Service learning is different than community service in several key ways. Service learning includes student leadership, reflective and academic components, and chances for celebration once the service activity has been successfully completed. Students reflect on community needs, ways to help, and once their service has been completed, they can internalize how their efforts have helped, while learning more about academics such as geography, math, or science.
National School of Character principal Jeannie Maier (Salt Brook Elementary School) describes what one of her students did to raise autism awareness at their school.
Take a look at what our bloggers have to say about service learning, including such topics as what graduates should know before they graduate, connecting service learning to character, and Earth-friendly ideas.
Service Learning Resources at the National Forum on Character Education
Learn all you need to know about service learning at our National Forum on Character Education.
Education in Action: Great Ideas from Great Schools
Get your students involved in service learning. Browse more than 150 Promising Practices and lesson plans for service learning opportunities, arranged by topic, submitted by educators at schools like yours.
Military, America, Heroes
Adopt-a-Marine – Chesterfield Elementary School
Celebrating America: A Tribute to Our Heroes – Meramec Heights Elementary School
Celebrating our Constitution and Our Heroes, Past and Present – Alma Schrader Elementary School
Celebrating Veterans Day Throughout the Year – Oak Brook Elementary School
Fire House Service Learning – Valley Park Middle School
Freedom Pillow Talk – Sullivan Middle School
Gift Bags for Veterans– Beasley Elementary School
Honoring American Heroes– Jefferson City Public Schools
Honoring our Veterans through Service Learning – Chesterfield Elementary School
Military Care Package Project– Jefferson East Elementary School
Pillows for Soliders – Mehlville High School
Supporting Our Active Duty Troops – Murphy Elementary School
Veterans Parade – Beasley Elementary School
Hospital and Health
80s for Alzheimers, Students Dancing for a Cure – Whittier Elementary School
Gobble Up for Cancer – Hamilton High School West
“I Stand for You” Community Blood Drive – Geggie Elementary School
Project Linus – Woerther Elementary School
Small Hands, Big Heart — NICU Care Packages – Meramec Heights Elementary School
Winter Celebration: Honoring Kids Kicking Cancer – Berkshire Middle School
Working Together to Conquer – House Springs
Writing Well and Living Well for Living Well Village – Seckman High School
Creating Caring with Project Linus
Blood Drive Donor Thank You Letters
International and Multicultural
5th Graders Create Books for Peru Orphans – Carmel Elementary School
A Middle School’s Empty Bowls Are Filled with Hope – Oakville Middle School
Afghanistan Project – Point Elementary School
African United Interdisciplinary Project – Mill Pond School
Breaking Boundaries – Walls Elementary School
Community Partners’ Service that Saves – Lindbergh High School
Hearts for Haiti – Oak Brook Elementary School
International Service Learning Project – Wilton Manors Elementary School (link coming soon)
Native American Friendship Bowls – Muhlenberg Elementary Center
“Oh, the Places We’ll Go!” through Service Learning – Truman Elementary School
Pennies for Peace – Bayless Intermediate School
Service Learning without Borders – Imagine South Lake
World Wednesdays – Imagine South Lake
Shoes Supply Safe Water – Beasley Elementary School
Researching Countries Helped by the Shoeman Project
Fundraiser for Japan
People in Need
All Aboard – Seckman High School
Angel Tree – Clifton-Clyde High School
Backpacks for Foster Kids – Seckman Middle School
Blankets of Love– Cranford High School
Caring Community Closet – Valley Middle School
Cereal Drive – Don Earl Early Childhood Center
Circle of Concern Birthday Club – Woerther Elementary School
DECA Needy Family Food Drive – Belleville East High School District #201
Feeding Our Learning – Mill Pond Intermediate School
Fostering Character through the Food Pantry – Seckman Elementary School
Healthy Recipes for Local Food Pantry – Bierbaum Elementary School
Hearts for the Homeless – Langtree Elementary School
Operation Food Search – Lafayette High School
P.A.C.K. (Pack Assorted Colors for Kids) Service Learning Project – Don Earl Early Childhood Center
Service Learning Project for the Needy – Upper Merion Area Middle School
Mehlville’s Sewing for Santa – Mehlville High School
Shop with a Viking – Lowndes High School
“Soup”er Bowl Celebration – Sag Harbor Elementary School
Soy Scents Candle Company – Area Learning Center
Spirit of Caring and Giving – Kehrs Mill Elementary School
With L.O.V.E. – Letting Others Value Empathy – George Guffey Elementary School
How Many Are Homeless?
