Service-Learning Australia

Standard.
Service-learning provides youth with a strong voice in planning, implementing, and evaluating service-learning experiences with guidance from adults

Indicators.
Service-learning:

• Engages youth in generating ideas during the planning, implementation, and evaluation processes.
• Involves youth in the decision-making process throughout the service-learning experiences.
• Involves youth and adults in creating an environment that supports trust and open expression of ideas.
• Promotes acquisition of knowledge and skills to enhance youth leadership and decision-making.
• Involves youth in evaluating the quality and effectiveness of the service-learning experience.

Sample Supporting Research.

Hart (2007) found that student direction and autonomy were associated with higher academic engagement and achievement in the literacy-based service-learning projects in his study. Bradley et al. (2007) demonstrated that high school students who had more ownership over the development and presentation of their service-learning projects had higher increases in self-confidence, personal efficacy, interpersonal communication, and critical thinking skills. Billig, Root, and Jesse (2005) showed that youth who had voice in all phases of their service-learning projects had stronger academic and civic engagement. Blyth and colleagues (1997) reported that when youth had more opportunities to plan and work together, they experienced higher outcomes. Spring, Dietz, and Grimm (2006) found that when students had roles in planning projects, they were more likely to report being interested in engaging in more service and felt more efficacious. Morgan and Streb (2003) showed that young people engaged in service-learning who had greater opportunities to express themselves made greater gains in political knowledge, were less cynical about government, and had a greater desire to be politically active than others.