ACTION

"Transforming plans into action enables young people to use what is inherently theirs: ideas, energy, talents, skills, knowledge, enthusiasm, and concern for others and their natural surroundings."

Cathryn Berger Kaye
The Complete Guide to Service Learning

Now comes the action. Service-learning is centered in the "service learning project."  As a teacher you should be aware of the different types of service your students might engage in as part of their service-learning experience. Service learning projects can be categorized either by the type of service performed, or by the issues and problems the service addresses.There are four primary types of service, Direct Service, Indirect Service, Advocacy, and Research.

The Complete Guide to Service Learning by Cathryn Berger Kaye is the source for the following information.  For further details, please refer to this source.

Direct Service

Direct service means getting your hands dirty; it involves working directly with people, animals, or the environment. This type of service is characterized by extensive contact with the community being served and visible results. Examples of direct service include tutoring, serving meals at a soup kitchen and environmental cleanup projects.

Due to the immediacy of results direct service can be a highly rewarding type of service. Interacting directly with the community they are serving, students are able to see the impact they are having and are more easily able to comprehend a project's relevance. "Direct service teaches students to take responsibility for their actions. Students learn they can make a difference" (Dunlap, Drew and Gibson, 1994, p.9).

Students learn:

• caring for others who are different in age or experience to develop problem solving skillsto follow a sequence from beginning to end
• to see the "big picture" of a social justice issue
  

Indirect Service

Indirect Service is characterized by the development of resources to solve community problems. As such it involves activities like food drivea, fundraisers, and other activities that seek to channel resources to a problem. This type of service can be the path of least resistence for teachers new to service-learning because it avoids logistical and liability issues inherent in direct service.

However, indirect service is typically the least meaningful type of service for students because students remain isolated from the community they are serving and often it is difficult to see the positive results of their service. To make indirect service work it is important to spend time with students reflecting on ways the project was effective even if they can't see the benefits firsthand.

Students learn:

• cooperationworking as a teamorganization
• prioritization
  

Advocacy

Advocacy involves social action aimed at eliminating the causes of a problem or educating the public about particular social issues. This type of service integrates well with direct service: advocacy can be a natural extension for students who have spent time studying an issue and working directly with the community. Acting as advocates students have the opportunity to learn about democracy and ways to improve their community through civic engagement. Since advocacy projects tend to center around highly politicized, controversial issues this type of service can be quite delicate for teachers to organize, but it can be done and is often the most authentic and engaging for students (especially adolescents).  In research studies, students have indicated a strong desire and need to discuss topics they feel are important.

Students learn:

• perserverence to understand rules, systems, and processes (ie civic engagement is more than just voting)
• to work with adults

Research

Student research activities involve finding, gathering, and reporting information in the public interest.  For example, development of surveys or conducting formal studies, evaluations, experiments, or interviews.  Testing water or soil quaitly or doing environmental surveys are other examples.

Students learn how to:

• gather information, make disriminating judgements, draw conclusions based on data, work systematically
• use skills in organization, assessment, and evaluation
  

Each type of service project can be further characterized by the specific problems or issues they are designed to address.   Some common themes for projects include:

Intergenerational
Projects that work to bridge generational gaps make ideal service-learning projects. Examples include oral history projects, teaching elders how to use computers, and advocacy to promote better living conditions for seniors. Intergenerational projects are effective in strengthening community and involve many benefits for both students and community members. Projects can also include all ages, forexample, family service days, older students assisting younger students as in tutoring, or high school students training middle school students to work with elementary students. The idea is that people of all ages and stages in life can be active participants and/or recipients of service.  There is a service continuum.  Another important idea is that even recipients of service can be service providers.

Environmental
Projects focused on environmental concerns are quite popular because they typically fit neatly into existing curriculum and are well suited to either short or long term. Examples include adopt a street projects, salmon in the classroom, restoration projects, and waste reduction campaigns.

In-School Service
These are projects that target the school community. They can be easy to organize due to the reduced liability and logisitical concerns. Also, they have great potential because they can foster an atmosphere of community and school involvement for students who might not otherwise feel connected. This type of project also allows for student voice and leadership development.

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