NEWS RELEASE
April 26, 2010
Student Service-Learning Projects
Can Prompt Career Interests
On April 28, nearly 400 students and teachers from around the state will convene at the state Capitol for the 14th annual Missouri Service Day. This event highlights the value of service-learning, a teaching method that combines classroom learning with community service projects.
“Students love service-learning because it lets them see good coming from their educations right here, right now,” said Erika Brandl, supervisor of Service-Learning & Afterschool Programs at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. “It’s empowering for them to use what they are learning in school to solve community problems.”
Service-learning can be applied across all subjects and grade levels, from kindergarten to college. It is most recognized for its power to engage students in school, lowering dropout rates, and in their communities, fostering good citizenship. However, Brandl pointed out service-learning also is a tool useful for getting students to plan for their futures. She explained that as students connect their classroom studies with solving real-life problems, it gets them thinking about possible careers.
“For example, a high school student who gets to write a public service announcement for a food drive might get turned on to advertising or journalism, or a student who takes part in a river cleanup might develop an interest in biology or chemistry,” she said.
Students – and their advisors and parents – can then build on that interest with important career-planning questions, such as: “Who in the community does this kind of work?” and “What education would I need to make a career out of this?” Brandl said.
Another career benefit associated with service-learning is the development of students’ “soft skills.” Completing such projects as sponsoring an Art in the Park event or making sure new parents leave the hospital with at least one book to read to their children requires students to exercise their problem-solving, decision-making, communication and other such skills.
“When meeting community needs, students apply skills in real life situations, just like they will be doing in the world of work,” said Beth Nickle, coordinator of the state’s south central service-learning region. “Service-learning allows students to sharpen their strengths and identify areas in need of work, so that they can fulfill their goals.”
Donald Haberman, Nickle’s counterpart for the southwest region, agreed. “Putting the students and the community together to solve an issue is a great way to teach the so-called ‘soft skills’ like teamwork, leadership, organization skills, etc.,” he said. “As some students say, ‘I knew I could lead, and this is the first time I’ve had an opportunity to do that.’ ”
Students who are out practicing soft skills in their communities also find open doors, Brandl said. She explained that the connections students make while working on their projects can lead to valuable mentor relationships, internships, summer jobs — even a permanent position.
One student who has benefited from the community connections made through service-learning is Mathew Riva, a senior in the Fox School District in Jefferson County. Riva will be awarded an Inspire by Example Student Service-Learning Award at the Missouri Service Day for his work leading a school-wide “Stuff the Bus” project at Seckman High School.
The project allowed Riva to work with the City of Arnold’s Planning and Development Commission Committee, which led to an introduction to Frank Kutilek, a cost estimator based in the St. Louis office of HOK, a global architectural firm that employs more than 1,800 people in 23 offices worldwide. Kutilek alerted Riva to the firm’s internship program for which Riva has applied. The selection hasn’t been made, but already, Riva has gained a lot. He explains that his new connections have helped him decide on majoring in architectural planning and design, a field that has interested him since eighth grade but that he had begun to think would have him stuck behind a desk. Talking with architects and engineers showed him a career in architectural design would give him a chance to interact with people and serve his community.
“Being able to work with the commission and meeting Frank really helped me learn what I want to do,” he says.
To find out more about service-learning, visit DESE’s Web site at www.dese.mo.gov. National information on service-learning is available on the National Youth Leadership Council’s Web site, www.nylc.org, and the Learn & Serve America site, www.learnandserve.gov.