Youth Service Learning Information
YSL Coordinator: Melissa Lola
Hortonville High School students are required to have 36 hours in order to graduate. These hours can start the day they graduate from 8th grade. They are due in April of their graduation year. Scroll below the volunteer opportunities slideshow for more information.
First semester graduates have a December 1 due date and end of year graduates have an April 15 due date.
Hours must be approved prior to these due dates within the PATHWAYos system. 9 hours of service learning must be completed each year to be eligible for Youth Apprenticeship, Work Release, and/or commons eligibility. (Freshmen – 9, Sophomore – 18, Junior – 27, Senior – 36). Hours must be complete by January 15 for 2nd semester privilege. Students must have all 36 service hours completed prior to receiving a Merit Card.
Youth Service Learning hours can begin after a student completes 8th grade. It may be helpful for students to communicate with the YSL Coordinator on acceptable activities for YSL hours prior to the completing the hours.
Service Hours should be community-based outside of family commitments. Service Hours may not be approved by a family member or a current HHS Student.
How do I login to my PATHWAYos account?
- Go to https://app.pathwayos.com/login
- In the District Name field, put "Hortonville" and click search
- Click on "Login" by the Hortonville name
- Click the "Sign in with Google" button and use your school email credentials to log in
What is service-learning?
Service-Learning is defined as a curricular strategy whereby students learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that is conducted in and meets the needs of the community. It is integrated into and enhances the academic curriculum of the students while fostering their civic responsibility. It is important to note that Service- Learning includes community service, but that service is deliberately integrated with learning objectives.
Service-learning is a method and philosophy of experiential education through which participants meet community needs while developing their abilities for critical thinking and group problem-solving, their commitments and values, and the skills they need for effective citizenship. All forms of service learning are included in the all-encompassing category of experiential education.
What are the goals of service-learning?
Service-learning combines service to the community with student learning in a way that improves both the student and the community. As they participate in their community service projects, actively meeting the needs of communities, students develop practical skills, and a sense of civic responsibility.
- Service-learning is a method of teaching through which students apply their academic skills and knowledge to address real-life needs in their own communities.
- Service-learning provides a compelling reason to learn, teaches the skills of civic participation and develops an ethic of service and civic responsibility.
- Service-learning increases motivation and retention of academic skills as specific learning goals are tied to community needs.
- By solving real problems and addressing real needs, students learn to apply classroom learning to a real world context. At the same time, students provide valuable services to schools and communities.
Academic service-learning helps us achieve academic goals by enabling students to make connections between their course work and the real world as they apply their knowledge and skills to real world situations.
Service-learning also helps us achieve citizenship goals as students appreciate the importance of individual commitments of time and energy to enhance the quality of life in their own communities.
In addition to academic and citizenship goals, students develop leadership and interpersonal skills through their participation in service-learning projects. These experiences will enhance the self-esteem of students, making them more self-confident.
Finally, service-learning projects offer valuable opportunities for career exploration and enables them acquire career related experiences as they complete their course of study.
Retrieved from callutheran.edu/casl/service_learning