By getting involved with service learning, your
kids will develop an interest in the communities
around them, writes
Heather Goode
.
I
f you think one small person
can’t make a difference, try
sleeping in a room with a
mosquito.” This African proverb
has often played in my head as I’ve
thought about ways to encourage
students to contribute to their
communities. How can we ensure
that community service is beneficial,
meaningful and, most importantly,
real for our children? Quite simply,
start with what they know and love.
The concept of “community” can
seem too big and too complicated to
tackle. “Community service” then is
often expressed through measures of
tokenism, such as donating money.
There’s nothing wrong with these
acts; on the contrary, they have very
definitive benefits. But the purpose
behind the donation and any human
connection can be easily lost or
misunderstood by children.
The idea of “service”, or
“
service learning”, however, can be
explained more easily as a “two-
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