As we approach the new millennium, educators worldwide are seeking to reshape education, to develop new approaches to teaching and learning that are more appropriate and effective for the 21st century. Our rapidly changing world demands an education system that equips children with tools and skills they will need to succeed. But education must do more than simply this. To quote the British essayist, novelist, and poet G.K. Chesterton: "Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another." Service learning may hold the key to connecting future generations with their communities and democratic society at large.
There is a great tradition of community service in the world, and we are now beginning to discover the wonderful potential for integrating community service into education. Doing so will link students to communities and ultimately help sustain a vital, dynamic democracy with active participation from its citizenry.
Today, many communities have become increasingly concerned about the alienation of their young people, and this concern has intensified interest in service learning. The classroom must become more closely connected to the outside world. Service learning can help make that connection. The key components of service learning—citizenship, caring, community building, and active learning—are major elements of a new brand of school reform that promises to re-engage youth.
In essence, service learning is really about rethinking education, helping to transform schools from teaching centers to organizations that support active learning. Consequently, educators must shift from a mode of delivering knowledge to a mode of facilitating learning.
A constellation of forces is compelling dramatic change and innovation in education. Our children are more diverse—in race, ethnicity, and linguistics—than ever before, and this diversity will continue to increase. Today's students face a changing world, and we need new ideas to help them succeed.
Service learning shares a vital link with another component of civil education: character education. Earlier this year, ASCD, the Council of Chief State School Officers, and others issued a report entitled Their Best Selves: Bringing Character Education and Service Learning Together in the Lives of Young People. This report affirms that combining character education with service learning will "help young people acquire the qualities that make for a civil, caring, and democratic society."
Schools that include service learning as an integral part of the educational experience send students the clear message that, as a community, we share important core values. A well-designed service learning program not only provides the opportunity to serve but also encourages students, through structured reflection, to explore the meaning and moral implications of service. Ultimately, schools with service learning programs will strengthen democracy and help students meet the challenges and opportunities in the century to come.