesses, and that no two students are likely
to have the same combination. As educators, it is important to understand not only the various
intelligences but, also the ability to recognize them in a student’s profile. Without the knowledge of
how specific students process information, it is difficult to maximize their strengths during the
learning process. Thus, using a specific strength to support an area of weakness is helpful
Service Learning Projects - 8 throughout the learning process for learners. Simply ignoring student weaknesses is not beneficial,
as it does not help build up their weak areas. Instead, teachers need to aim to teach learners in a way
that takes advantage of student power and breathes new life into learning (Tomlinson, 2006, p. 21).
Additionally, intelligences are not single entities; rather they interact with one another to
produce various outcomes by working within and across students (Moran et al., 2003, p. 24). By
partnering service learning with traditional civic education, I hope to not only allow students to
work together and help one another develop their strengths, but I also strive to provide an
opportunity that offers a multitude of rich learning experiences to students—activities that “engage
with the material personally” instead of attempting to “absorb it in an abstract and de-contextualized
way” (Moran et al., 2003, p. 25). By allowing students to learn using different intelligences at the
same time, I feel that they will all have the opportunity to be successful, as each student will have
the opportunity learn in his or her own way. When students demonstrate their learning in various
ways, it not only keeps the energy in the classroom higher, but also allows the teacher to make sure
that each and every student understands the concept. Simply, when teachers focus on student
strengths and abilities rather than their deficits, research illustrates that student achievement levels
climb (Tomlinson, 2006, p. 18).
In addition to multiple intelligences, through my civic education program I hope to address
the concept of natural learning—the idea that “every student is biologically equipped to learn from
experience” (Caine & Caine, 2006, p. 50). Understanding this capacity is paramount for teachers, as
it allows for them not to be as beleaguered by student differentiations and hopefully creates learning
opportunities that make it easier to teach to students’ strengths. This is primarily done by stressing
the idea that in nature, learning is simply making sense of experience and then using experience to
survive to the best of one’s ability (Caine & Caine, 2006, p. 50). My program will respond to this
Service Learning Projects - 9 idea by responding to student choices and integrating their interests into the course curriculum,
while still teaching the required standards. I am confident that by providing a situation that tests
one’s beliefs, and by tying new information to a purpose and decision making that leads to action,
students will expand their minds (Caine & Caine, 2006, p. 50). Through the new service learning
programs, students will be involved in a cycle of learning where they will be able to see a problem
or issue first and then act. This enables students themselves to discover the power of their own
minds and work in their own ways that they find most effective. The teacher in this situation fills
the facilitator role and helps by guiding student comprehension and aiding in student understanding
(Orozco & Sattin, 2007, p. 60).
Additionally, it is essential for service learning programs to capitalize on student interests
and curiosities, and assist their learning from a point of confidence. In many respects, this helps
students develop a sense of ownership with the material and helps keep their attention throughout
the unit. Through KWL charts and other graphic organizers, I hope students will be better able to
link what they are required “to learn with what they already know, what they want to know, and
what they have an enthusiasm for, as this builds not only on understanding, but also fosters an
attraction for subject and/or topic investigation (Tomlinson, 2006, p. 20). Studies form the National
Assessment of Educational Programs (NAEP) have demonstrated that civics students will likely be
the most successful with a developmental model in which they start by learning content and then
move forward by trying to make sense of it through civic practice (Wenglinsky, 2004, p. 34).
Through the newly revamped service learning programs, students will be able to partner traditional
learning in the classroom with a service learning opportunity outside of the classroom.
For example, students interested in environmental protection could take part in a service
learning activity that is based around the concept of reducing, reusing, and recycling. One way that
Service Learning Projects - 10 this could be explored is by having learners become involved in activities such as the Glass Slipper
Project, which provides a list of facilities that collect used proms dresses and formal wear so that
young women who would otherwise not have the opportunity to participate in certain events may
have the option. Environmentally, these projects are also beneficial because it cuts down on the two
quadrillion pounds that Americans collectively discard each year (Mitchell, 2007, p. 1). By
partnering the two methods of learning, students will not only learn the content, but also be able to
make sense of it by applying it to the real world. First hand observation of how political policy
affects the areas that they are interested in will enable students to gain a new interest in political
activity. Additionally, allowing students to pick the service learning class that they are most
interested in creates a sense of ownership with the material, the class, and the service learning
organization even before the semester begins.
