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Abstract
Over the past few decades, service-learning has surged in popularity. Although most programs are implemented in high school and college classrooms, service-learning has the potential for great impact in middle school. The present article evaluates a pilot service-learning program for fifth- and seventh-grade (N = 86) children in a large, urban, midwestern city. For this project, a service-learning curriculum was developed, implemented, and assessed. Findings indicate that, relative to students in the control group, students participating in the service-learning curriculum demonstrated significantly higher scores on the measure of Leadership. Several Grade × Intervention interactions suggested stronger effects for fifth-grade students. A measure of Acceptance of Diversity did not show any significant differences. Implications and recommendations for developing future programs are discussed.
Keywords service-learning, young adolescence, leadership, urban
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Author Biographies
Maryse H. Richards, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Loyola University Chicago.
Rebecca Cornelli Sanderson, PhD, is the director of Research and Evaluation for Life Is Good Playmakers and is a graduate of the Loyola University Chicago doctoral program in clinical psychology.
Christine I. Celio, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in San Francisco and a graduate of the Loyola University Chicago doctoral program in clinical psychology.
Jane E. Grant, BA, is a fifth-grade teacher at John C. Coonley Elementary School in Chicago.
Inhe Choi is a community activist based in Chicago, and works as an independent consultant for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.
Christine C. George, PhD, is an associate research professor in the Center for Urban Research and Learning at the Loyola University Chicago.
Kyle Deane, BA, is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Loyola University Chicago.
