Foundations of Service Learning
Published: August, 2009
Page
2 of 9
ST. THOMAS SCHOOL MISSION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The mission of St. Thomas School is to develop responsible citizens of a global society. In partnership
with parents, we inspire and motivate intellectually curious students. Our small, nurturing
environment supports the acquisition of a broad academic foundation with an emphasis on critical
thinking, leadership skills, and the development of strong character and spiritual awareness.
Curriculum with Coherence • Commitment to Character • Community of Learners • Climate for Learning
THE ST. THOMAS SCHOOL JOURNEY
At STS, students embark on an educational journey from the moment they enter school.
At the heart of the program are our Guiding Principles. We believe that a child’s
educational journey must be balanced betweeen the academic and affective domains.
Within the academic domain, core knowledge,
skills and understandings are developed
across seven primary disciplines.
Within the affective domain our
focus putting nine core virtues into
action.
We believe that certain skills
transcend specific disciplines and
grade levels. Therefore, five core
learning skills are integrated
throughout the curriculum:
communication, technology,
thinking, research, and selfmanagement. Academically, students are
expected not only to acquire knowledge and
skills, but to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate what they learn. In support of
growth of character and spirit, students engage in experiences that call upon them to
explore, reflect, choose, act, and lead.
Foundations of Service Learning
Published: August, 2009
Page
3 of 9
INTRODUCTION
What does a commitment to service look like within an elementary school? How can we make
young students aware of needs within the greater community? How can we empower our
students to feel like they can actually do something about the challenges of the world? In what
productive ways can service learning relate to classroom learning? What does it imply for
leadership skills and character development? How can we make this whole process meaningful
and engaging to our children?
St. Thomas School has a long tradition of service to the community. Service-learning provides
experiential opportunities for students to exercise their critical thinking and leadership skills.
Through investigating, understanding, and bringing their service to the needs of their
community, our students gain empathy, develop character, and broaden their spiritual
dimension of their lives. Its ultimate goal is to create students with an ethic of life-long service
to their communities, society, and the world.
In the last few years there has been a movement across the country recognizing that there are
critical skills for the 21st century that encompass not merely traditional academic areas such as
math and science, but leadership, character, ethics, and team work as well. Service-learning is a
process and a way of thinking that needs to be explicitly modeled and taught, and St. Thomas
School is uniquely positioned to do this. As technology brings the global community closer and
closer together, and the challenges that the world faces increasingly belong to us all, the
importance of social and environmental responsibility and the instilling of the ethic of service
will remain key components of leadership.
VISION
At St. Thomas School, our children are inspired, empowered, and challenged to become
compassionate, involved, and reflective citizens who work collaboratively and lead responsibly
in service to others.
Foundations of Service Learning
Published: August, 2009
Page
4 of 9
PHILOSOPHY
“Service-learning is education in action.” Sen. John Glenn
According to the National Youth Leadership Council1, Service learning is “a philosophy,
pedagogy, and a model for community development that is used as an instructional strategy to
meet learning goals and content standards.” Students engage in service learning activities with
intentional academic and learning goals with opportunities for reflection that connect directly to
their academic disciplines.
When service-learning is used in a structured way that connects classroom content, literature,
and skills to community needs, students will:






