The Movement
Main Shelter Building:
480 West Tenessee St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Service learning is a method of teaching that combines classroom instruction with meaningful community service. This form of learning emphasizes crticial thinking and personal reflection while encouraging a high sense of community, civic engagement, and personal responsibility. Service learning opportunities are a great way for students to get involved with their immediate community and make an impact at home. These types of opportunities are already in schools all across the world. They come in all different shapes and sizes so if you'd like to get involved, there is almost always a way to do so. Talk to your academic advisor, guidance counselor, or any other school employee about service learning opportunities offered by your school- even if they don't know of any, they may be able to point you in the direction of someone who does. Remember, if there aren't any service learning opportunities currently available in your school, talk with someone about starting one. Everyone has to start somewhere!
How to get involved.
Academic Service Learning
Many Universities offer classes that educate students on important communtiy and global issues. These classes raise the student's public awareness and usually inspires or promotes civic action. This a great service-learning opportunity because it is educational and doesn't require the student to partake in any activities he/she doesn't want to. However, it addresses a big problem- a lot of students don't know about issues surrounding their community. Education inspires action.
Volunteering Opportunities
Volunteering is a great way to get started in Service-Learning. Many Service Learning classes require students to actually volunteer at real organizations for a specified period of time. Volunteer opportunities are abundant and it will give you a great starting point when you sign up for a service learning class or any literature class for that matter! Every volunteer opportunity is something to write about, to share with others, and to write on resumes. It is both a learning experience and something you can teach to others.
Service Learning Courses with Community Involvement
In our opinion, this is the best way to help your community while also being academically engaged, Service Learning courses like the one we took requried us to do something that a lot of classes don't- actually dedicate our time OUT of the classroom to volunteer at the organization we write about IN the classroom. This combination of Community Involvement, Practical Experience, and Academic Study is a great way to help your local community through real volunteerism while being academically challenged in ways you wouldn't be in other types of classes.
