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01.04 Service Project: Objectives
Many Americans know that service is an important citizen responsibility. In 2008, they gave over 20 million hours of their time to volunteer efforts in this country. Giving back to your community is rewarding for both you and those that you serve. Opportunities to improve life for others exist all around you. In this lesson, you will learn the hows and whys of service projects and begin the steps necessary to complete your own service experience.
© 2012 AP Images
The teens shown here are repainting a fence as part of a service project in New Hampshire. Hundreds of young people from around the country participate in Workcamps, a church-based service program. In the program, students spend a week in the summer repairing homes.
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01.04 Service Project: What Is Service?
What Is Service?
Service is helping other people and being active in your community. For example, one group of teens planted a community garden where they grow a variety of vegetables, which requires regular care and maintenance. The teens donate the produce to a local soup kitchen, which uses the produce to help feed people in the community. By tending the garden and donating their produce, the teens are actively helping make life a bit better for others in their community.
Service is valuable. Your service hours as a student may help you get into the college or program you desire, though most people volunteer or serve others without expecting money or gifts in return. Service is not just collecting money to give to a group. It is about action and contributing to the common good. The people who serve help those who benefit in many ways that are more important than money or gifts. For example, a soup kitchen provides essential food to people who may otherwise go hungry, and therefore is extremely valuable to people and their families who are struggling to get enough to eat.
© 2012 AP Images
The teens in these images are working together in different ways to reduce hunger in their community. However you choose to assist others, you and the community benefit in many ways: * improve community's ability to meet needs * bring people together for a worthy cause * improve quality of life * encourage understanding among people from different backgrounds * Page 2 of 6 * 01.04 Service Project: How can you contribute? * How can you contribute? * Note the word unity in community. People in a community group unite through what they have in common. One person may belong to several communities. For example, you belong to a group of online learners taking this course. You also are part of your local neighborhood community and the communities of the activities in which you participate. Perhaps you play a team sport or perform in a band. All are examples of communities. Diversitygives strength to a community. All people have individual strengths that they can use to help their communities. You may be physically strong, for example, while your friend is not, but he may be better at tutoring math. When people in a group work together and use their strengths, the community is stronger. * Interdependence means that people depend on each other. We work together daily to learn, complete tasks, and survive. Imagine building a house all by yourself. You would have to construct the entire house alone from materials you make from scratch. It would be very difficult, likely take years to complete, and may not turn out as planned. Instead, a team of people with different strengths can build a sound home. A leader can direct daily tasks according to expertly drawn plans. A person good at research can make sure all appropriate laws are considered in the construction and find out where to purchase materials at the best price. The communicator coordinates with city hall to get the necessary permits and may work with local real estate agents to start marketing the house. People who prefer "doing" or working with their hands do the actual work of building the house. A teacher or team leader might teach less experienced workers how to do their work correctly and professionally. Each day we depend on others to meet our own needs and goals. * Use this questionnaire to help identify your strengths. This will help you brainstorm ways to help your community. * 01.04 Service Project: What Can You Do? * What Can You Do? * Determining what to do is probably the toughest task for teens just starting in service. Yet every community has people in need—those that are ill, disabled, or impoverished. Most communities have organizations working to help people in need or to address environmental issues and other local concerns. The possibilities for service are endless. The best service experiences are those where you focus on an issue you are passionate about and have the opportunity to use your strengths. * © 2012 Jupiterimages/
Creatas/Thinkstock
* Ask yourself questions: Would you like to work with children, seniors, or animals? Do you enjoy teaching others or helping the environment? Do you prefer working outside or inside? Would you rather work with a large group or on your own? What issues or challenges in your community do you feel strongly about? * Another question to answer is whether you would prefer working within an existing project or starting your own project. Students can serve their communities through a variety of ways such as school volunteer clubs, religious organization activities, and community groups like Boy Scouts, 4-H, or Teen Court. Creating your own project, including managing people, time, and resources, can be very challenging but may also be very satisfying. You need to consider the time you can devote to your service project and what you can do that would be most valuable to the people in your community. These Resources can help you answer these questions and find service organizations in your community. * Make sure to take notes on your ideas throughout this lesson. Thinking now about what you can do in your community will help you complete your service project. * 01.04 Service Project: How Do I Start? * How Do I Start? * Following these basic steps will make your service project easier to manage. Service is a continuing cycle, where you make changes as you learn, gain experience, and collaborate with others. This is why it appears in a cycle rather than just as a list of steps. * The cycle begins with "Investigate." Talking to your instructor and other trusted adults will help you along the way. Speak with them early and often. Explore the flowchart to learn more about each step to service. * *Make a small binder, notebook, or computer file folder for this project. This will help you collect your planning charts and photos. * Remember, service requires that you commit regular hours to your project. You may have to give up time with friends or time for other leisure activities. Therefore, it is important that you choose an activity you will enjoy. Your attitude and commitment will affect the success of your experience.
How Do I Start? Text Version 1. Investigate: research issues facing your community 2. Plan: prepare an action plan to address an issue 3. Act: carry out the action plan 4. Reflect: think about your experience and what you learned 5. Celebrate: share your experience with other people 6. Repeat 7. You can investigate local issues in many ways. Research the problem in the library or on the Internet. Survey your family and friends. Talk to people in the community and organizations that would know about the issue. View these Interview Tips. 8. Use the Investigate chart to begin researching issues. Be sure to save this chart in your folder. You will turn it in to your instructor. 9. Planning and completing your service project with other students not only is fun but is a great way to complete your collaboration requirement for this course. Refer to the Getting Startedsection of the course for more information on this requirement. 10. Brainstorm an issue or problem in your community that you would like to focus on for your service project. Perhaps you know what you would like to do to help. It is ALRIGHT if you do not know yet. This step will help you plan your service. Remember that the goal is to help others. Ask the people you wish to help what would be most valuable to them. 11. Community groups have great information. Examples include the Red Cross, the Rotary Club, and Habitat for Humanity. They are known as nonprofit organizations, which are groups that exist to serve others rather than to make money. Leaders of these groups already have contacts and resources in place and will have ideas for how you can best help. You may be able to assist with an event they are planning. Many activities will have an age requirement. Do not be discouraged! Be creative and suggest ways you can contribute. You might visit the discussion area to get ideas for service from your classmates or even plan to work together. 12. © 2012 AP Images 13. What problems or issues are specific to your community? For example, many parks and public areas have litter problems. To help solve the problem, people will investigate why litter is a problem so they may inform others and gain support. They might organize a park cleanup. Some may create pamphlets or Internet campaigns to encourage people to keep their communities free of litter. 14. These service Resources may help you. When ready, use the Planchart to begin preparing your service project. Be sure to save this chart. You will turn it in to your instructor. 15. 16.
While collecting money to help solve a problem in your community is a kind thing to do, it is an indirect form of service. Your goal is to be an active helper. It would be much better for you and your friends to collect donated items and, with an adult, deliver them to people in need. Be sure you have permission from your parent or guardian first before making any commitment. 17. Your course lessons and instructor may have ideas for service. Contact your instructor early if you need help with an idea. Keep in mind that you must complete the cycle of steps to service. You can and should continue your service into the future. Be sure, though, to plan a project that will fit into the time you have to finish this course. Making careful plans now will help you be successful! 18. © 2012 AP Images 19. These high school students are improving a Chicago shelter for young mothers. They built shelves, painted, and created murals to make the shelter more cheery for the residents and children. President Obama encouraged Americans to serve their communities as a way to honor great American leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King.

