NYLC Study Shows Service-Learning Promotes Healthy Youth-Adult Transitions

According to a national survey conducted on behalf of the National
Youth Leadership Council™ by Harris Interactive®, an international
market research organization, service-learning has a strong impact on
the youth-adult transition. The National Survey on Service-Learning and
Transitioning to Adulthood examined service-learning’s potential to
ease the transition to adulthood, and showed its positive benefits. The
survey was funded by the State Farm Companies Foundation.

"I think people will be very surprised by the numbers," says NYLC
President and CEO Jim Kielsmeier. "I was surprised. We’ve long believed
that service-learning helps prepare young people for the transition to
adulthood, but the decisiveness of the results exceeded our
expectations."

The results — to be released March 22 at The 17th Annual National Service-Learning Conference
in Philadelphia — show that U.S. adults who engaged in service-learning
during their school years were more likely than the rest of their peers
to …

• Be politically and socially connected to their communities
• Serve as role models for young adults
• Understand the importance of lifelong learning
• Attain a higher level of education
• Engage in service

This nationally representative study shows that these benefits were realized across student demographics.

The research will be published in "Growing to Greatness 2006,"
NYLC’s third annual report on the state of service-learning. The
project included a nationally representative survey of 3,123 U.S.
residents ages 18-28. Focus groups were also conducted with high school
students currently involved in service-learning, as well as with young
adults who had previous service-learning experience.

Copies of "Growing to Greatness 2006" will be given to all conference attendees and available for purchase from the NYLC Bookstore after March 22.

Advanced, embargoed copies of the results will be made available to members of the press. Please email us for details.