Currently, educational political policy does not support this type of service learning
opportunity for students, as NCLB has moved from being simply an accountability measure for
student achievement results to also mandating that needed funds much be placed into the
development of the basic skills approach (Wenglinsky, 2004, p. 35). Although basic skills are vital
for learners, they must be balanced with higher-order thinking skills in order to ensure that the
cognitive development of our students is not in danger. The service learning programs that I
propose implementing tackle this current learning policy problem and embrace a certain sense of
accountability. They are designed for learners to raise their achievement levels not through the
simple knowledge of basic skills, but by “placing more emphasis on teaching for meaning”
(Wenglinsky, 2004, p. 35). After all, that is the type of learning that learners will remember in the
future, and as educators, that should be our paramount concern.
Service Learning Projects - 11 Teachers who desire to be successful also must understand how their curriculum impacts
learners and learning. Studies demonstrate that a large number of students who graduate from high
school are not college ready, and thus are unsuccessful when they enter college. The difference in
expectations between the two levels of education illustrates that there is a gap that needs to be
closed. After all, when studying a college course, one finds that students are expected to be
“independent, self-reliant learners who recognize when they are having problems with the course
material and know how to request help from their professors and fellow classmates in order to
complete numerous well-written and well-organized papers and projects (Conley, 2007, p. 24).
High school students, on the other hand, are practically spoon-fed information and are asked rarely
to use higher order thinking skills. Instead, secondary teachers typically ask them to complete
prearranged tasks that do little to challenge their personal values, and as such, they view any
challenge to their status quo way of thinking as “a personal attack” (Conley, 2007, p. 24). In order
to begin to fix this troubling problem, teachers must advocate aligning school curriculum and
instruction with college expectations. This process can be positive for both students and teachers.
First, bringing teachers together to integrate course material and map out a way where each course
fits in with other courses, both in and outside their departments, will help build camaraderie and
understanding between educators. In addition, by doing this, students will have access to reviewing
material in various classes and be better prepared for college expectations.
The curriculum of the service-learning program itself addresses the college readiness
problem in that it advocates for students to think outside the box and develop cognitively. If courses
had to address material in other courses and fit together in a more cohesive manner, many of the
benefits that students receive from being enrolled in the service learning course would transfer to
other courses by encouraging the continued use of higher order thinking skills. Moreover, the
Service Learning Projects - 12 service learning program’s curriculum would be set-up much like a senior seminar, as it would help
create the college experience for students in high school without burdening students with college
level texts too quickly. Instead of relying primarily on the textbook and allowing it to become the
curriculum, research illustrates that the most helpful lessons have relied more heavily upon primary
sources and other outside forms of reading (Olsen, 1995, p. 130). By allowing students to focus on
specific topics and discuss meaning in depth, students are able to employ higher level thinking skills
that will help them adjust to college more easily. Specifically, the service learning based senior
seminars regarding government would employ a more rapid pace for learning than a typical high
school level course, as well as place a focus on merging and intensifying the understanding of
material to which students have already been shown, rather than focusing on introducing copious
amounts of new material (Conley, 2007, p. 26). This is vital, as research demonstrates that the art of
teaching currently dwells almost exclusively on providing learners with knowledge and then leaving
them with few opportunities to unpack it (Olsen, 1995, p. 130).
Thus, the whole philosophy of “less is more” seems to be the best method for “maximizing
student learning” (Olsen, 1995, p. 130). During the seminars, teachers are trained to give students
honest and sincere feedback regarding how well their work aligns with college level. This feedback
is paramount for students, as it prepares them not only to understand constructive feedback, but also
how to respond positively to criticism (Conley, 2007, p. 26). In addition, having this feedback
“timely” and “ongoing” is vital, as it helps promote and keep student engagement and momentum
(Orozco & Sattin, 2007, p. 60). Setting up a service learning type seminar for seniors will also help
students to hone their interpretation, problem solving, critical reasoning, analytic research, and
accuracy skills. For example, concept mapping, which could be used for brainstorming ideas,
matrices to organize information on a particular issue, and using analogies and metaphors should all
Service Learning Projects - 13 be encouraged. This ensures that students are thinking critically and also serve to heighten their
comprehension (Olsen, 1995, p. 132). By aiding students in the development of their critical
thinking, teachers not only aid students in becoming strong decision makers in other educational
subjects, but also give them the opportunity to have the basic education required to participate in, as
well as contribute to, society as a whole (Sears & Hughes, 1996, p. 130). Moreover, the curriculum
of the senior service learning seminars would emphasize writing, a skill that many high school
students lack, and as such are unprepared for college. By emphasizing writing skills, students will
be more exposed to college level assessments and pedagogy, and as a result will be more equipped
to tackle the transition into college. All in all, to respond to the current needs and interests of
students today, secondary educators must work to align their teaching, material, and lessons with
those of post-secondary institutions (Conley, 2007, p. 29). Lastly, the curriculum needs to
emphasize embedding technological skills in programs outside of computer literacy. Student
knowledge regarding technology is just as important today, as the skills of literacy and numeracy
and their ability to work within in everyday will help better prepare them for the global scene
(Orozco & Sattin, 2007, p. 60).
