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Service

There are six important steps for successful planning and implementation of a quality service project.

Step 1: Community Voice And Reciprocity

Community voice is essential if we are to build bridges, make changes, or solve problems. Community agencies should define their needs and the student service organizations should assess their skills, resources and capabilities to ensure that those needs are included in the development of their service programs. Reciprocity is evident when community members affected by specific issues work side by side with volunteers in the planning and execution of solutions, thereby gaining personal confidence, community pride and citizen empowerment.

Step 2: Issue Education And Project Orientation

Orientation and education are important first steps that help volunteers to see the bigger picture and relate their experience to larger solutions. Information should be provided for student volunteers about the social issue at the heart of the service and about the community agency. Orientation materials for all new volunteers can include the who, what, when, where, and how of the volunteer experience and answers to frequently asked questions. Educational seminars, workshops and speakers, or a welcome by community agency can help to orient and educate students for the actual community service experience.

Step 3: Preflection

Preflection is a tool that helps to make service experiences more enlightening and personally meaningful. Instead of waiting for moments of enlightenment and understanding to simply happen, preflection prepares students to seek out these "aha" moments. By utilizing preflection, students help themselves to be more sensitive to illuminating thoughts and moments of clarity. Group preflection can be easily done in a vehicle en route to a service activity.

Step 4: Thoughtful, Meaningful Action

Thoughtful action is important because the goal is for the service to be valuable and meaningful to both the students and the community agencies. Meaningful action builds a positive and mutual relationship between the students, the staff from the community agency, and the clients being served.

Step 5: Reflection

Reflection is a crucial component of the community learning experience and should happen immediately after the service. Reactions, stories, feelings, and facts about the issues may dispel stereotypes and bring the group together. Reflection should place the experience into a broader context. Ask questions: Why are we doing this service? What have we learned or gained? Is it helping, and how? Group reflection with sharing and open discussion is one of the strongest reflective tools.

Step 6: Evaluation

Evaluation by the volunteers measures the impact of their learning experience and evaluation by local agencies measures the effectiveness of the service. Evaluation provides direction for improvement, growth, and change.

Each of these steps is essential to having a quality and fully effective service experience. Without one or more of these steps, your project could result in frustration, being pointless or meaningless, have no connection with the issue, exploit the community, etc.