Youth Ownership
Young people are active partners in a service-learning project, with strong voices in identifying community needs and planning service activities. They also play active roles in the evaluation of the project and its impact on the community. This nurtures youth ownership of the project, which in turn empowers young people to take control of their learning, develop leadership skills, and take their places as valuable, decision-making members of their communities.

Genuine Community Needs
Service-learning addresses genuine needs that are important to the community being served. Youths and practitioners engage the community as a partner to identify needs and avoid making assumptions as to what is best for those being served. This process helps students understand the project's beneficiaries, strengthens relationships between young people and the larger community, and generates service activities with a tangible impact.

Connections to Learning Objectives
Service-learning doesn't merely supplement existing curricula; it plays an integral role in the learning process. Practitioners carefully tie projects to specific learning objectives, often connecting multiple subjects. Learning becomes experiential and applied, deepening students' understanding of the material, how it's used, and why it's important.

Reflection
Throughout the process, reflection is the key to growth and understanding. Young people use critical and creative thinking to ensure that the learning makes sense and has meaning for them. Reflection activities can be used to assess where youths are in the learning process, help them internalize the learning, provide opportunities for them to voice concerns and share feelings, and evaluate the project.

Partnerships
Service-learning builds partnerships between young people and the broader community. Partnerships can be limited to those being served or extended to include businesses, community-based organizations, social service agencies, and other groups that share the project's goals. By bringing people together in collaboration, these partnerships can bridge intergenerational, racial, and cultural gaps; provide young people with strong role models; and strengthen community infrastructures.

Making It Happen
Good ideas don’t materialize on their own — they require action. Each project begins with careful planning, followed by the preparation of all participants and the implementation of the service activity. After the service is completed, evaluation and celebration of its successes gives all participants a chance to fully understand and appreciate their service-learning experiences.