Service Learning in our School (for english)

Service Learning in Our School

Service learning is a pretty major part of our school, next to history.

(Knowledge of History, Democratic Deliberation, & Active Citizenship.) Each year, students are required to do fifteen out of school hours. First of all, service learning is pretty much the act of learning about service. It’s different from community service because we don’t go out on our own and do service. Instead, we form groups of service interests within our school, such as school beautification and recycling. Kids chose their last year what group they wanted to be in, and they had the option to choose another if there was space available the next year.

Service learning may be required, but that doesn’t mean everyone likes it. When I asked a few students, most of them said they weren’t interested in it at all. When I asked sophomore Justin Bryant how many outside of school hours he did, he replied with “Zero. It just doesn’t interest me.” On the other hand, when I asked student Shaquetta Brown, she said her group is “Okay.” And that she’s done 7 outside hours in a charity run.

Although we’re lacking in student interest, some groups, such as Recycling has made tremendous strides to put recycling in our school; putting a nice sized recycling bin on every floor, even though it’s still awaited. Another group went to WHYY and learned the ropes of media. School Beautification is planning on making flower boxes for classroom windows, and the Elder Care group has visited nursing homes.

After asking students what their interest was in service learning, they were also asked what they think we should do to make kids more interested. Most kids said that we should let students that want to, switch groups or ask students what kind of group they would like, and make it.