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Rural Service-Learning: Examples and Best Practices

Service-learning is working for teachers in rural schools across Pennsylvania and around the country. Almost universally, these teachers face a host of challenges: "low-income populations with a limited tax-base, struggling resource-based economies, a shortage of certified teachers, a large proportion of students considered 'at risk,' and few career opportunities for high school graduates hoping to work in their local areas" (The Rural School and Community Trust, http://www.ruraledu.org/efeltxt2a.html). Despite the obstacles, innovative educators are able to tie community and student needs with rigorous education and careful reflection. They do this by carefully combining the best in service-learning theory with the realm of the possible in their home districts.

Depending on district policy and school location, service-learning activities may be limited to school grounds. Although this has prevented or limited some projects, other classes have carefully structured activities to provide genuine service to the community from within the school. To develop elementary math, communication and citizenship skills, for example, one school organized a student-run food bank in the school.

Older students developed announcements to motivate students, faculty and staff to bring nonperishable items to the school. Others tallied the amount of food collected during math class. Other opportunities to connect the drive to the curriculum exist, as well. Health classes could review the components of a balanced meal and figure out which types of food would be most valuable to the food bank. Students in English class could write letters to local government officials to let them know about the project and to ask about other ways to address hunger. In this example and in many other similar efforts, it is important that teachers and students work carefully with community agencies to nurture the partnership despite the lack of regular interaction.

Inviting representatives of community partners to come to the school and speak to the students about the role of the agency in the community helps students better understand the purpose of their service and exposes them to a career possibility. This visit may occur early on in the service-learning experience, and students should use their writing skills by sending a professional thank you letter to the visitor. The interaction need not stop there, however. After students begin helping the community agency, there may be another opportunity to invite the agency representative to the school to join in a reflection or celebration experience. Continuous interaction with someone who is meeting genuine needs in the community helps students see the validity and purpose of their efforts.

Many other service-learning efforts allow students to serve the community from within the school. Examples include: developing materials to educate pet owners on proper pet care for the Humane Society; developing packets to distribute to new mothers that describe habits and techniques to encourage early literacy; and improving upon or assisting with written materials for almost any community organization, from the PTO to the local historical preservation society.

Another way to sidestep the transportation problem is to invite a part of the community into the school. This has been particularly successful with senior populations. As part of English, history and civics classes, students contribute to their community’s recorded history by interviewing seniors about their lives and compiling the information into videos, books or other media. Often, it is easier to bring seniors into the school than to take students to the senior center. In addition to adding to the community’s understanding of its history, students and seniors in these projects tend to better understand and appreciate one another after they interact.

Finally, many rural school teachers and students have examined the concept of community and concluded that the school is a community unto itself. In many rural areas, the school is also the focal point of the larger community. Taking this approach, students have been able to develop or improve upon a school’s recycling program while learning about recycling in science class; develop programs on resiliency skills and responsible decision making for younger students as part of health class; and create community trails and outdoor environmental classrooms on their campuses as a school-wide effort. For one amazing example, read about how one Louisiana school system used a mixture of place-based education and service-learning to improve their students' test scores and environmentally preserve the area at http://www.ruraledu.org/efeltxt2a.html.

Urban, suburban or rural, all communities have room for improvement, and creative students and teachers are able to tie that improvement to the curriculum. Whether it is by providing a service for an agency from within the school, inviting community members into the school, or considering the school as the community, there are ample opportunities for uniting the curriculum with genuine service experiences in rural areas. Teachers benefit from students’ heightened interest in the coursework. Students benefit from understanding that their school subjects are applicable and important. Communities benefit from uniting the assets and energy of schools with community needs. Pennsylvania teachers and administrators interested in participating in a free, Act 48-approved service-learning workshop in their district should contact the Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance.

Grant Opportunities provide additional project ideas >>