Douglas Adams (1950–2001),
an English writer, and humorist said, “To give real service you must add
something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and
integrity.” The National and Community
Service Act of 1990 showed what people learned in and beyond the classroom must
foster the development for caring for others.
Service learning should have these attributes:
• Persons will learn and
develop through active participation by organized service-experiences that meet
community needs.
• Service projects will
integrate participants’ academic curricula by providing structured time for
thinking, talking, and writing concerning what they are doing, and seeing
during these activities.
• Activists will have opportunities
to use their newly acquired skills and knowledge in real life situations in
their communities.
• There will be enhancement
of what was taught in classroom-situations through learning beyond the
classroom, and the community in helping to foster the development of a sense of
caring for others.
Life as Experience
Henry Ford (1863–1947),
an industrialist and the founder of Ford Motor Company wrote, “Life is a series
of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is
hard to realize this. For the world was
built to develop character and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves
which we endure, help us in our marching onward.” It’s through joining forces with our
communities, and by building viable structures people will help others achieve
new realities. Andrew Furco in
Service-Learning: A Balance Approach to Experiential Education stated this
learning was the following:
• Volunteerism - where
the primary interest was on the service being provided, and the intended
beneficiary were clearly the recipients.
• Community service - where
the primary focus was on the service being provided as well as the benefits
that such activities brought to the recipients.
Participants receive benefits by learning more about how their services
make a difference.
• Internships that generally
engaged individuals in activities, primarily for the purpose of providing
hands-on experiences, while enhancing their learning, or understanding of
issues to particular areas of studies.
• Field Education that
provided co-curricular service opportunities that will be related, but not
fully integrated with their formal goals.
People generally performed such services as part of a program designed
to enhance their understanding of field studies.
Quality Service
George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States said,
“Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it
is better to be alone than in bad company.”
Similar minded people bent on service to their communities will lead to
greater understanding in our communities.
However there might be some problems threatening to impede this
progress.
Quite important is adequate funding by Federal, State, and
private corporations for community projects.
Another issue is documenting the progress made during these tasks. Nowadays there are miniature digital cameras
capable of producing high quality pictures and programs of such projects. Then there has to be the delivery systems for
participants to bring their work to the attention of the public. This could be done through TV and cable
channels, the Internet, local press, and publications of various organizations. It’s imperative that all parties - secular
and non-secular alike, link up in symbiotic ways. If strong bonds for communal advancement don’t
presently exist, over time these will develop.
With this progress service-learning projects will eventually lead to
greater social, cultural, spiritual, and communal growth.
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