FAQs > General > What is the difference between "community service" and "service learning" at FBRA?
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Christian Mace measures the pH of water during a field-lesson at RiverLink.Many students across the United States participate in community service activities throughout their school years. These activities often include serving food at a local shelter for the homeless or picking up trash at a local community center. While these activities fulfill an important need in a community and expose students to issues and conditions that they might not otherwise experience, “community service” projects tend to be isolated experiences with no clear connection to a school’s mission, vision, curriculum, or purpose. There is little to no preparation to provide contextual understanding, and there is often very little follow-up, reflection, or recognition of the activity.On the other hand, service learning involves a whole new level of commitment, planning, and overall effort. “It begins with preparation and learning about the particular problem area or context the service experience will address and, ideally, is linked to academic subject matter being studied,” according to Maurice Elias of Edutopia.
Students examine a raised-relief map at the headwaters of the French Broad. Simply by being enrolled at the French Broad River Academy, students immediately have exposure and multiple experiences on the French Broad River. At the French Broad River Academy, the entire academic curriculum, the outdoor education program, the physical location of the school, the weekly field-lessons, and just about everything we do is connected to the French Broad River and the surrounding watershed.
For instance, all 6th grade students paddle the entire French Broad River from the headwaters in Rosman to the North Carolina/Tennessee border over the course of their first year. The journey down the river combined with the science, math, language arts, and social studies activities over the course of the year provides a powerful, unique level of understanding that can not be replicated by a textbook or magazine article.
This sets the stage for a powerful service learning experience as students continue to build upon their knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing the French Broad River. 7th graders participate in a three-week long “water quality” course taught by Hayley Smith, education coordinator from RiverLink, visit the waste-water treatment plant, year by partnering with provide a deep, meaningful connection to this unique waterway.
8th graders are planning to partner with RiverLink and local river keeper Hartwell Carson to help construct and maintain a campsite which will be part of the French Broad Paddle Trail during the upcoming 2011-12 year as their capstone project.“In addition to producing academically prepared young men for success in the 21st century, our students and faculty are very clear about our academy’s purpose. Whether water-related or not, we want our graduates thinking deeply about how will they contribute to the betterment of society,” explains Director Will Yeiser.
Last updated on June 16, 2011 by Will Yeiser