Service Learning Program

Many institutions require hours of community service be recorded by students as a class year or graduation requirement.  Such a requirement is noble, as it is evidence of an institution’s desire to instill service to others as a value, however, it is an incomplete faith formation experience.  Faith in action requires an intellectual understanding of the systemic issues of injustice, and barriers to access, power, and inclusion that result in inequity.  Paired with charitable giving and understanding, this knowledge, this “learning,” makes the service work capable of changing the girl participating in it, and ultimately preparing her to be the agent of change in the society she leads.  It is the cycle of intellectual preparation, works of service and mercy, and self-reflection that comprises an authentic service learning experience.

The National Center for Girls’ Leadership at Stuart in partnership with Stuart’s Campus Ministry and Divisional Leadership will commit to delivering multiple opportunities each year for Stuart students to gather these experiences during and adjacent to the school day.  Effort will be made to make these experiences reasonably accessible both in time and in needed resources, with the majority of opportunities being low to no cost, and with financial support may be available for those who qualify and are interested in opportunities with higher costs.  Put simply, you should be able to access these four required experiences as an included part of your Stuart upper school experience.

Fundamental Parts of a Service Learning Experience:

1. Preparation and education connected to the partner organization, the population and issues they serve, the systemic and civic challenges that are connected to the need, and theme of Catholic Social Teaching at the heart of the service work.
2. Work of direct service to members of the community.  Ideally this service could be repeatable and the community connection maintained.  While direct service does not need to happen “on-site” it should be more direct than contributing a donation.
3. Reflection and Prayer about the experience with special consideration to how the student benefitted from this community connection, how the organization was served, and how this experience will inform the student’s thoughts, actions, and decisions moving forward.

A service learning experience model looks to make service less about checking off a box or to meet a graduation requirement. One student may complete the  four annual requirements in 20 hours.  Another may give 200 hours.  Both have completed the requirement if they have one service learning experience in each community category. Each student will be encouraged to give the service she can to her communities. Completing community service is not always an equitable experience.  Some students have no job responsibilities, or family care responsibilities, and have easily available transportation and family access to service organizations. Other students do not have these advantages. We must ensure that requirements for graduation are equitably supported for all students.  However, should a student desire to keep a record of hours for her own separate needs connected to outside opportunities, the software used to record the required experiences will also record hours. 

Service learning experiences will be recorded in the National Center for Girls’ Leadership at Stuart Leadership Portfolio using the x2VOL software.  All Upper School students will be trained to log in and enter many different leadership experiences including service learning experiences in the x2VOL software.  Advisors, as well as the Service Learning Coordinator, will assist in the recording of service learning experiences.
 

We will assist all students in submitting their Summer 2021 hours into the correct Service Learning Community Category in x2VOL.  Throughout the year, opportunities will be provided to gather the remaining categories.  
 

Yes. While we want to encourage students to participate in the service learning opportunities curated and led by our Stuart students as a way to build our upper school community, we do understand that students have independent service partnerships about which they are passionate.  If a service learning experience meets all three of the fundamental parts of a Service Learning Experience outlined above, a student can submit a Service Learning Experience Reflection Form to her advisor for approval as a service learning experience in the appropriate category.  We may also encourage her to share her service experience in a service learning impact presentation.
 

We have partnered with our Director of College Counseling and are making this change in part because colleges are more interested in authentic community connection and deep personal growth than they are in accumulated hours. These experiences aim to provide rich, authentic ways in which students can thoughtfully pursue areas of interest, and thus, learning they can reference in their college applications through essays, activities lists, and interviews.  Additionally, many independent schools are moving away from an hour requirement in favor of experiential service learning programs, and this change demonstrates Stuart’s awareness of current trends.