Community Service Learning

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Running head: COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING
Community Service Learning
Name
Institution Affiliation

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COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING
Part A
I believe that Community Service Learning is an academic program where students learn
through experiments. This is by participating in community service placements that have been
approved by our professor and are closely related to the course learning objectives and finally
prepare corresponding reflective projects. This learning project impresses me in various ways
(Sarofian-Butin, 2017).
Community Service Learning has enabled me to connect learned lessons in the
classroom with real-life situations in society. This has ensured that I know more about my
intrinsic motivations as they explore the community at large (Sarofian-Butin, 2017). It has also
enabled me to be a critical thinker and thus able to solve real-world problems as well as thinking
out world problems and social issues in new and broad perspectives. It is an expected experience
since the more I get exposed to the community; the more I relate my learned lessons in the
classroom with real-life situations.
Community Service Learning also impresses me in that being experimental learning,
teamwork is greatly valued hence improves one’s social relations. Through teamwork, one can
also develop leadership abilities if given the position of the team leader (Conner, 2017).
Additionally, it helps one to have appropriate decision-making skills and also gain practical skills
while carrying out community activities. It is expected to gain these skills as it is automatic when
you work in a group of people.
Community Service Learning has a special thing like the fact that they have included
special education students in their activities. This has greatly boosted the self-esteem of these
special students because they also feel wanted in society (Conner, 2017). This creates a good

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COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING
image even to the society at large and acts as a role model in discouraging discrimination of
students who require special needs for their survival.
Special people who have greatly me influenced me are John Dew and Williams James.
They were the first to introduce service-based learning in any educational setting which
emphasized the combination of experimental learning and helping in various community services
(Conner, 2017). Later on, a number of associations were created that focused on service in the
community. An example of these associations is Campus Compact of 1985 that developed
service learning in universities and colleges nationwide in the United States of America.
Part B
Pursuing Community Service Learning is accompanied by a variety of benefits and
values among the students. These include the school benefits for students taking this course in
international schools and other schools in the UK and US. Most schools in the United States
require one to participate in community projects and services in order to graduate hence as a
student I ought to practice community service (Flinders, 2016).
Another benefit is the personal development benefits among students. It helps me to
know more about my personal strengths and weaknesses. While working on campaigns and
projects and getting to see real-life results, I can clearly notice how my personal attributes and
actions make a difference. For example, if I cope with a crisis or rather handle a stressful
situation, I get to learn that I have a strong character and excellent skills (Flinders, 2016).
Exposure to different situations helps me to identify my weaknesses and work on them as
I retain my strengths as well. Community Service Learning also gives me health benefits.
Focusing on other people’s problems have reduced the level of my stress. Eventually, there is