Making caring fashionable: Philosophy and procedures of service learning

Abstract

Many traditional education and treatment programs have relegated troubled youth to the narrow role of recipient of care. Yet if such individuals are to develop self-esteem and social responsibility, they must have opportunities to become involved in helping and caring for others. Volunteer service-learning programs offer a powerful means of transforming youth who heretofore have been seen as a societal liability into a valuable asset. This article reviews the philosophy of service learning and outlines specific guidelines for incorporating these programs into the re-education of troubled youth.