Furthermore, educators must create a learning environment that is not only comfortable for
students, but also open. Studies illustrate that when teachers maintain a class atmosphere of
“relaxed alertness,” students feel knowledgeable, self-assured, and motivated (Caine & Caine, 2006,
p. 53). As a result, students feel comfortable in asking questions, directing themselves, and pushing
through even the most difficult portions of content. Having students feel relaxed enough to pose
questions in a learning environment where standards are infused into the content is of great
importance because it allows students to first “actively process” the information and then opens up
the opportunity for the teacher to guide student understanding and study towards various skills
Service Learning Projects - 14 without “depriving them of their voice” (Caine & Caine, 2006, p. 53). This type of environment
allows for students to take part in “extensive authentic decision making,” which is one of the main
goals of the senior service learning seminars (Caine & Caine, 2006, p.53). Additionally, in order to
manage the classroom positively, senior service learning seminars will be designed to preserve a
balance between teacher actions that provide clear, natural consequences for unacceptable student
behavior and teacher actions that identify and reward acceptable behavior (Marzano & Marzano,
2003, p. 6). After all, recent studies have shown that the quality of teacher-student relationships is
paramount and that a good foundation lays a successful groundwork for all other specifics of
classroom management (Marzano & Marzano, 2003, p. 6). Thus, if teachers simply exhibit
appropriate levels of dominance, cooperation, and awareness of high needs students, relationships
can be extremely effective. This can primarily be done by establishing clear learning goals at the
beginning of each unit, making expectations clear and visible through the usage of rubrics,
providing summative feedback regarding those goals, using assertive behavior, tone of voice and
body language and promptly confronting inappropriate behavior (Marzano & Marzano, 2003, p. 8).
Additionally, viewing the relationship between teachers and students as a team may help foster a
sense of cooperation, which conveys the message to students that the teacher cares about their wellbeing and success.
The service learning environment also needs to be one in which scaffolding is one of the
main methods for learners to learn. By scaffolding instruction, students move from being novices to
becoming more advanced academically in a particular subject. As well, it is important to note that
the same rules that apply to students should also apply to teachers, as through this type of teaching,
teachers set the example and are essentially the model for learners to imitate. As a whole, the
environment needs to foster collaboration, as today the challenge is dealing with and finding
Service Learning Projects - 15 solutions for international problems that spill over national borders (Orozco & Sattin, 2007, p. 60).
In the past, emphasis has been placed on student competition, but today the emphasis must be
shifted towards collaboration between students, as that is how worldwide problems can be solved.
In reaction to this change in emphasis, schools must restructure both their curriculum and pedagogy
so that learning, the curriculum, and the environment place the students at the center. Global issues
can be made local if educators work together to create meaningful assignments that take big issues,
break them down into smaller, more manageable chunks of material and guide students to think
about their implications (Orozco & Sattin, 2007, p. 60). Another way that a positive learning
environment can be achieved is by encouraging interaction between students to help one another
appreciate what citizenship means, what responsibilities are involved, and how to reflect on and
infer rights and responsibilities. Senior service learning courses not only ask students to reflect, but
also encourage the development of language skills and cultural awareness that students need to live
in a “multicultural, multilingual, globally interconnected world” (Orozco & Sattin, 2007, p. 60). All
in all, Orozco and Sattin (2007) are correct when they state “education for globalization should aim
to educate the whole child for the whole world” (p. 62).
