Service Plan

Service is defined as an activity or project performed by an individual or group that benefits the public good. This service can be through an agency or organization, through educational service learning opportunities, or simply designed by the volunteer.

Service–learning, according to the National Service–Learning Clearinghouse, is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. In the past several years, service–learning has become a successful tool in K –12 institutions as well as colleges and universities in teaching the next generation the importance of participating in civic life.

While most volunteerism occurs through an organization, it also can be less formal and more self-directed. This “self–directed service” occurs when an individual’s service is independent of an event or program managed by a nonprofit organization or public agency. These are the good deeds people do in their every day lives, from helping an elderly neighbor bring home a bag of groceries to shoveling snow from a neighbor’s sidewalk.