how students benefit

Personal Growth and Development
Self esteem
Exploration of new roles, identities and interests
Willingness to take risks, accept new challenges
Taking responsibility for and accepting the consequences of their own actions

Intellectual Development and Academic Learning
Basic academic skills (expressing ideas, reading, calculating)
Higher level thinking skills (open-mindedness, problem solving, critical thinking)
Content and skills directly related to service experiences
Skills in learning from experience (to observe, ask questions, apply knowledge)

"The reason that I have been successful in this class (A.P. U.S. Government) so far is due (in great part) to my experiences during my Service Learning Project (working on the "No on Prop 22" campaign). If there is any way imaginable to tell you how GRATEFUL I am that you allowed me to experience this...but those words don't even exist. I just want you to know that the experience CHANGED MY LIFE. What I did (what I had to FORCE myself out of my quiet shell to do) affected me in ways unimaginable. It has brought me to have new confidence in myself, and an entirely new vision of my future goals, plans and self..." 12th Grade Student, San Dieguito Academy