SERVICE LEARNING ASSIGNMENT
Service-learning should be viewed as an essential component of social studies education in the 21st century.
Service-learning greatly enhances the potential for social studies teachers to fulfill their mission of educating informed and active citizens who are committed to improving society through the democratic process. Even the youngest elementary students can learn how to apply citizenship skills to problems and needs in the community beyond the classroom. Service-learning provides essential opportunities for students not only to develop civic participation skills, values, and attitudes, but also to acquire first-hand knowledge of the topics they are studying in the curriculum. Service-learning provides an authentic means for using social studies content and skills to investigate social, political, and economic issues and to take direct action in an effort to create a more just and equitable society. Quality service-learning experiences may positively influence the following aspects of student development

Academic, problem solving, and critical thinking skills
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Ethical development and moral reasoning ability
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Social and civic responsibility
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Self-esteem, assertiveness, and empathy
Political efficacy
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Tolerance and acceptance of diversity

Career exploration
Service-learning connects meaningful service in the school or community with academic learning and civic responsibility. Service-learning is distinguished from community service or volunteerism in two ways. First, the service activity is integrated with academic skills and content. Second, students engage in structured reflection activities on their service experiences. Quality service-learning activities meet a number of important criteria. In particular, they should:
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Provide opportunities for student and community input in the design of the service-learning experience
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Engage students in both meaningful service and essential social studies content;
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Provide opportunities for reflection on the service experience and the connections between this experience, democratic values, and citizenship
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Focus on change rather than charity, enabling students to question prevailing norms and develop new ideas for creating a more just and equitable society.
Effective service-learning projects go beyond simply using the community as a learning laboratory for student development. Of equal importance is the attempt to solve community problems, meet human and environmental needs, and advocate for changes in policies and laws to promote the common good. Through addressing reallife problems in their communities, students are challenged to work together to exercise the rights and responsibilities of democratic citizenship. (National Council for the Social Studies)
If you select this assignment, you are required to complete 3 service learning hours during the fall semester.

REQUIREMENTS
1. Students must complete the required number of hours and have the proper forms completed. Forms include: a. Pre-approval Form b. Time sheet c. Reflective essay questions d. Site verification
2. Students must complete a digital presentation (Power Point, Glogster, Movie Maker, etc.) to show the class what he/she did in service to the community. NOTE: Be sure to discuss with your site supervisor any rules or limitations he or she may have about taking pictures. Some sites may not allow you to take pictures of people who are being serviced by the site. a. At least 8 photographs and captions. b. Student MUST appear in 4 of the photographs. c. Student must articulate verbally how his/her service demonstrated civic engagement and how the service addressed a real problem in his/her community (beyond simple charity).
3. Service work must be completed during the current semester (no hours prior to August 22 nd may be used for this assignment).
NOTE: This is a Student Project. Students are expected to call potential sites and make all arrangements.
Rules for Possible Service Learning Sites:
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An acceptable site must be a recognized organization. Possibilities include (but are not limited to):
- nursing homes - veterans groups - schools - youth organizations - religious organizations
- political organizations - environmental/animal groups - hospitals
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Service Learning requirements may be completed at school as well. Ask PLD staff and teachers if they have projects for you.
 •Baby-sitting, lawn mowing, and chores for a neighbor or relative are not community service.
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You MAY NOT complete service learning through a for-profit business unless that business has an established volunteer program (example: hospital).
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Students may not receive pay or compensation of any kind for the work completed.
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The site coordinator must not be a relative of the student.
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Service work may not serve more than one purpose. If you are completing service that is required for another school group or because it is court ordered, you may not apply those hours to this assignment.
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Students must be supervised by an adult while completing service work.
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Students shall maintain reasonable confidentiality regarding their service work.
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Students shall not work with dangerous equipment or put themselves in dangerous situations. Concerns about liability should be discussed with the community site before the first visit.
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Students with unavoidable transportation problems should discuss solutions with their teacher.
(This assignment and forms adapted from staff.fcps.net/plee/.../SERVICE%20LEARNING%20ASSIGNMENT.doc)

University of Central Florida
College of Education and Human Performance
School of Teaching, Learning and Leadership
Shloe Kerness, Instructor SSE3312
PRE-APPROVAL FORM
Dear Service Learning Site Supervisor,
I require three hours of service learning from pre-service elementary teacher candidates who are taking Social Studies for the Elementary Classroom. I believe that involvement in the community is critical to the growth and development of young people and in building a better community in which we all live and work together. Due to the importance and emphasis I place on service learning, I sincerely appreciate your willingness to be a site supervisor. As a site supervisor we ask you to do the following:
• Oversee the work of the student
• Completely fill out the “Site Verification Form” when the student is done
• Sign this form
If at any point in this process you have questions, concerns, or suggestions you may contact me at
(407)399-9125 or by email at shloe.kerness@ucf.edu
Thank you,
Shloe Kerness
__________________________________________________________________________________
Student’s Name:____________________________________________________________
Organization Name: _________________________________________________________
(Must be a non-profit organization, school, religious institution, or an established volunteer program at a for-profit business.)
Organization Contact information (phone number and address)___________________________
Site Supervisor’s Signature: ___________________________________________________
(May NOT be a close relative of the student.)
Proposed work: _____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Date
Teacher’s Approval:
________________________________________________________________
(This page is to be kept current by the student)
Location Start Time End Time Daily Total Site Supervisor
Signature
Reflective Essay Questions:
1. Describe your service learning experience (who/what/where)
2. How did your service address a real problem in your community?
3. How valuable was the work you did for the community? Explain.
4. How did your service demonstrate civic engagement beyond giving charity?
5. What do you believe you learned from the experience or how did you benefit?
6. What was the best thing about your experience doing community service? Explain.
7. How might this experience or other service learning experiences that you engage in the future be used in your future classroom to benefit the citizenship education of your future students? Or, how might you utilize service learning in your future classroom?
8. Anything else you want to add…

I, _________________________
(site supervisor)
, verify that I am not a close relative of the student, ___________________________
(student)
, and that the he/she has completed a total of __________ hours of service work through _________________________
(organization)
.
Site Supervisor Signature: _____________________________________________________
Comments about student work (Optional):
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Dear Service Learning Site Supervisor,
Thank you for your involvement in my student’s service learning project. I hope the service provided has been valuable to your organization and that the student performed admirably. If you would like to make comments about the student’s experience, please do so above.

In order to confirm the student’s records, please fill out this form regarding time spent doing the service learning work. No part of this form may be filled in by the student. If you have your own standard form to verify volunteer work, you may substitute it in place of this form. If you have a business card, please include it. If you have any questions please contact me at: shloe.kerness@ucf.edu
Thank you again,
Shloe Kerness