Blending service-learning and character education to promote strong citizenship
Abstract
Character education is one way to help students develop the efficacy they will need to further the democratic ideals of our society by becoming caring and ethical adults. Through service-learning, schools across the nation are creating approaches to character development that are formal, intentional, purposeful, and systematic. This effective practice shares ways to integrate service-learning and character education, and is excerpted from the publication, Service Learning and Character Education: Walking the Talk, (2000) by Swick et al., published by the South Carolina Department of Education, in partnership with the National Dropout Prevention Center, with funding by the Corporation for National and Community Service.Issue
Using the service-learning model to foster strong values in students presents the opportunity to encourage good citizenship.Action
According to the publication, Service Learning and Character Education: Walking the Talk by Swick et al. (2000), service-learning and character education are combined easily. Effective practices in the classroom, school and the family and community include:
Involve students at the classroom level. Students can work with the teacher to:
- Plan ways to celebrate and reward good character in the classroom.
- Lead discussions on character traits in class meetings.
- Create bulletin boards in the classroom on the character trait of the month.
- Hold weekly Moral Forums in which students deal with different moral dilemmas.
- Recognize their classmates as "terrific kids" who have best exemplified the character trait of the week or the month.
- Develop a "caring calendar" that identifies the trait of the week or month and gives suggestions for parents to use in reinforcing good character in the home.
- Discuss the character traits portrayed in literary selections.
- Incorporate character education segments into every class, every day.
- Develop and post a "Character Education Resolution" and have it signed by the superintendent, the school board members, and community officials.
- Develop a multi-year character education plan with specific targets.
- Assess the effectiveness of the character education program in the school and in the community.
- Plan school and community functions and activities that support good character.
- Establish a different character attribute for each week or month.
- Develop school TV news shows.
- Have a daily "Character Minute" in which the whole school participates.
- Include a weekly article, e.g., "Character Corner" written by students in the school newspaper.
- Conduct monthly assemblies in which students share their "good character" experiences with others and reflect on what they have learned.
- Prepare all staff to model good character in all areas of the educational process — including cafeterias, hallways, buses, and playgrounds.
- Train all adults in the school — teachers, administrators, cafeteria workers, maintenance personnel — to be involved in modeling and helping students model good character.
- Set fair and equitable rules and regulations that are expected in different settings.
- Hold regular "power lunches" with different types of students to discuss the rules and regulations to learn if they are working and whether they need to be changed.
- Develop a "visual" character education environment, involving all students in developing slogans, mottoes, a good character school pledge, good character school song, and character guidelines.
- Post these throughout the school and community and incorporate in school activities.
- Recognize adults and students who are role models of positive character traits in ways that encourage all students to strive to achieve excellence in their lives.
- Encourage parents and families to do community service with their children as a way of life.
- Conduct service-learning experiences where students, faculty, staff, and others in the school and community participate in service, acknowledge their contributions, and reflect on how the service helps them and the community.
- Integrate service into academic and nonacademic areas of students' learning experiences.
- Encourage families to participate in community improvement projects through announcements in school newsletters and special flyers sent to the students' homes.
- Involve citizens in helping plan community strengthening activities by coming to school and working with students on new project ideas and by helping students carry out projects in the community by acting as mentors or providing access to clients who need assistance.
- Get parents involved in planning combination character education and community service activities.
- Organize special school and community events that acknowledge and celebrate service.
- Involve students with other service groups within the community such as human service agencies, service organizations, and nonprofit community groups.
Context
Service-learning and character education can be combined easily. Because of its focus on learning through service, students participating in service-learning activities not only offer meaningful assistance to others, but grow personally as well. As a result of this process, the values that are central to a community's well being are reinforced, and good citizenship is thereby encouraged.
Although the service experience is integral to service-learning, adherence to the entire service-learning model of preparation, action, reflection, and celebration can enhance the character education program.The four-part approach should include:
Preparation. Students learn about good character traits before their service activities.
Action. Students are able to observe firsthand good character traits in others — parents, heroes, community members — as they begin to practice the traits themselves.
Reflection. Students can think and write about, as well as discuss the value of the character traits they have seen in others and themselves.
Celebration. Students can celebrate the value of the character traits in the life of a healthy community.
Citation
Swick, Kevin J., et. al.Service Learning and Character Education: Walking the Talk . Prepared with funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service through a Fund for the Advancement of Service Learning grant; funded to the South Carolina Department of Education in partnership with the National Dropout Prevention Center, 2002.Outcome
Numerous qualitative studies have shown that most students, including those who have records of disruptive behavior and poor academics, who are directly involved in all phases of the service-learning process, feel more empowered, develop more overt leadership skills, and tend to feel better about themselves as students.Evidence
Evidence suggests that service-learning and character education, when implemented properly, improve student learning, increase family-school partnering, engage the community in positive ways with schools, and strengthen the virtue of future citizens (Lickona, 1992).Posted On
December 13, 2002For More Information
Resources
The following resource is available at the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse Library:
Service Learning and Character Education: Walking the Talk
Item number: 515/G/SWI/2000
Phone: 1-866-245-SERV (7378)
E-mail: info@servicelearning.org
Website: http//www.servicelearning.org
The publication can be purchased for $6.00 by calling the National Dropout Prevention Center publications department at 864-656-2599 or visiting their website at http://www.dropoutprevention.org/pubs/default.php.
Related Practices
No related practicesRelated sites
National Dropout Prevention Center