Apply academic, social, and personal skills to improve the community.
Make decisions that have real, not hypothetical, results
Grow as individuals, gain respect for peers, and increase civic participation.
Experience success no matter what their ability level.
Gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their community, and society.
Develop as leaders who take initiative, solve problems, work as a team, and demonstrate
their abilities while and through helping others.
The idea of Service-Learning is directly linked to teaching methodology, curriculum and
programming, and differs from other kinds of volunteerism and service.. The following are
important elements of the educational program, but are not considered central to servicelearning.
Volunteerism: Students engage in activities where the emphasis is on service for the sake of
the beneficiary or recipient (client, partner).
Practicum: Students work in a discipline-based venue in place of an in-class course
experience.
Community Service: Students engage in activities to meet actual community needs as an
integrated aspect of the curriculum with the focus being on the service provided as well as
the benefits to the recipient.
1
Service-Learning Standards For Quality Practice, National Youth Leadership Council, 2008.
Foundations of Service Learning
Published: August, 2009
Page
5 of 9
STS BEST PRACTICES
Although Service-Learning can often be anticipated to be part of a high school or college
experience, we believe at St. Thomas that modeling the values and processes of service-learning
within an elementary environment are critical in developing a life-long ethic of service. At St.
Thomas School, teachers act as coaches and mentors, articulating exemplary practice. Wherever
possible, tangible models are used to exhibit exemplary practice at all stages. What can be
achieved within an elementary setting may differ from the high school experience, but what
defines an effective program at St. Thomas School is as follows:
Meaningful Service

Service-learning engages students in service tasks that have clear goals, meet genuine
needs in the school or community and have significant consequences for the learners
themselves.
Link to Curriculum



Service-Learning provides clear educational goals that require the application of
concepts, content, and skills from the academic disciplines and involves students in the
construction of their own knowledge.
Service-Learning engages students in tasks that challenge and stretch them cognitively
and developmentally in varied modalities across the disciplines.
Service-Learning incorporates assessment as a way to enhance student learning as well
as to document and evaluate how well students have met content and skills standards.
Student Voice and Choice

Service-Learning underlines the role of student voice as integral in selecting, designing,
implementing, and self-evaluating the service project.
Partnerships


Service-Learning involves communication and interaction with both the community
outside of school and between children of different grades within the school, and it
encourages partnerships and teamwork.
Service-Learning is based upon the principle of reciprocity where students evolve
through mutual teaching and learning, action, or influence between all participants in
the learning and service experience; this reciprocity extends to relationships between
institutions as well as relationships between people. The emphasis is on the “third
space,” where participants find common ground.
Foundations of Service Learning
Published: August, 2009
Page
6 of 9
Civic Responsibility



Service-Learning offers opportunities of service that promote the understanding of
improving society, working for social justice, and caring for the environment. Through
these, an understanding of the concept of democracy is grasped.
Service-Learning develops a life-long ethic of service.
Service-Learning values diversity through its participants, its projects, and its outcomes.
Reflection



Service-Learning provides continual opportunities for reflection that take place before,
during, and after service, using multiple methods that encourage different types and
levels of critical thinking, and is a central force in the design and fulfillment of curricular
objectives.
Service-Learning employs formative and summative evaluation in a systematic
evaluation of the service effort and its outcomes.
Service-Learning demonstrations that involve multiple methods are designed to
acknowledge, communicate, and further validate students’ service work.
At STS, each curriculum areas is grounded in a set of core knowledge, skills, and
understandings. However, while all disciplines include these, the learning outcomes2 for
Service-Learning are sometimes less tangible. With this in mind, we strive to engage students in
experiences that result in:
Awareness of Self and Others


The capacities to accurately perceive one’s strengths and weaknesses and handle
everyday challenges with confidence and optimism
Perspective taking: The capacity to accurately perceive the perspectives of others
Positive Attitudes and Values






The intention to engage in safe and healthy behaviors and be honest and fair in dealing
with others
The intention to accept and appreciate individual and group differences and to value the
rights of all people
The intention to contribute to the community and protect the environment
The intention to commit to life-long service
The belief that each citizen can make a difference
The understanding that citizenship confers responsibilities
Responsible Decision Making and Leadership
2
Based on Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. Key Social and Emotional Competencies.
May 2000.
Foundations of Service Learning
Published: August, 2009
Page




7 of 9
Problem Identification: The capacity to identify situations that require a decision or
solution and assess the associated risks, barriers, and resources
Adaptive Goal Setting: The capacity to set positive and realistic short and/or long term
goals
Problem Solving: The capacity to develop, implement, and evaluate positive and
informed solutions to problems
Leadership and “followership:” The capacity to develop a healthy team in which all
members are engaged, opinions are heard, and consensus is reached; the capacity to
serve a team or group by employing one’s one skills, allowing others to lead when it
best serves the outcomes
Social Interaction Skills





