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By Dr. Arthur Schwartz 

I am excited to share with you the release of our new publication Developing Student Leaders Through Service-Learning. The link to download the free E-book is below.

It was an honor for me to collaborate on every aspect of the publication with Amy Meuers, the CEO of the National Youth Leadership Council. Our research was made possible by a grant to Character.org by The School for Ethical Education.

Amy and I were motivated to highlight K-12 schools and afterschool programs across the United States that consistently provide opportunities for students to put their “ethics into action” and demonstrate their civic character through transformative service-learning experiences. 

We hope that thousands of school leaders and youth-serving organizations will hear about the publication (with your help, dear reader) and be inspired by the examples and stories that vivify how service-learning experiences – at all grade levels – enable students to practice and reflect on the character strengths that are dynamically forming their moral compass.

On a personal level, being involved in this publication opened my eyes to three core challenges that Character.org must address if we dare to imagine a future where the civic character of all K-12 students is dynamically being shaped through service-learning:

Challenge #1: The pervasive stranglehold of individualism that grips our society today.

In his new book The Upswing, Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone, documents our nation’s drift away from altruism and community toward individualism and self-centeredness. He argues that President Kennedy’s call – “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” – was not countercultural to most Americans in 1961 but rather reinforced the obvious. Since then, Putnam writes, the notion of the common good has all but evaporated. He writes: “Over the past five decades, America has become demonstrably – indeed measurably – a more “I” society.” 

Challenge #2: The singular purpose of too many schools is to get students to pass those dreaded standardized tests.

The pressure on school leaders to teach to the test is enormous. State-mandated exams have become the proverbial hammer driving K-12 education. Yet even in schools where students are doing well on standardized tests, educators are feeling the pressure to reduce the number of “civics” classes. Regrettably, the “civic mission” of our schools is increasingly being tossed into the dustbin where old, ossified terms go to die. Too many students are graduating from high school without understanding the duties and responsibilities of being a citizen in a free society. They certainly won’t have developed the habits of civic character. 

Challenge #3: In some communities, service and civic engagement have become politicized terms. 

Schools have become political battlegrounds. It’s not just the reports issued by the 1619 Project or the 1776 Commission. Even reports written by nonpartisan experts have been attacked and condemned. Terms such as “social justice” and “patriotism” are now viewed as code words for indoctrinating students to think a certain way. Sadly, we are at a moment where educators are increasingly hesitant to take any curricular step that might result in a parent protest. For example, should teachers help their students understand the root causes of hunger or homelessness? In today’s political climate, teachers may feel it’s far safer to foster the character strengths of charity and caring rather than the strengths of critical inquiry and collective action. 

Together, we can address these three challenges. We must. I can’t imagine our nation graduating more and more students who think that schools are nothing more than a life of tests rather than places that can prepare them for the tests of life. Students who are disaffiliated, skeptical rebels without a cause. 

We may not all share the same political beliefs. However, I do believe that we all share the belief that service to others is an enduring value at the root of our American society. 

Click Here to download our free e-book, Developing Student Leaders Through Service—Learning.

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