What are the Benefits of SLP?
TO STUDENTS
Students of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities benefit from service learning. The profound impact is academic, social, and emotional:
- Children and teens apply skills they develop in the classroom to improving the community, while developing their problem-solving, critical thinking, and leadership skills.
- They work as a team and gain respect for their peers.
- They develop as individuals with broadened perspective, empathy and ability to take initiative.
- They learn to view themselves as valuable community members with important ideas and skills to share.
TO SCHOOLS & COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
We work with partner schools and community organizations to help them integrate our model of effective service learning into their curriculum and youth programming, either during the regular school-day or during the after-school hours.
Our partners benefit by developing a sustainable teaching or advocacy strategy that demonstrates the real-world application of academic skills.
By giving students a voice and encouraging them to take a leadership role, they see an increase in student engagement and pro-social behavior, as well as improvements in school culture.
By engaging parents, adults living and working in the community, and neighborhood organizations in student projects, they see a greater investment by these stakeholders in the school’s success.
TO COMMUNITIES
Communities that offer service learning opportunities to their youth benefit from the energy, enthusiasm, and solutions offered by actively engaged children and teens.
Service learning opportunities raise public awareness of social problems and how to help solve them, thereby engaging and inspiring new volunteers to help tackle complicated neighborhood issues.
Studies consistently show that when young people experience service learning they are more likely to become engaged citizens as adults. Communities benefit over the long-term, therefore, by inspiring a new generation of leaders and active citizens.
