Service-Learning Australia

• Identify “talents and treasures”:  Students start from an asset base by identifying their talents and the treasures within their community (geographic: e.g. a beach or park; historical: e.g. significant buildings etc.)
• Identify community:  Students and teachers decide on the community they wish to serve.

• Needs identification and assessment:  Teachers, students, and those being served help define the need(s).
• Learning the context for the need(s) to be addressed:  Students investigate the circumstances surrounding the need.
• Building respect for those being served:  Students identify the “talents” and “treasures” of those being served.
• Discussion and selection:  There are a number of ways in which a need can be addressed; students look at options and make a selection.
• Examination of policies and systems:  These may impact on the need and the proposed solution.
• Identification of community partners:  It is recommended to involve these partners as soon as possible, to assist with the project design.
• Project design:  Students design a project that is meaningful to them and to those being served; learning goals and service goals are agreed and a time line may be developed.

Students apply leadership in conducting the project.

• Activities evolve as the project progresses.
• Unexpected “teaching opportunities” occur.
• Students collaborate with those being served and their community partners.
• Multiple learning styles are utilized, including individual work, teamwork, using technology, tactile/manual work, oral presentations, data collection and processing etc.

• Students demonstrate the outcomes of their service-learning:  They may use this opportunity to educate others about the issues they have been addressing.
• Students, community partners and others celebrate the results of the service project, and look ahead to the future:  This may include putting on public forums and presentations, producing a range of creative work, teaching others, becoming involved in advocacy etc.