Compiled by Sandra Longfellow
for The Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence
May 13, 2008
The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, one of the most comprehensive service-learning resources, defines service-learning in this way: “Service-learning 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.”
Few faith communities call what they do ‘service-learning’, but many use elements of it. Some might call it mission education or experiential education or faith in action or shared praxis or action-reflection. Key elements are: structured learning, reciprocity between the “server” and the ones “being served”, and intentional reflection.
James Kielsmeier, one of the leaders of the movement writes, “Service-Learning is a way of combining the methods of experiential education with the needs of society. It is serving and learning, and it is a way of creating the world. Young people need real employment and real service opportunities—and communities need genuine work and service accomplished.” (Kielsmeier, J. (1986) Reclaiming a Wasted Resource: Youth. In Experiential Education and the Schools, 2nd ed. Boulder, CO: Association for Experiential Education, 157)
Faith-Based Service-Learning in Communities and Congregations
Benson, Peter L. and Eugene C. Roehlkepartain. Beyond Leaf Raking: Learning to Serve / Serving to Learn. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute, 1993.
Bentley, Richard, Amélie Weber and Cheryl Hall-Russell. Religion, Youth, and Philanthropy: An Annotated Resource Guide. Indianapolis: Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University,1999. FULL TEXT
Branch, Alvia Y. _Faith and Action: Implementation of the National Faith-Based Initiative for High Risk Youth. _Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures, 2002. FULL TEXT
Brumberg-Kraus, Jonathan. The Role of Service-Learning in the Transformation of Islam: Faith and Practice. In: Richard Devine, Ed., Joseph A. Favazza, Ed., & Michael McLain, Eds. From Cloister to Commons: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Religious Studies, 153-168. Washington DC: American Association for Higher Education, 2002.
Dee,Thomas S. The Effects of Catholic Schooling on Civic Participation. College Park, MD: Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), 2003.
Emerson, Jovanna. Community Service-Learning in Catholic Schools and its Relationship to Empathy in Elementary School Children. Dissertation, Tennessee State University, 2007.
Forward, David C. The Essential Guide to the Short-Term Mission Trip. Chicago: Moody Press, 1998.
Interfaith Youth Core. Days of Interfaith Youth Service 2007. FULL TEXT
Interfaith Youth Core. Days of Interfaith Youth Service: Toolkit and 2008 Quickstart Toolkit. FULL TEXT
Glaser, Yonatan. Jewish Values and Service Learning. SocialAction.com FULL TEXT
Kimelman-Block, Jason, and Geoffrey Menkowitz, eds. Just: Judaism. Action. Social Change. Rockville, MD: PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values 2007.
http://www.panim.org
Messinger, Ruth. Toward a New Concept of Jewish Service. Contact Spring (1999): 8-9.
Patel, Eboo, and Patrice Brodeur. Building the Interfaith Youth Movement: Beyond Dialogue to Action. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006.
Powell, Jayna E. Get Dirty for Jesus: A Handbook for Organizing Work Trips. Indianapolis: Homeland Ministries (Disciples of Christ) (no date).
Public/Private Ventures. Faith Based Institutions and High Risk Youth. Philadelphia: P/PV, 2000.
Richter, Don C. Mission Trips That Matter: Embodied Faith for the Sake of the World. Nashville, TN: Upper Room Books, 2008.
Roehlkepartain, Eugene C. Kids Have a Lot to Give: How Congregations Can Nurture Habits of Giving and Serving for the Common Good. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute, 1999.
Roehlkepartain, Eugene C., Elanah Dalyah Naftali, and Laura Musegades. Growing Up Generous: Engaging Youth in Giving and Serving. Bethesda, MD: Alban Institute, 2000.
Roehlkepartain, Jolene. Teaching Kids to Care & Share. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000.
Rosenberg, Shelley. Poverty in Our Backyard. Detroit Jewish News, December 6, 2007
FULL TEXT
Schwarz, Sidney, and Michael Shepard. Moral Development and Tikkun Olam. _Jewish Education News _(Spring 1999).
West, Gerald Oakley. Beyond the "Critical" Curtain: Community-based Service Learning in an African Context. Teaching Theology & Religion 7 (2), 71–82, 2004.
Westheimer, Joel. Community Service Learning: Pursuing Jewish Ideals of Compassion and Justice. CONTACT, Volume 4 Number 1, Autumn 2001. FULL TEXT
Faith-Based Service-Learning in Higher Education
Cook, Kaye, Elizabeth Hillman, Greg Carmer Service-Learning Projects as Triggers for the Development of Moral Empathy in Christian College Students CIC (Critical Issues Conference), 20 June 2003 Seattle Pacific University. FULL TEXT
Devine, Richard, Joseph A. Favazza, and F. Michael McLain. From Cloister to Commons: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Religious Studies. Washington, DC: American Association for Higher Education, 2002.
Holiman, Alan. Community Based Learning in Faith-Based Service Organizations: A Practicum. Paper presented at the American Political Science Association Conference on Teaching and Learning, Washington, DC, 17-20 February 2006. FULL TEXT
Radecke, Mark William. Service-Learning and Faith Formation. _Journal of College and Character, _vol. 8, no. 5, July 2007. FULL TEXT
Shappell, Andrea Smith. Methods of Theological Reflection in the Summer Service Learning Program: Integrating Spirituality and Civic Engagement. Journal of College and Character, vol. 8, no. 1, 2006. FULL TEXT
Schaffer, Regan. Service-Learning in Christian Higher Education: Bringing Our Mission to Life. Christian Higher Education, Volume 3, Number 2, April-June 2004 , pp. 127-145(19)
Wallick, William G., Rhonda A. Waskiewicz, and Daniel J. West. An Integrative, Faith-based Model: From Service-learning to Civic Engagement. FULL TEXT
