Service learning is very dear to my heart. My teaching career began with a service-learning project more than 10 years ago. As an undergraduate, I enrolled in Education 190: Current Issues in Education led by Professor John Hurst at University of California (UC), Berkeley. In this class, I learned about the complex issues that surround education and how education affects people's lives. Most important, I learned that knowledge means little in the absence of action. I came to this realization while doing a service-learning project. The class assignment had been to take an issue that we had addressed in class, conduct research, develop a solution, and then implement the solution in the community.
I teamed up with three fellow students who, like me, were majoring in the sciences. We identified and acted on the lack of hands-on science education opportunities for elementary students. We created a community program called Fun in Science that offered free, hands-on science lessons that we designed. As such, my group began to deliver hands-on science lessons to 3rd graders at a local school. Our program was successful at addressing the problem we had identified and gave me a sense of satisfaction that no other class project had ever offered me. It also gave me the opportunity to discover teaching.
After graduation, I was offered my first teaching position at the very same school where I had implemented Fun in Science with my classmates. I later returned to UC Berkeley, where I taught Education 190 as a graduate student instructor and now lecturer. Today I guide students through their own service-learning projects. I have had the chance to witness their knowledge about education issues deepen as they engage in authentic community engagement and service.
Not Just for the Big Kids
Service-learning projects shouldn't be reserved for high school or college-level students—I make service learning an integral part of my 2nd grade classroom. Every year in social studies, my students learn about individuals who have made a positive difference in society. In March, they learn about the life of César Chávez, a Mexican American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who used nonviolent methods to improve the working conditions of migrant farm workers through the efforts of the United Farm Workers (UFW).
I introduce Chávez to my students with a series of read alouds and put my collection of books about him on display. Next, we build a timeline of Chávez's life and display it outside of our classroom. Students draw colorful pictures of maps, the UFW flag, and the vegetables that the migrant farm workers harvested under dreadful environmental conditions. Students also write explanations for their illustrations, and we develop a collection of poems about Chávez and Dolores Huerta, cofounders of the UFW.
We invite parents and other classes to visit, read our timeline, and discuss Chávez's legacy. Then, we brainstorm about the needs in our school community that we can tackle in honor of Chávez. Last year, my students agreed on cleaning the outside grounds of our school. We enlisted the help of parents and college student volunteers and partnered with two other classes to collect trash with gloves and bags donated by a teacher. The success of service-learning projects such as this one is rooted in serving the community as an extension of learning. The projects also include time for students to reflect on their learning and experiences of service. Service learning gives students autonomy in selecting what service to perform, and to take action that addresses an authentic need in their community in a cooperative manner.
Develop Meaningful Projects
Keep in mind that service learning in the elementary classroom is also about more than just collecting cans for a food drive; it's about making learning meaningful and empowering students to question the status quo. You should ask students, "Why is there a need for collecting cans? And what can I do about this unfortunate situation?" Service learning also shouldn't be relegated to one month of the year or a quick class unit.
When I taught 5th grade, my students learned about watersheds, the water cycle, and pollution prevention in science. We partnered with the Watershed Project, a local environmental organization, and received grant funding to educate others in the community about water conservation and protecting local watersheds. We went on a field trip to the nearby wetlands to propagate native plants and learn about local wildlife. Besides their oral presentations on a myriad of watershed-related topics, such as native marsh plants, the water cycle, and shoreline birds, students also made "I heart my watershed" valentine cards. Their colorful cards made with recycled paper included watershed facts and tips for water conservation and pollution prevention. Students made dozens of these cards, which we later passed out to commuters on Valentine's Day at our local train station with help from parent chaperones.
Two years ago, when I was teaching my students how to write "good guy/bad guy" narratives, I partnered with the Berkeley Repertory Theatre to enrich students' writing by giving them the opportunity to improve their storytelling craft and write their own play. The 12-act play that they wrote and performed centered on the theme of friendship and inclusion stemming from recent events of bullying and exclusion that were becoming prevalent among students in our classroom and school community. My students performed this play for many of the classes at our school as a service-learning project aimed at building community. While improving their writing and literacy-analysis skills, students also learned about tolerance, courage, forgiveness, and friendship. Their listening and speaking skills in Spanish also improved greatly (I teach in a Spanish dual-language immersion class) and their self-confidence blossomed.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Do you want to do a service-learning project with your students? Check out these resources to help you get started.
<LINK URL="http://www.servicelearning.org">National Service-Learning Clearinghouse</LINK>
<LINK URL="http://www.generationon.org/teachers/stages-service-learning">Generation On's step-by-step guide to service learning</LINK>
<LINK URL="http://www.cesarechavezfoundation.org">More about César Chávez</LINK>
Also, learn how to connect service learning to the Common Core State Standards at <LINK URL="http://www.ascd.org/common-core/core-connection/090512-common-core-and-service-learning.aspx">www.ascd.org/common-core/core-connection/090512-common-core-and-service-learning.aspx</LINK> and <LINK URL="http://www.wholechildeducation.org/blog/project-based-learning-and-common-core-standards">www.wholechildeducation.org/blog/project-based-learning-and-common-core-standards</LINK>.