Homeless Shelter Project
Community
9th Graders Serving the Community – Southern Guilford High School
Building Assets One Project at a Time – Iola High School
Cadena de Amor – Escuela Secundaria Bilingüe Carlos Darwin
CARE – Jefferson High School
Caring for Our Community – Shirley Hills Primary School
Centre City Saturdays-Serving Our Communities – Vandalia Elementary School
Community Outreach Program – East Elementary School
Crafts for a Cause – Beverly Elementary School
Creating District-Wide Service Learning – Fox C-6 School District
How We Share the Planet – Morganton Day School
Kindness on the Road – Chester M. Stephens Elementary School
My Wish – Imagine Groveport
Preschoolers Give and Receive – Character Building Institute
Service with Pride – Saylesville School
Service with Song – Kennerly Elementary School
Students with Disabilities Help Neighborhood – Nottingham Community Access and Job Training High School
Super Bowl of Caring – Imagine Bella
Team One’s Cause – Northwest High School
Wohlwend Project ENGAGE – Wohlwend Elementary School
Giving Away to Give Back – A Sweet Treat
Animals and Nature
CAREing for Critters – Jefferson County
Green Paws: Forsyth Middle School Environmental Club – Forsyth Middle School
The Humane Society Service Learning Project – Rockwood Early Childhood Education Center
Open Hearts, Open Doors – Oakville Elementary School
Project Stray Rescue – Forder Elementary School
Character Club’s Serve to Learn Project – Rougher Alternative Academy
Character Education Goes Green – Starside Elementary School
Fifth Grade Farming Service Project – L.G. Cooper Elementary School
Green Influence – Chesterfield Elementary School
Growing Green and Environmental Stewardship – Lawrenceville Elementary School
Green Initiative: Inspiring Youth Earth Stewards – Wilson Middle School
Service Learning Projects on Environmental Issues – Harlan Elementary School
The Green Team: We Can Have a Direct Impact on the Earth – Saint Joseph School
Watching Good Character Grow – Norrie Park Project – Ironwood Area Schools
Singing for the Animals
Elderly and Babies
Books for Babies – Ellis Middle School
Capacity to Care – Sadler Arts Academy
Community Connections – Abram Lansing Elementary School
Growing with Hope – Lindbergh High School
A Letter for Uncle Joe – Bingham Farms Elementary School
Student/”Grandfriends” Partnership Program – Snow Creek Elementary School
Generational Singing
Literacy
Literacy Backpacks – Main Street Elementary School
Leaping into Service Learning – Lawrenceville Elementary School
Principal’s Book of the Month – Hunt Club
Acts of Kindness and Recognizing Service Learning
Kind Heart Flowers – Imagine Klepinger
N.P.E.S. Little Jags C.A.R.E. (Care and Respect Everyone) – North Pike Elementary School
Random Acts of Kindness Buddy Activity – Bayless Intermediate School
Unbridled Random Acts of Kindness – New Cumberland Middle School
Character in Action Videos – Morgan Elementary School
Creating Confidence through Character Day – Jefferson City Academic Center
Give Me Five – Babler Elementary School
The Service Paths – The Blake School
Leadership and Kids Helping Kids
Service learning leads to academic integrity, according to David Wangaard, the director of the School for Ethical Education.
DENS – Warren Elementary School
EarlyAct Club – Lalor Elementary School
Junior Police Program – Imagine Schools at Desert West
S.A.I.L. Service Activities Involvement and Leadership – Secaucus School District
Academic Mentoring for At-Risk Students – Lindbergh High School
Elm Acres Service Learning Project – Pittsburg High School
KITTENS (Kindergarteners Inventing Teaching Tools Encouraging Numerous Students) – Endeavour Elementary Magnet School of Technology
Luke’s Buddies: Character in Action – Liberty Corner Elementary School
Partnership for Kids – Morgan Selvidge Middle School
Pathways to Inclusion – Cranford High School
The Peter Pan Project – Fox High School
YAP Service Learning Project – Fox High School
General Service Learning
100% Giving Day of Character – Blades Elementary School
Advocacy Groups – The Vanguard School
Angels’ Arms – Wild Horse Elementary School
Buddy Bag Program — Reaching Everyone – Lincoln County R-III School District
Building Community through Student Service Learning – Thomas Stone High School
Camp Kokua, Learning by Serving – Ho’ala
Caring and Reaching – Orrs Elementary School
Change the World through Your Heart through Service Learning – Westridge Elementary School
Class Character Competition – “The Golden Stone” – Thomas Stone High School
Every Child Lends a Helping Hand – Floresville Primary School
Gators Earn, Learn, and Give Back – Green Pines Elementary School
The Giving Day – Pleasant Valley Elementary School
Heart to Heart Project– Rogers Elementary School
Humanitarian Club – Lehighton Area Middle School
Kennerly Students Raise a Village – Kennerly Elementary School
Million Minor March – Maplewood Richmond Heights High School
Navigators Club – Sperreng Middle School
Peace, Awareness, Witness, Service Pledge – St. Aloysius Academy
Positive Action Center (PAC) – paxUnited
Project E.N.G.A.G.E. – Mehlville School District
Project-Based Learning within an Advisory System – Avalon School
Roughers Alliance for Intelligent Decisions (R.A.I.D.) – Muskogee High School
School Ambassadors Serving the School and Community – North Boulevard Elementary School
Season of Service, Period of Peace – San Leandro High School
Service Learnng Mania – duPont Manual High School
S.U.P.E.R. Club (Students Understanding Philanthropy and Educating Relationships) – Sadler Arts Academy
The C.I.A. (Citizens in Action) – Portage Central Middle School
Helping Hands Program – Uthoff Valley Elementary School
Fifth Grade Service Learning Project
Civic Responsibility: Meeting a Community Need
More Service Learning Resources
There are many resources available for community service projects, but the organizations and resources in the link below dedicate themselves to fostering service in a more sustainable approach. They offer service-learning ideas and other resources to help your students engage with their surrounding community and become life-long advocates for giving back.
