Community Service Learning
Here are some ideas for high schoolers who have a requirement to fill or want to get involved in their community.
ACT (Assets Coming Together) for Youth Center of Excellence connects research to practice in the areas of positive youth development and adolescent sexual health.
The Red Cross provides volunteer opportunities for youth as well as adults through clubs implemented in their schools.
There are more than 1,500 Builders Clubs in middle schools around the world. No two are alike. Each club is an independent entity-designed for its members, by its members. They work together to improve their schools and their communities. Their service also increases the visibility and enhances the reputation of both the club and the school or organization they represent. The program is designed to fit member and volunteer interests.
It’s student-led.
Builders Club is uniquely built on an important principle: Amazing things happen when the students take the lead.
It’s age-appropriate.
The program and its resources are designed specifically to help middle school students get the most of of the club experience.
Your needs matter.
Each club determines its own meeting schedule, service projects and other activities in order to fit the needs of advisors, members and sponsors.
You’re not alone.
Adult Kiwanis volunteers and staff at the regional and international levels are there to support your club’s success.
A site that is typically geared for college campuses, but it has a multitude of resources on civic engagement, integration with academic study, and program models.
This organization conducts, collects, and funds research on the civic and political participation of young Americans. It is a great source for the latest statistics and trends on youth civic engagement topics.
Children, Inc.’s Mayerson Service Initiative hopes to develop children into valued community members of change. The initiative provides lesson plans, projects, and trainings to help educators create customized projects for their schools.
Encourage your school and other schools in your district to Teach for Democracy. This Self-Assessment Matrix can be used to get an idea of where your school currently lies on civic engagement and informed voting, while our Checklist For School and District Leaders helps your school create a plan to ensure your students become informed, active citizens.
Compassionate Kids is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to teaching children compassion through volunteerism. The website provides articles, book reviews, and free printable activities for parents and educators. The organization also has local chapters around the country that host field trips and volunteer events once a month.
The Corporation for National and Community Service is the nation’s largest grant maker supporting service and volunteering. Through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, opportunities are provided for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to express their patriotism while addressing critical community needs.
Hosted by readwritethink.org this lesson plan includes nine to eleven sessions that involve writing, collaborations, and class discussions. Crit Lit for Kids: From Critical Consciousness to Service Learning introduces concepts of social justice and guided research so students can plan their own service-learning projects.
Here, teachers can find guides to service learning in several different disciplines.