Service learning

When I read the line “educating students to be responsible citizens”, one word popped out to me - “citizens”. Being a responsible citizen means something beyond being a responsible individual. Educating students to be responsible citizens is teaching them to look beyond themselves and care about their society, help and contribute to their society. I believe it is wonderful that some colleges offer service-learning courses to educate students about engaged citizenship. College academics focus on educating the mind and are positive for the individual; service learning courses educate the mind in other ways and are not just positive for the individual but for society as well. Through service learning, students gain certain abilities and experiences that they could not have attained in an academic class. Service learning offers a step into the “real world”, as students are now working in an environment that is not their school among their peers, but amongst different types of people and situations. It offers students a chance to see how their work makes a difference. Some students may take away from the service learning experience wishing to continue with their volunteering, or be more open to doing additional volunteering in the future. Service learning is essential because it teaches students to be involved in their community, to help others, which make the world we live in a better place; it makes life more meaningful. As Einstein once said "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."