NYLC toolboxes give you instant access to the best resources on popular topics. These special thematic collections of articles, downloads, project examples, and links can help you get started with service-learning and delve deeper into areas of interest.
Disaster Preparedness and Recovery
Service-learning can tap the power of young people as a sustainable, effective force for disaster preparedness and recovery. This toolbox is home to a growing body of articles and project examples (and soon curricula) to help young people prepare their communities for the foreseen and rebuild their communities after disasters.
Diversity
Effective service-learning values diversity in its participants, practice, and outcomes. Understanding diversity and its impact on service-learning is critical for effective practice. This toolbox includes project examples, articles, and links to help you better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with diversity, and approaches for improving diversity in service-learning programs.
Effective service-learning values diversity in its participants, practice, and outcomes. Understanding diversity and its impact on service-learning is critical for effective practice. This toolbox includes project examples, articles, and links to help you better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with diversity, and approaches for improving diversity in service-learning programs.
Dropout Prevention
Research has consistently demonstrated that students who participate in service-learning are more engaged in school, and new findings have shown that students who are engaged are more likely to stay in school and more likely to graduate from high school. This toolbox includes links, resources, and research on service-learning's ability to keep young people in school until graduation.
Research has consistently demonstrated that students who participate in service-learning are more engaged in school, and new findings have shown that students who are engaged are more likely to stay in school and more likely to graduate from high school. This toolbox includes links, resources, and research on service-learning's ability to keep young people in school until graduation.
Getting Started
Effective service-learning requires knowledgeable, trained practitioners and carefully designed programs. We've collected some useful articles and tools for beginning practitioners. We also recommend a short one- to two-day training for those new to service-learning.
Effective service-learning requires knowledgeable, trained practitioners and carefully designed programs. We've collected some useful articles and tools for beginning practitioners. We also recommend a short one- to two-day training for those new to service-learning.
HIV/AIDS
Service-learning is an excellent tool for HIV and AIDS education. Not only does it mobilize youths as a force in fighting the pandemic, but research shows that youths are more receptive to HIV prevention messages that come from their peers. Effective projects can take place in schools and community-based organizations. Here are some project ideas, articles, and links to get you started.
Service-learning is an excellent tool for HIV and AIDS education. Not only does it mobilize youths as a force in fighting the pandemic, but research shows that youths are more receptive to HIV prevention messages that come from their peers. Effective projects can take place in schools and community-based organizations. Here are some project ideas, articles, and links to get you started.
Integrating Service-Learning into the Curriculum
Effective service-learning is always tied to specific learning goals. This not only helps students meet genuine community needs through their service but also improves student academic outcomes and addresses state and federal education standards that schools are required to meet. The resources in this toolbox help teachers and other practitioners better integrate service-learning programs with curricula.
Effective service-learning is always tied to specific learning goals. This not only helps students meet genuine community needs through their service but also improves student academic outcomes and addresses state and federal education standards that schools are required to meet. The resources in this toolbox help teachers and other practitioners better integrate service-learning programs with curricula.
Making the Case
Practitioners see the results of service-learning first hand, but that's often not enough. Policy-makers, administrators, and parents want and deserve proof that service-learning is an effective learning and community development model. Here, we've gathered key resource to help you "make the case" for service-learning.
Practitioners see the results of service-learning first hand, but that's often not enough. Policy-makers, administrators, and parents want and deserve proof that service-learning is an effective learning and community development model. Here, we've gathered key resource to help you "make the case" for service-learning.
Standards for Effective Service-Learning Practice
Service-learning organizations and practitioners have been working together for more than a decade to develop standards of effective practice for Pre-K-12 service-learning. Discover what decades of educational research and the experience of seasoned service-learning practitioners and participants have come to understand about what attributes of service-learning best foster academic, civic, and social gains for students.
Service-learning organizations and practitioners have been working together for more than a decade to develop standards of effective practice for Pre-K-12 service-learning. Discover what decades of educational research and the experience of seasoned service-learning practitioners and participants have come to understand about what attributes of service-learning best foster academic, civic, and social gains for students.
Youth Leadership
Young people are powerful contributors to society, but too often adults don’t seek or hear their voices. Fostering youth leadership requires a number of skills and tactics, from assessing adult attitudes toward youths and encouraging youth ownership of service-learning projects to team-building games and reflection exercises.
Young people are powerful contributors to society, but too often adults don’t seek or hear their voices. Fostering youth leadership requires a number of skills and tactics, from assessing adult attitudes toward youths and encouraging youth ownership of service-learning projects to team-building games and reflection exercises.
Have you done a successful service-learning project? Share your experience and help others get started!