By Nadia Kruzel, AmeriCorps Vista

In May 2020, the world watched in horror as George Floyd was murdered by four Minneapolis Police Officers. That summer, we saw how those in communities big and small all over the world came together in a show of solidarity and collective action to support and uplift the work of The Black Lives Matter Movement. In summer 2020, I was living a short 15-minute drive from the site of the incident. Everywhere I traveled in and around my community, I saw daily reminders of the tragedy that had struck my home, the calls for social justice, and the hope my community had that change was possible.

As a student of social justice and an activist, I had spent my time up until then in college courses theorizing, discussing, and learning, but 2020 changed everything for me. Like many across the world, I was called to action to use my voice to make change. It wasn’t until I helped my community begin the healing process that I began to understand that long-lasting change only happens when we truly understand our communities and their needs. When we support everyone—no matter their background or experience—we can make change through meaningful action. 

As I reflect on the past 11 months I have spent with NYLC and what I have learned about service-learning, I am amazed by the parallels between service-learning and social justice. Both require that we understand the wider context of the space we are operating in, the effects our actions will have on community members, have an understanding of systemic inequalities, work in partnership with community members, and address issues we are passionate about. These two types of work also require that we take specific, purposeful, and meaningful action. In short, service-learning is social justice work!

When we talk about social justice in our lives, workplaces, communities, and amongst family, friends, and coworkers it is important to have an understanding of what exactly it entails. I view social justice as both a theory of change—that everyone, regardless of background and identity deserves the right to equitable opportunities, equal rights, and fair treatment—and a call to action. One can spend their whole lives studying, reading, and learning about social justice, but they will not truly understand how to create a just society until they take action. And not just any kind of action counts, one must take meaningful action to create change. A better world cannot be built by simply dreaming of one, we must act to make that dream a reality. 

What is meaningful service and action?

Meaningful service is one of the foundational principles at the heart of service-learning, and is one of the K-12 Standards for Quality Practice that differentiates it from community service. Meaningful service informs every step of the service-learning process – it is the river that the other streams flow from. Viewing all of our service-learning efforts through the lens of meaningful service ensures that our efforts and actions will address real community needs, benefit our community, grow our skills, and produce our desired results—which are also imperative for genuine social justice work to happen. The meaningful actions we take when participating in service-learning create tangible improvements for our society and marginalized groups. When done correctly, meaningful service and action leads to real-world changes that improve lives and address systemic inequalities. 

Meaningful service and action—in both service-learning and social justice work—requires that we consider certain factors to ensure that we are doing effective work. First, our service and social justice work should be relevant to our personal interests, our current community needs, or larger global issues. Taking part in action that we are passionate about—that is relevant to ourselves, our lives, and our lived experiences—has the effect of driving our personal purpose and passions. When we become involved in issues that we care about, it can act as a catalyst for larger change, as our enthusiasm and commitment can inspire others to act in bold ways. This builds momentum, drives collective action, powers innovative solutions, and can lead to long-lasting changes in our community.

Engaging in meaningful action that addresses issues and topics we care about aligns our actions with the values and beliefs we hold and can help us leave a lasting impact on our world.

For meaningful service and action to be genuine, we must understand the context and history underlying the societal issues we want to address. By investigating our community, their unique needs, and assets, we can tailor our service and action to have the most impact and relevance to our community. In service-learning and social justice work it is imperative that we work together with our communities to create change. Serving with the communities we impact creates a space where community members—those who truly know community needs and assets best—can be validated in sharing their firsthand experiences with the identified issue. When we validate those with lived experience, we create an environment of trust and collaboration where innovation can flourish; an environment where we can work together in community to establish a shared vision and common goals that truly address the heart of the issue. These partnerships also allow us to build mutually beneficial relationships where we empower one another, view each other as valued collaborators, and share valued resources and knowledge that helps to widen the scope of change. 

Working in partnership and community allows us to approach our service from a space of authenticity. When we work together with those we serve, we create reciprocal partnerships that foster empathy, social responsibility, and a deeper connection to our neighbors and local community. Serving “with” and not “for” allows us to see each other as equals. It honors the strengths, knowledge, and skills that already exist in our communities and enables us as servant leaders to uplift and empower those who come from marginalized communities. Service-learning and social justice work can only be done when we understand our community’s challenges and appreciate its strengths because it leads to authentic, sustainable, and meaningful service.

After immersing myself in the world of service-learning for nearly a year, I feel even more confident in my ability to act boldly to make change in my community. I see service-learning as one pathway toward achieving social justice in my community and our world at large. When we value meaningful service and action, we can be sure that our service-learning work also aligns with the goals of social justice. Understanding how the two are connected by the core beliefs of meaningful service and action allows us to empower our communities, ourselves, and our youth to become change-makers. And when we work together with our communities we can build transformative coalitions that transcend our backgrounds and identities, accomplishing the things we dream and hope are possible, one act of service at a time.