Benefits of S-L

S-L projects allow youth to share in the responsibility for their own learning, to make connections between the service they are engaged in and the learning to be gained from it.

Beyond the classroom, beyond the community service, S-L helps to:

Enhance Learning

S-L programmes, whereby learning is highly reflective and where curriculum (that may or may not be of academic content) and community service are well integrated, have a powerful impact on the youths’ understanding.

When youths put into action their acquired knowledge to service activities in the community, the relevance and application value of the knowledge becomes more evident. The hands-on application of curriculum in a real life situation provides a clearer and more complex perspective regarding the knowledge. Hence, reinforcing the learning of curriculum content and allowing the youths to practice critical thinking and problem solving.

Develop Personal and Interpersonal Skills

The self-efficacy and self-esteem of youths can be developed through participation in S-L projects. Youths who had been through an S-L experience, tend to have a greater self- knowledge, greater spiritual growth and tend to find reward in helping others. They begin to appreciate the value of their contributions to their community. At the same time, youths will develop or improve their interpersonal skills in relating to others whom they had worked with during the S-L programmes.

Foster Civic Responsibility and Citizenship

S-L can lead youths to a stronger sense of community connectedness, impact on their belief in the importance of service, heighten their sensitivity to social justice issues, and add to their understanding of social issues and their ability to apply this information.

Active citizenship is cultivated when youths get involved in S-L projects because through the service they render to their community, they come to recognise that individual and collective action can make a difference in their community. This enhances the youths’ identification with and involvement in their community.

Develop Youth Leadership

S-L is a powerful approach in youth leadership development. An aspect of working with others is developing the capacity to lead and when youths are given tasks and responsibilities during S-L programmes, they become more competent as leaders. Through S-L, young people become engaged leaders taking on responsibilities for solving real-life problems and meeting the tangible needs of their community.

Ultimately, Service enhances Learning, Learning enhances Service

A unique quality of S-L is the reciprocal relationship in which the service reinforces and strengthens the learning, and the learning reinforces and strengthens service. The service provides a rich learning environment for youths to develop themselves. At the same time, the learning that occurs through the service experience enhances their understanding of community issues, thus motivating and empowering them to address and meet their community needs.