A Practical Guide to Service Learning: Strategies for Positive Development in Schools

ISBN: 0387465383

Author: felicia-l-wilczenski

Condition: New

Service learning is an experiential approach to education that involves students in meaningful activities that can advance social, emotional, and academic curricula goals while benefiting communities. Service learning also supports the ethical goals of character education by providing situations in the community in which caring, helping, and collaboration as well as sensitivity to culture and social justice issues become integral parts of the educative process. In essence, service learning is a powerful form of social-emotional education in action. At the same time, service learning brings academic knowledge to life through authentic learning contexts. The ability to teach social/emotional and academic concepts simultaneously makes service learning one of the most powerful interventions possible.

This volume will address school psychologists and other school-based mental health professionals who, in partnership with teachers, strive to enhance the social, emotional, and academic competence of all students. It will explain how the goals of school psychologists - as well as other school-based mental health professionals - and those of teachers can be realized through a service learning curriculum, and how such a curriculum can foster a sense of purpose in youth. It will describe how service learning, an intervention that can be both remedial or preventive and individual or systemic, can enable school psychologists to expand their role beyond special populations to serve students within the academic mainstream. Connections will be drawn between the positive psychology movement, the nurturing of purpose in youth, and the benefits of service learning. Issues of system changeand program implementation will be explored through a discussion of case studies, but informed by research. The book addresses impact of a service learning program on school and community as well as factors affecting its sustainability.