The benefits of service

The month of February at our school has been designated as a month of service.

Each class has chosen a service project to participate in. In addition to learning reading, writing and arithmetic, the students are practicing three more Rs: responsibility, respect and reverence.

Interestingly, a study conducted by Gregory B. Markus and Jeffrey P. F. Howard from the University of Michigan, and David C. Kang of Harvard University concludes that students who participate in community service receive significantly higher grades compared to their counterparts who don’t participate in community service. These community-minded students were also more likely to feel a greater sense of satisfaction with their academic performance as compared to their peers who were not involved with service to others.

There are many service or volunteer activities and projects that Mat-Su students have been involved with in the past. One of the most memorable service projects my students participated in was when they recorded books and presented them onstage during a convention for the blind and visually impaired. The students carefully chose and practiced reading the books. After they learned how to pronounce all of the words, they worked on reading the books fluently. Recording the stories was another interesting challenge. The most rewarding part of the project, though, was seeing them walk across the stage during the convention and present their recordings to a thunderous applause. The students were beaming. Their hard work was well-received and they had just reaped the wonderful reward of service to others and recognition for a job well done.

Many other schools and classes have also helped introduce their students to a life of community service. Hand-knit hats have been donated to those in need. Dog booties have been sewn and donated to local mushers. Classes have helped out at the animal shelter and the recycling center. Students have picked up trash along the roads. They have planted flowers to help beautify Valley nonprofits. Numerous visits have been made to the Alaska Veterans and Pioneer Home. Toys have been gathered for the Special Santa program. Donations have been collected for the food bank. School supplies have been gathered for children in need. There are a myriad of other possibilities where students have been or can be involved in giving to others.

The benefits of participating in volunteer work have huge benefits, both to the volunteer and the fortunate recipients. New friendships are forged or strengthened as students work on doing a shared activity together. These friends can help them make new connections, expanding their network of friends and contacts.

Volunteering has also been shown to be good for a person’s mind and body. It has been shown to increase self-confidence and provide a natural sense of accomplishment. Since one of the key risk factors for depression is social isolation, volunteering can help combat depression by keeping a person in regular contact with others. A report published through Harvard Health Publications stated that there is a happiness factor to volunteering and that the more people volunteer, the happier they are.

Volunteering can also provide career experiences for students. They are afforded an opportunity to try something on a small scale before making a long-term commitment. They also may be exposed to a new field of interest that they have never considered before. Valuable job skills can also be learned and practiced through volunteering.

In addition to the immediate effects of positive engagement with the community, service also sets students up well to achieve in adult life. One of the prominent components of a college application is the section where an applicant lists past community service experiences. In addition to a student’s grade point average or standardized test scores, colleges like to know about additional experiences that a student has taken advantage of and how the student has given back to the community.

Imagine the benefits to the community if every school instituted a month of service. Our students would develop more skills, establish new friendships and feel good about donating their time and talents. The possibilities as to what this could do for our community are limitless!

Diana Sloan-Basner is an elementary teacher at Birchtree Charter School. Birchtree has designated the month of February as a month of service.