In the Service of What?

In the Service of What?                                                                    By: Ruby Lazo

By: Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer  

1. “The service component may help us get the support needed for implementation, he argues, but its real impact is seen in its ability to promote powerful learning environment."

Service learning experiences provide opportunities for students to learn and grow in ways that just aren’t possible in a classroom.

2. “The distance between the one caring and the one cared for diminishes.”                        Once student volunteers immersed into their school assignments they began breaking down walls. Both sides began forming connections with one another. This is especially important if we (as a society) want to begin breaking down stereotypes and misconceptions about certain groups of people. 

3. “Citizenship requires that individuals work to create, evaluate, criticize and change public institutions and programs.”

In order for us to grow as a society we must all work together to create change in our public institutions and programs. As citizens we have the power to change social constructs.

May of 2011, my class and I went on a service-learning trip to the Dominican Republic. While there, in the morning we taught students at local schools English and during the afternoon we ran activities for the children who stayed at the orphanage. During my stay I learned about Dominicans Republics history, their schooling system, politics and the people. I received a lot more out of it than expected. It was amazing.

While reading about both Mr. Johnson and Ms. Adam’s stories I wondered how great it would be if they combined both of their projects into one, creating more of a balance.