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After
all your careful needs assessment and project planning,
it’s now time for action. Meaningful action occurs
when youth and adults work together to set goals, plan
the service, and address some of the inherent barriers
that young people can face in service learning projects.
Project planning is the core of meaningful action. One
of the key reasons young people cite for not serving
is feeling like they are not engaged or utilized effectively.
So, make sure that the young people are involved in
the service learning project from the very beginning
and, on the actual day(s) of service, engage all volunteers
in the activity.
Taking time
to think through project goals, roles for volunteers,
key logistics, and other issues can create a sense of
purpose and bolster retention of young volunteers. Unfortunately,
no amount of planning and preparation can guarantee
a completely problem-free service day. If problems arise,
turn them into “teachable moments” and look
on them as an added learning opportunity. |
At
Ashland City Elementary in Cheatham County, the Williams
4th Grade 4-H Club wanted more opportunities to practice
their reading skills, so they created “reading adventure
kits” for younger students. The 4-H’ers practiced
easy readers until they could read them perfectly. Then
they recorded the books on tape and assembled kits that
also included manipulatives related to the stories, a
laminated activity/question sheet, and a cassette player.
The 4-H’ers spent time reading with a first grade
class and then placed the kits in the school library for
all students to enjoy. Ms. Williams, the club’s
teacher-leader, said, “This is the most rewarding
project I have ever been involved with! I can honestly
say I was moved to tears to watch my [students] interacting
with the first graders. They were coming up with many
ways to engage the smaller kids in reading the story they
had chosen. After visiting the primary school, my students
were so excited and very proud of themselves. We definitely
accomplished our goals.”
