According to the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, service learning:
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Provides opportunities whereby students learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that is conducted in and meets the needs of communities
•Helps foster civic responsibility
•Integrates into and enhances the academic curriculum of the students
•Provides structured time for students to reflect on the service experience
Service-learning aims to build knowledge, character, and civic skills in young people by combining service to the community with learning in other key areas. By directly linking service to these other key areas, service-learning creates a place for service that is integrated into a program's main goal: clinical intervention.
A good service-learning program reinforces specific educational and clinical objectives - such as developing students’ social thinking skills, teaching them how to communicate more effectively, or improving students' social problem solving skills - while also engaging students in meaningful and structured community service.
Service-learning offers a unique opportunity for America's young people -- from kindergarten to university students -- to get involved with their communities in a tangible way by integrating service projects with classroom learning. Service-learning engages students in the educational process, using what they learn in the classroom to solve real-life problems. Students not only learn about democracy and citizenship, they become actively contributing citizens and community members through the service they perform.
Service-learning can be applied across all subjects and grade levels; it can involve a single student or group of students, a classroom or an entire school. Students build character and become active participants as they work with others in their school and community to create service projects in areas like education, public safety, and the environment.
