By: Jody Stone

 Service-learning is a method of teaching, learning and reflecting that combines academic classroom curriculum with meaningful service, frequently youth service, throughout the community. As a teaching methodology, it falls under the philosophy of experiential education. More specifically, it integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, encourage lifelong civic engagement, and strengthen communities for the common good.

BENEFITS FOR YOUTH PARTICIPANTS BENEFITS FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS  Youth who participate in high-quality community-based service-learning are likely to benefit in a number of ways:  Increased access to the range of supports and opportunities they need to grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.  Increased sense of self-efficacy, as young people learn that they can impact real social challenges, problems, and needs.  Higher academic achievement and interest in furthering their education.  Enhanced problem-solving skills, ability to work in teams, and planning abilities.  Enhanced civic engagement attitudes, skills and behaviors.  Youth development organizations and after-school programs that use service-learning can benefit from this strategy in a number of ways:  Young people are more likely to stay engaged when they feel their participation is meaningful and they can make useful contributions.  Service-learning gives an intentional strategy for addressing goals for learning and personal development through civic engagement and community service.  Service-learning can cultivate connections between the organization, schools, higher education, and other community groups.  Service-learning can increase program staff and volunteers’ level of engagement, leadership capacity, and satisfaction with their work.  Service-learning reinforces effective youth development practices, providing young people with, among other things, appropriate structure, supportive relationships, opportunities to belong, positive social norms, opportunities for skill building; and integration of family, school, and community efforts.

 Meet the blazers was a very exciting experience in which we, the Valdosta State football team, showed younger children how to do a few football drills and signed autographs as well.

 I really enjoyed participating in Meet the Blazers. It showed me how much kids look up to us college players, as well as showed me how important we are to the community. In the picture below I am helping set up for Meet the Blazers.

 Habitat for humanity is an organization in which volunteers help build houses for those in need. It was a great privilege to help those in need by putting a team effort into building a house.

 In the picture below is a side view of the final product of the house we helped build. I still like driving by it every now and then and reflecting on how fun it was to benefit society in such a way.

 Sometimes we even did little jobs such as cleaning up trash off the practice field or picking up tennis balls for the tennis team.

 At first I wasn’t too excited about participating in a lot of community service, but after my first event, I really began to understand the importance of sacrificing for the community. It is really rewarding to know that you can do things to help benefit your community.

 I really encourage everyone to step out and look for opportunities to make communities better.  GO BLAZERS!!