Chapter 5: Learning Without Limits: Building the Bridge Between Students, the Community, and the World

Equity issues require educational stakeholders to transform traditional models of curriculum and instruction. As Shankar-Brown (2016) writes, “It will take collective voice and action to create real change and sustainable justice in our communities and schools There is a deep need for critical, humanistic, and social justice education that seeks to actively dismantle inequity, power, and privilege” (p. 51). The purpose of this chapter is to show how service-learning can promote equity for K–12 students as well as post-secondary students. First, I will review the history, definition, and types of service-learning. Second, I will share key characteristics of quality service-learning, fostering collaboration between families, students, schools, and the community, and the impacts it can have on students. Third, I will highlight examples from my experience at New Hanover High School in Wilmington, North Carolina from the Honors Service Learning and 9th/10th Grade Bridge Program. Finally, I will consider how various stakeholders can use and promote service-learning as an equitable initiative.