Organizational Culture:
Service Learning & Community
START Metric #12:
Community Service
⬅ Back
Ideas & Resources
Community service is a vital component of education that enables students to contribute to their wider communities while fostering empathy, responsibility, and leadership skills. This START metric focuses on providing students with information about or access to opportunities that benefit others, such as reading to the elderly, caring for animals at shelters, or engaging in environmental projects like tree-planting.
By participating in community service, students can develop a sense of purpose and connection, gain hands-on experience in making a difference, and become active citizens who value collaboration and compassion. Schools that prioritize community service help cultivate well-rounded individuals who understand the importance of giving back to society.
Strategies for Promoting Community Service
NOTE: This is not a prescriptive list; it just offers ideas to inspire action and can be tailored to fit the unique needs of each school.
Create a Community Service Program
Develop a structured program that offers a variety of service opportunities aligned with students’ interests and local community needs.
Include a mix of individual and group activities to accommodate different preferences.
Partner with Local Organizations
Collaborate with non-profits, shelters, community centers, and environmental groups to provide meaningful service opportunities.
Establish long-term partnerships to create consistent volunteer openings for students.
Incorporate Service into the Curriculum
Tie community service projects to academic subjects, such as environmental science or social studies.
Use service experiences as case studies or inspiration for class discussions, essays, or presentations.
Provide a Resource Directory
Maintain a database or list of local community service opportunities, including contact information and descriptions of activities.
Make the directory accessible to students, parents, and staff through the school website or resource center.
Host Service Events
Organize school-wide service days where students participate in activities like park cleanups, food drives, or community gardening.
Collaborate with local groups to plan impactful, large-scale service projects.
Encourage Student-Led Initiatives
Support students in identifying community needs and designing their own service projects.
Provide mentorship, resources, or funding for student-led efforts.
Recognize and Celebrate Contributions
Acknowledge students’ service efforts with awards, certificates, or recognition at school assemblies.
Highlight community service achievements in newsletters, social media, or school events.
Integrate Service with Sustainability Goals
Align service opportunities with sustainability initiatives, such as tree-planting, waste reduction campaigns, or habitat restoration projects.
Use these projects to teach students about environmental stewardship and global responsibility.
Provide Flexibility and Accessibility
Offer a range of service options, from short-term projects to ongoing commitments, to accommodate students’ schedules and interests.
Ensure opportunities are accessible to all students, including those with physical or logistical barriers.
Use Reflection as a Learning Tool
Encourage students to reflect on their service experiences through journaling, group discussions, or presentations.
Use reflection to deepen understanding of the impact their work has on the community.
Track Participation and Impact
Monitor the number of students participating in service projects and the outcomes of their efforts.
Share impact stories or metrics with the school community to inspire further engagement.
Combine Service with Career Exploration
Link service opportunities to potential career paths, such as working with animals, healthcare, or environmental science.
Use community service as a way for students to explore their interests and develop practical skills.
Involve Families and Staff
Invite parents, guardians, and staff to join students in service projects to build community connections.
Use service events to strengthen relationships between the school and the broader community.
Support Long-Term Engagement
Encourage students to commit to ongoing service with specific organizations, fostering deeper relationships and sustained impact.
Provide guidance on how students can continue serving beyond their time at school.
Promote Service as a Core Value
Embed community service into the school’s mission and values, emphasizing its importance in student development.
Use assemblies, events, and campaigns to reinforce the message that service is an integral part of the school culture.
‘How To’ Guides
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A Guide to Starting and Sustaining Service-Learning Programs
From SIL and Serve America, a practical guide to starting service-learning programs, including worksheets, check-lists and evaluation materials.
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A Guide to Environmental Community Service
From the EPA, a guide for students with ideas for & examples of volunteer projects related to solid waste management cleaner communities.
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Additional Resources
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K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice
From the National Youth Leadership Council, these standards include the strongest evidence-based elements of effective practice.
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Schools hold the key to a healthy, sustainable and regenerative future.
They are role-models and incubators that that nurture, educate and prepare each generation for adult life.
Schools have a unique opportunity and profound responsibility to become part the transition to a sustainable, regenerative future in which people and planet can thrive.
But how do we get there?
START: Sustainability Tracking, Analytics & Roadmap Tool was created by schools, for schools, to help them develop comprehensive programs for step-by-step progress towards sustainability, regenerative practice, and student empowerment.
START provides a Roadmap for School Sustainability:
It breaks down school sustainability into clear actions (‘metrics’), such as Minimizing Waste, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and supporting Sustainable Transportation options.
However, research shows it’s not enough for a school to simply reduce its environmental impact.
Students and staff also need to learn about sustainability, and practice it in day-to-day activities, because this impacts their attitudes and behaviors when they leave school. That’s why START includes metrics like Sustainability Events for Students, Sustainability Course Content, and Sustainable Purchasing Practices.
How sustainable is our school now?
Schools use START to measure how sustainable they are now. A school’s START team investigates how their school currently operates to find their ‘sustainability baseline’ for each metric. For example, is our school a beginner, intermediate or advanced in sustainable water use? START enables schools to benchmark, track and visualize their current sustainability levels, as well as hard data around their waste, water, energy and greenhouse gas emissions.
Where should we go next, and do we collaborate for success?
What do we need to do to ‘level up’ in each metric? Once schools have their baselines, START helps them to set goals and plan for progress. START provides a central hub for school members to collaborate, document, and plan their school’s sustainability journey.
START is a subscription-based Whole School Sustainability dashboard.
It requires at least one adult school member to create a school’s START account, but it will need a team (students, teachers and staff) to grow a Whole School Sustainability program.
Interested schools can sign up for a demo or apply to set up an account.
Learn more about START here, and consider sharing the brochure with your school.
Let’s create a better future, one school at a time.
Contact us at guides@greenschoolsalliance.org if you have a free resource to contribute or recommend that can help schools take action around this specific sustainability metric.