Advancing the Movement

After decades of leadership, NYLC has expanded efforts to advance the K12 service-learning movement nationwide.

By strengthening the evidence base, fostering the next generation of field leaders, and providing platforms for collaboration, we continue to elevate youth voice and youth leadership. These are seen as foundational pillars of education that drive civic engagement, equity, and community transformation.

Building the Evidence Base

NYLC partners with researchers to ensure the service-learning pedagogy, practices, and outcomes are well-researched and documented through:

A multi-year partnership with the University of Minnesota, School of Social Work, Department of Youth Studies. Working with Dr. Ross VeLure Roholt, Associate Professor, we collaborate on program evaluation, undertake joint research, engage U of M students in NYLC’s work, and advance the knowledge base on youth civic work, including service-learning.
Service-Learning in Civic Education (SLICE): Reigniting a Strong, Vibrant Democracy, a three-year research project led by Matthew C. MacWilliams, with support from the Freudenberg Foundation, to examine how high-quality, student-driven service-learning experiences influence students’ civic attitudes, sense of agency, and democratic participation—both during and beyond their K-12 years. With comparable occurring in Germany, we will create a learning exchange to impact democratic education globally.
Examining and updating the K12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice, first published in 2008. Working with Dr. Roholt and engaging youth and adults in Participatory Action Research, we aim to discover which standards support equity-based service-learning experiences, which need to be revised, and how practitioners can create conditions for the high quality service-learning needed to achieve outcomes in today’s environment.
Representing the interests of K12 service-learning practitioners and researchers through active participation in the International Association of Research in Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE).

Supporting Advanced Educators

NYLC cultivates the next generation of instructional leaders steeped in the pedagogy through:

The Certificate in Service-Learning Instructional Leadership, a professional development program for K-12 educators focused on embedding service-learning into core instruction in ways that foster civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Building an alumni base of certificate holders helps to grow emerging leaders who are steeped in the pedagogy.
Publications such as Service-Learning by Design. We translate theory into practice, focusing on the needs of advanced practitioners to provide a foundation as well as responding to current needs of curricular leaders.

Convening the Movement

We set the stage for learning and collaboration through convening:

The National Service-Learning Conference®, where adult and youth practitioners, scholars, and leaders have gathered annually for more than 35 years.
The Service-Learning Exchange convenes state agency staff, state commissions, network leaders, large district representatives, and other champions focused on the quality of K-12 service-learning practice across the U.S. The Exchange provides a space to stay up to date on the latest developments in research and thought leadership, the scope and scale of practice, exchange information and ideas, and meet potential collaborators.
K-12 Service-Learning Research Group, this collaborative of scholars and leaders is committed to building a stronger evidence base for K-12 service-learning that supports districts, states, and national partners to promote research and translate it into practice and policy.

Leading the Movement

By working at the international, national, state and district levels, NYLC works to bring research and practice together to transform institutions, expand opportunities, and ensure high quality practice for young people.

For more information, contact Pam Siebert, VP of Community Impact & Evaluation, [email protected].

“As a professional committed to youth service and service-learning in my state, I’ve seen firsthand how NYLC has advanced this movement. Their unwavering dedication to youth voice and educational equity has not only shaped the field but also inspire young people to become active, engaged citizens. NYLC’s ongoing efforts are essential to a strong foundation for civic engagement.”

Linda Rivera | NJ Governor's Office of Volunteerism

National Service-Learning Conference®

Youth Leadership Summit

Youth Council Connection