The National Youth Leadership Council is pleased to announce the release of Service-Learning by Design by Dr. Sue Root. This publication will help educators not only teach core subject areas, but prepare students to be civically informed and engaged citizens – ensuring an excellent education for all our children.

Service-learning, as a teaching strategy, involves young people in engaging learning activities while preparing them to be life-long members of a democratic society. This method of teaching and learning requires teachers to intentionally design a curriculum that meets desired results in academic, civic, and social emotional outcomes.

“For students to grow into civically informed and engaged citizens they must have the opportunity to work outside the classroom. Service-learning connects community and classroom, inspiring students to make positive contributions to the world,” said Amy Meuers, National Youth Leadership Council CEO. “This publication will inspire new ideas, strengthen the practice of service-learning, and help students become responsible citizens.”

To receive your copy of Service-Learning by Design, visit NYLC’s resource center.

Praise for Service-Learning by Design:

“I’m very excited to see this important new resource, which will help move the whole field of service-learning into a new phase, with more consistent and powerful outcomes for students, their communities, and the whole democracy. It’s a user-friendly resource for educators, based on the best research.” -Peter Levine, Associate Dean for Research, Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life

“Very interesting and really helpful concrete examples of the points in your argument for an alternative model. This seems to move the service-learning and core standards discussions a big step forward.” -Constance Flanagan, Bascom Professor in Women, Family and Community, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

“Service-Learning by Design is fantastic! It offers a clear, step by step approach to working through intricacies of service-learning…something the field has sorely needed. This work is going to help practitioners in innumerable ways and it will surely be one of the seminal pieces that we’ll all point to years from now.” – Andrew Furco, Associate Vice President for Public Engagement, Professor, Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, University of Minnesota