Active listening: The capacity to attend to others both verbally and non-verbally to
demonstrate to them that they have been understood
Expressive communication: The capacity to initiate and maintain conversations and to
clearly express one’s thoughts and feelings both verbally and nonverbally
Cooperation: The capacity to take turns and share in both pairs and group situations
Negotiation: The capacity to consider all perspectives involved in a conflict in order to
resolve the conflict peacefully and to the satisfaction of all involved
Help seeking: The capacity to identify the need for support and assistance and to access
available and appropriate resources
Service-Learning is a process and a cycle, where each step leads to the next. It is a form of
experiential learning that leads directly to real-world needs. At STS, Service-Learning is a
process that involves five stages.3 The core components of the process are outlined below:
Investigation
Students will need to be introduced to the idea of community and service. With guidance from
their teachers, students can then:




Identify a need
Draw upon previously acquired skills and knowledge
Acquire new information through a variety of means and methods
Analyze the underlying problem
Planning/Preparation
Students are closely involved in designing a plan that will:


Collaborate with community partners
Develop a plan that encourages responsibility
3
Based on Kaye, Cathryn Berger. The Complete Guide to Service Learning. Free Spirit Publishing Inc. 2004. Page
36.
Foundations of Service Learning
Published: August, 2009
Page



8 of 9
Recognize the integration of service and learning
Become ready to provide meaningful service
Define realistic parameters for implementation
Action
Through direct service, indirect service, research, or advocacy, students take action that:





Has value, purpose and meaning
Uses previously learned and newly acquired academic skills and knowledge
Offers unique learning experiences
Has real consequences
Offers a safe environment to learn, to make mistakes, and to succeed
Reflection4
During systematic reflection, the teacher or students guide the process using various modalities,
such as role play, discussion, and journal writing. Participating students:










Reflect internally
Describe what happened
Demonstrate learning
Examine the difference it made
Discuss thoughts and feelings
Place experience in a larger context
Consider project improvements
Generate new ideas
Identify questions
Receive feedback
Demonstration
Students demonstrate skills, insights, and outcomes to an outside group. Although this may be
counter-intuitive, research suggests that celebrating Service-Learning may decrease the learning
students acquire. Demonstrations, however, are unique opportunities to exhibit gained
knowledge and understanding. Methods used might include:





Reporting to peers, faculty, parents, and/or community members
Writing articles or letters to local newspapers regarding issues of public concern
Creating a publication or website that helps others to learn from the students’
experiences
Making presentations and performances
Creating visual art forms, such as murals
4
Based on Kaye, Cathryn Berger. The Complete Guide to Service Learning. Free Spirit Publishing Inc. 2004. Page
47.
Foundations of Service Learning
Published: August, 2009
Page
9 of 9
REFERENCES
“An Asset Builder's Guide to Service-Learning.” Search Institute: Minneapolis, MN.
2000.
Cress, Christine; Collier, Peter; Reitenauer, Vicki et. al. Learning Through Serving: a
Student Guidebook for Service Learning Across the Disciplines. Sterling, Virginia:
Stylus Publishing, LLC. 2005.
“Essential Elements of Effective Service-Learning.” National Youth Leadership Council:
Saint Paul, MN 2006.
“K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice.” National Youth Leadership
Council: Saint Paul, MN. 2008.
Kaye, Cathryn Berger. The Complete Guide to Service Learning. Minneapolis, MN:
Free Spirit Publishing Inc. 2004.
“Reflection in K-12 Service Learning.” RMC Research Corporation: Scott’s Valley, CA:
Learn and Service America’s National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, 2003/2007.
Thomsen, Kate. Service Learning in Grades K-8. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin
Press. 2006.
Foundations of Service Learning
Published: August, 2009