This is the fun part! If you have planned your service well, the "Act" step will be easier. Act is what you do, the actual service you provide. Take time to talk to people. Learn about those you assist and those who are working with you. Be an inspiration to others!
*Be sure to have someone take a picture of you actively involved in your service project. You will need it to complete the project. If you want other people to appear in your photo, be sure to ask their permission before having the picture taken. Contact your instructor if you have any questions.
Once you complete your service project, you will have learned many things and met new people.Reflection will help you evaluate your project and your experience. This is an important step. You want to think about how the service you provided is both meaningful and valuable to others in the community. You may have suggestions for future volunteers.
After completing your experience, use the Reflect chart to evaluate your service project.
© 2012 AP Images
A teen helps assemble emergency kits at a high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Greater numbers of American teens each year choose to give their time to valuable service efforts.
After reflecting on your service, you should celebrate the project by sharing it with others. Let others celebrate and learn from your experience as well, to help improve service experiences for all.
You will make a presentation about your service project. The format for your presentation is your choice. Think about what you can do to make it fun and how you can share it with your peers.
Remember, you will need at least one photograph of you in action for your presentation. Be sure to smile!

1. the step where you conduct the actual service 2. will help you evaluate the worth of your project 3. Americans gave more than 20 _____ hours to service in 2008 4. consider _____ for your project so you can complete it while in this course 5. service has _____ for you and the community 6. the second, very important step to service 7. you must first _____ issues in your community 8. you should _____ your service so others can learn from it 9. unity starts with _____

1. the step where you conduct the actual service act 2. will help you evaluate the worth of your project reflection 3. Americans gave more than 20 million hours to service in 2008 4. consider time for your project so you can complete it while in this course 5. service has value for you and the community 6. the second, very important step to service plan 7. you must first investigate issues in your community 8. you should celebrate your service so others can learn from it 9. unity starts with you
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Part A: Investigate and Plan 1. Complete the Investigate chart. 2. Complete the Plan chart. You may find ideas or even opportunities through these Resources. 3. Post a description of your issue and your service project plan in the discussion area. 4. Respond to at least two classmates' posts in the discussion area. Share information that may help your classmates, and look for other students you can work with to complete your service project. Share ideas of how service relates to your course lessons. Review the Discussion Guidelines before posting to the discussion area. 5. Combine your work into one file. Include a copy of your original discussion post, your two responses, the Investigate chart, and the Plan chart. 6. Submit this file to 01.04 Service Learning Project Part A.

Part B: Reflect and Celebrate
Submit after you have completed your "Act" or service activity part of the project in 01.04 Service Learning Part B. 1. Complete the Reflect chart. 2. Post a paragraph summary of your reflection in the discussion area. 3. Respond to at least one classmate's post in the discussion area and share your own ideas about service improvement. Celebrate your classmates' experiences as well as your own. Review the Discussion Guidelines before posting to the discussion area. 4. Create a presentation about your service experience in the format of your choice. Some ideas include a podcast, song, slide show, or blog. The presentation should include at least one paragraph about how your service was meaningful and valuable to the community and at least one photograph of you in action. 5. Combine your work into as few files as possible. Include a copy of your original discussion post, your two responses, the Reflect chart, your presentation, and your photograph. 6. Submit your product to 01.04 Service Learning Project Part B.