Service Learning
The Giraffe Heroes Program is a comprehensive service learning curriculum. The Program is an especially relevant vehicle for teaching kids about citizenship, service and heroes.
The Program combines service-learning and character education. It coaches students through all phases of a service project: they brainstorm, do research, weigh options, make a plan, commit to goals, work in teams, evaluate progress, communicate to multiple audiences and reflect on and celebrate what they’ve done. At the same time, reflection questions and the stories of heroes help students develop a deeper context for their actions.
The Program—
—promotes
active citizenship by moving kids to design and implement a service
project that addresses community needs they care about. It becomes
their work, not an arbitrary assignment. |
—makes
students stakeholders in their communities. By carrying out a
service project that helps meet local needs, students learn to
care about what happens there. |
—provides
opportunities to learn and practice academic skills in language
arts, social studies, civics, visual arts, and—depending
on the nature of the service project—mathematics, health,
science and technology. |
—fosters
kids’ eagerness to learn. Students acquire and use academic
skills as the means for doing something they really want
to do. |
—provides
important prevention tools, helping students build confidence, communication
skills, and the capacity for taking responsibility and making
independent decisions. |
| —meets state/district requirements for service learning. |
| —can supplement locally developed service programs. |
Typical comments from students participating in service learning projects as part of the Giraffe Heroes Program— “This unit taught me that if everybody does nothing and just ignores problems, then our world would be awful.” “I know we made a difference in lots of people’s lives.” “My dad had never voted in his life. After what we did, it convinced him to register.” “It made me feel good to be able to reach out and help clean up our community. I feel I have helped show people that I care about my town—and I feel I have made a difference.” “The feeling I get from that is so great, I would do all the work ten times over.” |
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