Introduction Connecting to the special needs classroom
	Educators across the nation are talking about service learning. In fact, many states and school districts now require students to perform a certain number of service hours in order to graduate. You may be asking yourself what service learning is, how it works, how it's different from community service and whether it's appropriate for the young people with whom you work. This section will answer those questions, and more! So, let's start from the beginning. Although not everyone uses the same definition for service learning, the core concept is the same: a powerful connection between service to the community and specific academic goals. The concept of service learning stems from the teachings of John Dewey, an educator who believed that we learn best by doing and that learning is most successful when it takes place in a realistic environment. Although the terms service learning and community service sometimes are used interchangeably, they are not synonymous. Community service, important and meaningful in itself, escalates to service learning when there is a deliberate and explicit connection made between service and learning, which is then accompanied by thoughtful preparation and reflection by the student. With service learning, students identify a true need in their community, create a plan of action for addressing that need, implement their plan, and reflect - often - on what they've learned. Along the way, they problem-solve, think critically, gain citizenship skills, and work with others -- all in an authentic environment. Their service connects directly with the curricular goals they must master to meet their district or state requirements. One of the many benefits of service learning is that it is appropriate for virtually all student populations: those that are gifted and those with special needs, those in the early grades and those in the upper grades, those that are "at risk," those that are disenfranchised, and those that are completely average. With service learning, students transform from passive recipients to active providers, from the potential cause of problems to the empowered source of solutions. According to "Where's the Learning in Service Learning?," a book by researchers Janet Eyler and Dwight Giles, some common characteristics of service learning experiences are: Positive and meaningful situations. Cooperative rather than competitive experiences, thus promoting skills associated with teamwork, community involvement and citizenship. Complex problems in complex settings rather than simplified problems in isolation. Opportunities to engage in authentic problem solving. In genuine service learning, young people are encouraged to take the lead, at a level appropriate to their age and skills. Since teachers and advisers know their populations best, they are well-suited to structure a service learning initiative that meets the levels of their students, the mandates of their districts, and the needs of the communities in which they live. Thousands of teachers have successfully used service learning to increase student motivation for learning and promote academic goals. It helps students develop a sense of civic responsibility and prepares them for life beyond the classroom in a way no text could teach. For students, it answers the question, "Why do I have to learn this?" For teachers and advisers, it answers the question, "How can I teach this?" And for many in the community, it answers the question, "Who can help?"	There literally are hundreds of service learning projects that students can design and implement. These projects are often categorized into the following groups: Direct service: Students engage in face-to-face interaction with the people being served. Examples are tutoring, mentoring, reading to the blind, and providing companionship to the elderly. Indirect service: Students address a community need, but are physically distant from the people or organizations they impact. Examples are creating manuals to help a group, raising money for a family in need, or providing toys for sick children. Advocacy: Students try to increase public awareness of a problem or issue affecting individuals, the community, the nation, or the world as a whole. Examples include speaking, performing, or lobbying for equal rights; getting school funding for the arts; and persuading young people to vote. For all students: Positive connection to community Opportunity to solve authentic problems Increased knowledge Motivation to complete schoolwork Exposure to people different from themselves Better test scores Less alienation Career exploration Especially for students with special needs: A chance to be on the giving rather than the receiving end of service A way to make a difference in someone else�s life An opportunity to partner with the community and with general education students in a positive way Authentic practice with social skills and communication A sense of belonging A way to show that they are capable of doing a job