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What is Service Learning?
Service-Learning is a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.
How Does Service Learning Differ from Community Service?
For example, if students decide to clean up a polluted creek bed, that would be community service. If students develop a plan to clean up the pollution, clean and analyze what's causing the pollution, make a plan and communicate it to the community to help avoid pollution... that's Service-Learning.
Benefits of Service Learning
Research has shown that students involved in Service-Learning on an ongoing basis:
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develop problem-solving and leadership skills
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apply knowledge learned in the traditional classroom
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are more engaged in learning during SL projects
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have fewer discipline and attendance problems
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develop civic responsibility, engagement and pride
Types of Service
Direct service: Face to face with others (taking cards to nursing home or sharing what they've learned with senior citizens, peer tutoring, cleaning up area outside a campus or neightborhood)
Indirect service: Making something that will be delivered by someone else or meeting a need beyond the neighborhood (canned goods for food bank, funds/supplies/materials for hurricane or tsunami victims)
Advocacy: Advocating for the greater good (homeless, voting, civic engagement)
History of Service-Learning in Coppell ISD
CISD has a long history of service to the community and provided many hours of community service and met many needs over the years. In spring of 2003, a Service committee was formed as part of the CISD Strategic Plan. By fall of 2003, a grant funded from the Texas Center for Service-Learning helped provide funds to kick-off Service-Learning in CISD and integrate Service-Learning as a teaching methodology integrating learning with service.
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