"It was different because I've never done anything like that before. I liked it because it helped other people—
it changed other people's lives."
— A fourth grader talking about her experience with My Voice.
Service-learning is a teaching strategy that makes academics come alive by showing students the connections between school and the real world. Research strongly supports this claim.
My Voice is the name of Need in Deed’s service-learning framework. It calls on students to use their gifts and talents (drawing, math, dancing, writing, being a good friend) to speak out on behalf of others. It encourages active, hands-on learning. It integrates reflection on real world problems (hunger, homelessness, guns in school, abandoned cars) with the curriculum. In short, it is a powerful way for students to learn more about the world while at the same time building their sense of purpose and capability.
A typical community service project involving homelessness might be limited to a visit to a homeless shelter to perform a hands-on service or a collection of toiletry articles for the shelter residents. In comparison, a Need in Deed-guided project on homelessness conducted by 8th grade students involved probing for root causes. To read more, click here.
Evaluation of Need in Deed’s Work with Philadelphia Public School Students
Highlights of Report prepared by RMC Research Corporation
In the summer of 2002, Need in Deed was selected by the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of Strategic Partnerships to be the focus of a one-year W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded study to examine the impact of our service-learning work at three Philadelphia public schools with 330 students and their 12 teachers. The data collection and analysis was conducted by RMC Research Corporation (Denver) in collaboration with Research for Action (Philadelphia).
Among the most positive outcomes were those related to higher order thinking skills. Students in Need in Deed classrooms demonstrated a marked increase in problem-solving skills over the course of the year.
At year’s end, students were able to respond to problem solving scenarios with a greater number of solutions. More importantly, those solutions were significantly more likely to suggest action-oriented, systemic approaches with greater cognitive complexity.
Other positive outcomes related to student engagement and civic responsibility. Need in Deed students were significantly more engaged in school than students in the comparison group. In addition, teachers and students cited a greater awareness of issues and resources in their communities.
For example, fourth grade students were more interested in their work at school, were more likely to agree their classroom was a fun place to be and to talk with their family about school activities.
Sixth and eight grade students were significantly more likely to report that they paid attention in class than were students in the comparison groups.
Need in Deed students were significantly more likely to agree that “kids can do things to make their community better” and that “kids should do things to make the community better.”
The research also found that Need in Deed’s work with teachers met all criteria for effective instructional design and professional development as established by the National Staff Development Council. Approaches used reflected best practice in process and content.
