Education Reference Guide: Community Service & Volunteering Programs (PDF)

The collection begins with an overview from Sandra Myers on community service education, in which she discusses
how these programs help students develop their team-building and critical thinking skills. She examines the ways
in which experiential learning helps students connect their classroom learning with real-world experiences. Sally A.
Coppus then discusses the data regarding the positive impact of service-learning programs and describes the process
of program implementation and potential strengths and weaknesses. Myers returns to the conversation to review the
ways in which service learning programs foster student leadership skills, and how these skills are transferable to the
classroom. Service learning has also had a positive impact on students with disabilites who are able to improve their
academic learning outcomes and develop new skills through volunteer opportunities. Myers discusses the process of
implementing a service learning project for students with disabilities and suggests a number of considerations. Coppus
then discusses the benefits to schools who offer service learning programs through the formation of partnerships
among schools and other community organizations. These partnerships improve the collaboration, networking, and
understanding between a school and the larger community it services.