2. Requiring Community Service for High School Graduation It has become more common for public schools around the United States to require students to complete a set number of community service hours before graduation. Though requiring community service in some school districts has created many lawsuits in the U.S.
3. Community Service is a Good Thing….Right? Opponents feel that this graduation requirement creates “mandatory volunteerism.” Proponents claim that community service creates service learning, which is essentially a “tool to enhance student learning”(Kraft). Read more: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html
4. Examples of Community Service Projects Tutoring Working at Soup Kitchens Fundraising Blood Drives Environmental Clean-up Coaching Sports Read more: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html#ixzz0VAtKlESI
8. Statistics on Community Service & Service Learning “The percentage of high schools involved in some form of community service rose from 27 percent in 1984 to 83 percent in 1999” A Roper Starch survey (2000) found that while 61 percent of Americans were unfamiliar with the term service learning, over 90 percent endorse the concept when it is explained to them. Read more: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html#ixzz0VAjETaRI
9. Opponents of Required Community Service Cost Scheduling of every child in school to a project accomplished effectively Do some service organizations expose minors to potential risks? If so who is reliable? Adequate adult supervision Specific Requirements - How many hours is enough but not too many? Opponent views gathered from: “Mandated Volunteerism: Is It Right? Do We Want It?”
10. Proponents of Required Community Service Positive effects on “…personal identity, spiritual growth, moral development, interpersonal development, the ability to work well with others, leadership, and communication skills.” Leads to greater acceptance of diversity Increase seen in Grade Point Averages Read more: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html#ixzz0VAqsDZZl
11. Service Learning – History & It’s Impact on Public Schools Service learning was first identified as a type of instruction in the mid-1960s “[Service Learning] has also been called the "Trojan Horse" of school reform, and has become a mechanism which many schools and colleges are using to bring the school and community closer together and to provide a more active learning environment for students” (Kraft). Creates better relationships between teachers, students, and the community Creates motivation in classrooms Read more: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html#ixzz0VAtxFJOR
12. Service Learning The components of service learning: the need for active participation collaboration between school and community integration with the students' academic curriculum structured time for reflection opportunities to use newly acquired skills in real-life situations extension of learning beyond the classroom fostering a sense of caring for others Definition by The Commission on National and Community Service, http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html
13. The Future of Service Learning Keys Points to the success of required Service Learning Programs: School Boards need financial backing for these programs (until this happens implementing service learning may be put on the back burner.) Volunteered assistance by parents is essential to any service learning program. Well trained teachers and administrators Read more: “Mandated Volunteerism: Is It Right? Do We Want It?”
14. Conclusion As a future educator and an active member of Central Michigan University’s community I see and understand the importance of Community Service. Service Learning trumps Community Service Require service learning over community service This would diminish the argument of volunteerism shouldn’t be mandatory, because service learning is curriculum based. Mandatory service learning would be about LEARNING to volunteer and how it connects to curriculum, instead of forcing volunteering (which is where most of the debate comes from). Service Learning would create a better community for everybody, including the students who would learn a new life skill. Read more: “Mandated Volunteerism: Is It Right? Do We Want It?”
15. Works Cited Eyler, Janet., Kraft, Richard J. “Service Learning - School, Higher Education.” 2009. 27 September 2009. http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html Lopez, Mark Hugo. “Youth Attitudes towards Civiv Education and Community Service Requirements. Fact Sheet.” ERIC. October 2002: Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE). 27 September 2009. Morris, Christine. “Mandated Volunteerism: Is It Right? Do We Want It?” ERIC. September 1992: 1- 4. Updating School Board Policies; v23 n7. Web. 27 September 2009. Images Blood_drive.jpg. Personal Photograph by jeremyfoo. 29 October 2009. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremyfoo/1124875987/sizes/l/ Orange_Vest_Volunteers. Personal Photograph by MoBikeFedhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/mobikefed/2841175563/sizes/l/ Planting_trees. Personal Photograph by lauraouimette. http://www.flickr.com/photos/8244126@N06/512532859/sizes/l/ Road_cleanup. Personal Photograph by P. Linehan. http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_linehan/1383839970/sizes/l/
Notes de l'éditeur
Hi……This presentation is on the debate of Required Community Service for High School Graduation created by myself Krislene Dye a EDU 290, education in technology student at Central Michigan University in October of 2009.
