Chapter 3: A Heuristic Phenomenology On The Experience of Building A High School Service-Learning Program

This study examines the development of a service-learning program at a public high school that primarily serves low-income Hispanic students. The examination centers on the history, growth, and maturation of the program through the lived experiences of the research participants: five educators with the longest institutional memory of the program. Four thematic structures emerged from the participants’ experiences: capacity building, program evolution, curriculum development, and transformation of the students. This study specifically addresses issues of the institutionalization and sustainability of K–12 service-learning programs, and speaks broadly to the impact such programs have on student learning and success. It also brings to light new understandings of service-learning programs that give space for students to create change within their own communities. Even more broadly, this study challenges the current K–12 educational landscape that places precedence on student performance on standardized tests and top-down models of leadership.