How Service Relates to Learning

Community service exposes the volunteers to environments different from their own and people different from themselves. Gaining valuable life experiences as they communicate and work with new people allows them to learn more about others within their community and even learn more about their own selves. Working with those who are on different social economic classes teaches the volunteers to see from different perspectives and provides insights into the lives of people who live different lifestyles and face different and/or similar difficulties in their lives. As they do their service, the volunteers develop and sharpen their communication skills and work ethic by learning about and from the people they work with - the people the service is for, the workers of the charity/service corporations, and other volunteers, from both new and experienced. Everyone involved in effective service benefits from the process by learning new things and gaining irreplaceable, perhaps even life-changing, experiences.