Service learning is a teaching method that combines meaningful service to the community with curriculum-based learning. Students improve their academic skills by applying what they learn in school to real world issues; they then reflect on their experience to reinforce the link between their service and their learning.
While the majority of students in AACPS earn their required service learning hours, our county does not believe in bare minimums! We, therefore, challenge all students to engage in additional opportunities for service.
Mentorships in AACPS are initiatives (programs, clubs, small groupings, or pairings) that provide students with the opportunity to be positively influenced by adult or peer mentors in order to support their growth and development. These mentorships can have an academic, extra-curricular, cultural, or special interest focus -- or a combination of any of these, as the aim of SLM is not only to support academic success, but also to help develop extraordinary citizens.
We Want You! Call for Senior Citizen Volunteers: AACPS Senior-Senior Corps!
Do you know any Senior Citizens who would enjoy working to support young children in a school setting? If so, AACPS would love for them to join in the all-new Senior-Senior Corps! The initiative pairs Senior Citizens -- and senior students -- with young learners to help support literacy and structured play in Kindergarten to second grade.
To find out more information, you can review the Senior-Senior Brochure here and visit the Senior-Senior webpage. You can also contact the Office of Service Learning at 410.222.5391 with any questions you may have.
Connecting service learning to school-based lessons can help boost retention and build social and emotional skills, says Laura Walker, a professor at Brigham Young University. Walker and two other researchers also have connected the approach to improved student behavior.