While we all know that school-age child care programs need to be planned so that children can make choices and be actively involved in fun activities, we also know that school-age child care programs can package learning opportunities so that they are hands on, fun and engage the child and enhance social emotional intellectual and physical development.
Service learning can help children grow in all of these areas and help them to acquire skills and attitudes outlined in the SCANS report (see feature article). Service learning is a method by which young people learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences.
Service learning projects should involve the children in planning and preparation. They need to decide what service they would like to perform. Sometimes the provider will have to help them get started with the thought process. "Maybe we could cleanup the nature trail, maybe we can build a play house for the pre-school , or maybe we could make supper for our parents. What other ideas do you have?"
Have the students plan the project. What do they want to accomplish? List the steps to get to the goal. Who will do what, when? What materials do they need? How will they get them? Students can make phone calls, solicit materials, get adults to help or make signs to publicize their work. If you are going to visit a nursing home and you are afraid that the Director will not respond to a call from a child, you may call first and explain the project the kids wish to do, then have the child call .
Next have the kids actually do the project. Make sure they know what is involved and if necessary practice the skills. If they are going to bake cookies for the elderly, have them practice making a batch first.
While the service project is underway, have the students stop and observe what is happening. Are people enjoying the project? Are the students working together? Is the project progressing on course?
After the project is complete, talk with the students about how the project went. Did they accomplish what the set out to do? Had their plan worked or were adjustments needed? What would they do different another time.
Have the kids discuss what the project meant to them? What did I mean to those who were served? How could what they learned be applied in another setting? What skills did they learn and how might these be applied to a career. What would each child like to repeat about the project and what did they dislike. These answers should lead them to think about what they would like their future to be.
Service learning provides not only an opportunity to contribute to the community, but to develop skills and attitudes for the future.
| PLANNING A PROJECT | |||
| What needs to be done | By Whom | By When | When task completed |