A comprehensive civic education program must also place particular emphasis on how
students will be assessed. Assessments for students should be multifaceted and allow students a
choice in how they want to express their knowledge and understanding of a specific topic. The
senior service learning seminars allow students to learn through the traditional sense, through
reflective and guided class discussions, and through combining actions with knowledge to create
real-world meaningful experiences. Students have the opportunity to visit each method of
assessment weekly, which makes sure that all students are able to employ their strengths and
weaknesses. For example, during the course of one week students might participate in peer-
Service Learning Projects - 16 teaching, reflective journal writing about their hands-on experiences, and attend a political
discussion regarding the implications of a specific policy or bill on society. Students in all
situations have the opportunity to display their individual work and knowledge, as well as how they
work collaboratively with their peers and parents in order to produce a final product. By
administering various forms of assessment, teachers may find an answer to addressing student
differences while still addressing high standards and capitalizing on student strengths (Caine &
Caine, 2006, p. 54).
Additionally, educators must be aware when assessing students that in all mainstream
classrooms there are some students that may be classified as “at risk.” Not all students learn the
same way, and as such, instructors must make an effort to expose their learners to a variety of
learning modalities. With the usage of practical strategies and practices that are combined with
patience and care, these students may become successful and may demonstrate high-quality work
when solicited. Some strategies that promote higher order thinking, even among at risk students,
include: preparing open-ended questions about the material being covered, increasing wait time for
students to respond, placing challenging questions around the classroom with model responses, and
routinely teaching question words like “analyze” “Interpret” “explain” “trace” (Bell, 2003, p. 33).
Finally, teachers must continually review and re-teach material for all students through correcting
incorrect portions of assignments, informal and formal checks for understanding, and employing
daily reviews either at the beginning or end of each class as routine activities (Bell, 2003, p. 33). All
in all, the most effective approach to confronting and working within student differences is to
engage a universal student strength: “learning from life” (Caine & Caine, 2006, p. 54).
There are certain aspects of basic civic education that all secondary students should have the
opportunity to master while in high school. Although the current political trends illustrate that
Service Learning Projects - 17 today’s youth are apathetic towards government, politics, and public life, through effort their
attitudes can still be changed. By connecting civic education and volunteerism, many students will
better connect their studies with present policies, political initiatives, and implications that affect the
United States as a nation and to some extent the world as a whole.
In addition to providing the best possible civic education for my students, I believe that this
type of service learning based program will also serve to help me advance my own professional
development and further my skills as an educator. I plan on continuing to develop lesson plans that
not only engage students and promote political participation, but also help connect students learning
experiences by teaching in a cross-curricular modality. This is paramount, as students need to
understand that all of their courses are not isolated, but rather connect in a complex fashion and as
such understanding in one course helps strengthen principles and knowledge in another course.
Moreover, I will continue to plan and understand the connection between civic education and public
policies to local service learning by exploring new possibilities and encouraging students to draw
implications from those possibilities. I believe that this will further help my students see the many
ways in which government affects their daily lives. Finally, I plan on continuing to challenge my
students in the classroom and to have them question the status quo each day. By illustrating what
current policies are and having learners brainstorm, I feel that students will realize that change is
possible and can be accomplished successfully when there is a will. I also will continue to plan
using the NCSS and state standards to structure discussions and learning.
Thus, when bringing all conceptual ideas together, I realize that education can be energized
and perhaps a new spin needs to be placed on civic education. Although I originally thought that
implementing a school-wide, four-year version of Project Citizen would be most beneficial for
students, I realize that perhaps that goal is unattainable. Such a program would not only be too time
Service Learning Projects - 18 intensive for both teachers and students, but would also face barriers in the form of teacher
resistance and lack of resources. As such, I think that the most practical way to energize students
about becoming involved and engaged politically is to cater to what they enjoy doing. By bridging
volunteerism with civic education, I feel that students will be given the opportunity to relate
information that they learn inside the classroom to the real world and big issues. By employing a
wide variety of learning techniques, creating a relaxed environment for the seminar, integrating the
curriculum with other courses, evaluating with college level expectations, and having multiple
assessments that test a variety of individual strengths, students will learn to become more politically
active - as they will feel empowered, knowledgeable, and have experience with certain issues. I
believe that only such a focused, concerted effort will provide the necessary change and stimulation
to make a lasting impression of the importance of civic education and political participation to our
youth.
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