The topic of this presentation is concerning the requiring of community service for high school graduation. It has actually become quite common for public schools to require a set number of community service hours before graduation. Though this new requirement has created conflicts in some school districts sometimes leading to lawsuits.
Just with hearing the phrase community service most people get a positive picture. Though this is not always true. Opponents feel that this requirement creates an oxymoron….. With mandatory volunteerism. Though proponents of requiring community service feel that community service would create service learning, which is essentially a “tool to enhance student learning”
Here are just a few of the thousands of community service projects that are out there……Tutoring, Working at Soup Kitchens, Fundraising for Good Causes, Blood Drives, Environmental Clean-up projects, and even coaching younger kids in sports.
Here are a few pictures that show students doing some community service projects. On the left upperside is students doing environmental clean-up. The student on the right is donating blood for a local blood drive.
And here are a few morepictures that show students volunteering. On the left students are planting flowers to clean-up there community. On the upper right hand side are some students working at a fundraising activity.
Sometimes the phrases Community Service and Service Learning are used interchangeably, but this is not 100% correct. Community Service is indeed volunteering and aiding your community. BUT with Service Learning this concept is weaved through a curriculum. Meaning that the students are not only participating in volunteer activities, but there is also integration of classroom learning with the project. Also Community service most normally benefits the recipient more then the provider whereas Service Learning benefits both the recipient and the provider equally.
Here is a little background and some stats on Community Service in Public Schools.
These points are some of the arguments that opponents of Required Community Service make. First off, there are costs to anything…is required community service more important then making sure we have necessary materials that many classrooms already lack. Secondly, A system of scheduling students effectively into programs that they’d enjoy is a necessity. Next, certain volunteer organizations put students at risks…many require signed waivers before participation. Would the school or parents then be reliable for accidents? Another point is the difficulty in finding adults that would be able to give enough time to supervise for such a large number of students that would be volunteering. And a final point that opponents of required community service for graduation is how much of a requirement is good. What is the amount of hours that will create a good feel of volunteerism for the students without taking away from their school work.
JanetEyler says that in her study community service had positive correlations on personal identity, spiritual growth, moral development, interpersonal development, the ability to work well with others, leadership, and communication skills.In one research study Allan Melchior found that community service in schools may lead to a greater acceptance of diversity among other students. Other research has noticed positive relationships between required community service and GPA’s.
Service learning was first recognized as a type of instruction back in the mid 1960’s. Richard Kraft says, “[Service Learning] has also been called the "Trojan Horse" of school reform, and has become a mechanism which many schools and colleges are using to bring the school and community closer together and to provide a more active learning environment for students.” Also service learning creates better relationships between teachers, students, and the community. Also service learning creates motivation in classrooms.
Here are some components of service learning: Service learning requires active participation from the students. Service learning requires collaboration between the school and community. Service learning has to have integration with the student’s academic curriculum. There also must be time for the student’s to have structured reflection time. Also service learning creates opportunities to use newly acquired skills in real-life situations. Extension of learning beyond the classroom is created with service learning along with a sense of caring for others.
Here are a few of the main points that are the key to success for service learning’s future. Money is essential, school boards most know they have financial backing for these programs. Volunteered assistance by parents is one other necessity to a service learning program. And finally, well trained teachers and administrators that know how to make good use of a service learning program is important.
And finally in conclusion…..I personally feel as a future educator and as an active member of CMU’s community I see and understand the importance of community service. The second concluding point I’d like to make is that Service Learning trumps Community Service. If schools require service learning especially since it’s curriculum based INSTEAD OF COMMUNITY SERVICE, this would get rid of the argument that volunteerism shouldn’t be made mandatory. And finally Service learning would create a better community for everybody, including the students who would learn a new life skill in the end.
