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The afterschool setting can serve as an important arena for service learning activities. Service learning projects can help afterschool students with learning, social responsibility, and character development. This article provides an overview of planning considerations for service learning in afterschool. The article also provides guidance for afterschool teachers and administrators in seeking service learning resources.

AbstractBoth service learning and simulations have been shown to positively impact student outcomes, but they are not often used together. This article examines how to effectively combine these active learning styles to reap the benefits of both. After examining a case in which the two were combined and the impact this approach had on student evaluations and learning outcomes, I discuss how such projects can be successfully executed in a variety of other classes.

Increasingly, faculty members are incorporating service-learning projects into their courses, resulting in enhanced student learning and development. However, does service learning encourage subsequent student involvement in the community? This study investigates the effect faculty professionals can have through service learning on their students'intentions to participate in community service. A modified version of the Solomon four-group design analysis as well as a hierarchical regression were used to assess the change in student intentions after exposure to three service-learning treatments. Findings indicate that service learning has a significant impact on students'intentions to participate in community service. In particular, by adding a lecture to the standard service-learning format, faculty members can increase student intentions to participate in community service.

One of the major selling points of service-learning courses is their potential to mutually benefit communities, universities, and students. Although a great deal of research reports numerous pedagogical and personal benefits for students—from improved grades and increased civic engagement to increased understanding and appreciation of diversity—there is relatively little research on the impact of service learning on the community. To understand when and how service-learning courses benefit the community, we conducted in-depth interviews with representatives of local community-based organizations that have worked with service learners. We report on the primary benefits and costs associated with service-learning courses. We identify three types of obstacles to successful service-learning courses: issues related to student conduct, poor fit between course and organizational objectives, and lack of communication between instructors and organizations. We develop practical guidelines for addressing these obstacles and for ensuring that service learning fulfills teaching and learning goals and provides valuable service to community-based organizations.

This paper discusses the use of service-learning in accounting curriculums as a tool for enhancing learning and student performance in the classroom by addressing the call for accounting education to move beyond "number crunching" to critical analysis and problem solving. First, the paper reviews the educational research supporting the enhanced learning that takes place with service-learning. Next, the link between service-learning outcomes and accounting education objectives is discussed. Additionally, specific examples of service-learning projects successfully implemented in auditing (with evidence of improved performance) and governmental/nonprofit accounting courses are presented. The projects themselves, as well as the administrative tasks required to implement them, are discussed in detail. The concepts presented can be applied to other accounting and/or business classes.

The Rock County 4-H Disaster Relief Committee raised $1,550 to aid tsunami victims in Sri Lanka and then turned its attention to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Thirty-one 4-H youth participated in a service learning trip to the South with the objectives of helping hurricane victims, learning about new cultures and achieving personal growth during three days of service projects in Louisiana and Mississippi. Their written reflections and other evaluative measures revealed they learned about southern culture, gained a greater appreciation for their lives, gained self confidence and developed a desire to help others more often. The trip was a valuable developmental experience for the youth, and information from the trip could be utilized to create similar experiences based on service learning. This article provides an overview of the trip and describes the evaluation methods used to measure learning and assess personal growth.