The YMCA's Earth Service Corps manual makes service learning sound rather easy. That's what Earth Service Corps in based on-environmental service and learning in one's community. The least known of all YMCA youth programs is scattered throughout the country usually in metropolitan areas, but their work with the service learning movement is huge.

You want to incorporate more service learning into your youth group but you don't know where to start? Maybe you are a teen or a youth worker who has done little community service work., and the task seems undaunting to you. Fear not. By using the Earth Corps approach, it is easy to get started.

So what? The first question may be the most difficult and time-consuming. Why is your project important? Why must it be done? Why should I give up my Saturday to come and do it? Do your research here.

For example, my club is planning a work day for Habitat for Humanity. The so what for that could be lessons on homelessness, the rising cost of housing and the difficulties the working poor have, and biblical lessons about helping those less fortunate.

Hit them head-on with those so what's. Make it real to them.

What? This is the easy part. What is your project about? For our Habitat project we had to find out who to contact and get a hold of him. We had to set up our date, let the members of the club know, do the proper release forms, etc.

Now what? Now what is the reflection part of the project. Take the time during the project to talk to your participants. Get their reactions as they are involved. After the project is finished, discuss how things went, how they feel (emotions often run very high in teens during service projects,) and how the project differed from their expectations. Decide what if anything you can do to continue or build on your project.

Our Habitat project could lead to more work with Habitat, yard work for a single parent who is working two jobs, or food drives to help the working poor. Think beyond now what. I like to think more along the lines of what else.

With these three easy steps, your service learning projects will take off and a whole new dimension to your youth group will develop. Once you start service, its infectious. Everyone in the group will be coming up with new ideas to make our world better.
*reprinted with permission from eYOUth! magazine http://committed.to/eyouth

Reprinted by permission of Barb Huff

Bio: Barb Huff is the teen program director for the YMCA of Central Stark County. One of her programs, Leaders Club, is a national YMCA program for teens who want to be involved in volunteer work. Barb frequently writes on youth ministry and working with teens in general. More of her work on ministry can be found at Suite 101 Youth Empowerment. http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/youth_empowerment