Service-Learning Australia

The term “service-learning” was first used by two educators in the United States in 1967 to describe the combination of conscious educational growth with the accomplishment of certain tasks that meet genuine human needs.  However, the practice of service-learning dates back to the late 1880s and experiential  learning was promoted in the early 1900s by educators including John Dewey and William James.  

• In 1989, the Wingspread Principals of good Service-Learning were written – more than seventy organizations collaborated to produce these ten principals.
• Beginning in the 1990's, scholars began to conduct research on service-learning as pedagogy.
• 2001 the first international conference on service-learning research was held.
• 2008 the U.S. National Youth Leadership Council released the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice. These standards grew out of a need to update conventional wisdom about quality practice as reflected in the Essential Elements of Service-Learning.  These standards underline the fact that in service-learning, quality matters: it is the way in which service-learning is implemented that makes a difference to the outcomes for students.