ASU promotes service learning for educators to connect classroom learning with community impact

Preparing students for the future means going beyond traditional academics to foster real-world experiences that build purpose and connection. ASU is leading the way in learner-centered education by helping educators bring these durable skills to life through service-learning. In partnership with Youth Service America, the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation has created a course available on the ASU Professional Educator Learning Hub that supports educators in designing and facilitating impactful service-learning experiences.

What is service learning and why does it matter?

Service learning is a powerful approach that integrates classroom instruction with meaningful community engagement, allowing students to apply what they learn to solve real challenges in their neighborhoods and beyond. Service learning helps students connect academic content with real-world impact, offering a powerful pathway to personal and academic growth. Students collaborate with peers, connect with community partners and lead projects that make a tangible impact. Research shows that when students engage in high-quality service projects, they see gains in college and career readiness, develop essential leadership skills and experience increased academic engagement. Perhaps most importantly, they begin to discover their own agency — the belief that they can make a difference. By weaving service-learning into K–12 education, educators help students build the confidence, empathy and initiative needed to thrive in an interconnected and ever-evolving world.

Bringing service learning into the classroom

ASU is empowering educators to bring these approaches into the classroom. By giving students a voice and encouraging them to take on real-world challenges, educators can foster leadership, resilience and a lifelong commitment to civic responsibility.

However, creating service-learning experiences that balance educational outcomes with meaningful service can be challenging. Our courses are designed to be practical and easy to implement. Teachers will have opportunities to reflect on their current teaching methods, assess their effectiveness and adapt their approaches to better support students in developing durable skills. 

That’s why ASU’s Designing and Implementing a Service-Learning Experience course supports educators, school leaders and parents in planning intentional, impactful service projects for K–12 learners.

Through this course, participants will explore: 

• How to outline service projects for a week, month or semester
• Ways to facilitate student-designed service projects 
• Facilitation skills that help inspire students to lead impactful projects

ASU’s course equips educators with:

• Community partnership skills to support local change efforts
• Youth leadership tools to help students develop durable skills in authentic ways
• Flexible, practical design so educators can implement what they learn right away

Free webinar opportunity

Educators can also join a free webinar hosted by ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton College and Youth Service America to learn more about service-learning and how to get started. The event, Designing Effective Service-Learning to Connect the Classroom and Community, takes place on June 13, 2025 at 12pm. You’ll walk away with practical insights into building experiences that benefit both students and their communities through service learning projects. Register for the webinar here.

In this 45-minute webinar, you’ll discover:

• How to develop service projects that authentically engage students and meet community needs
• Strategies for building effective youth-adult partnerships
• Ways to create cross-curricular service experiences that foster teacher collaboration
• Methods to incorporate service learning that develop students’ durable skills

Connecting learning with life

Service-learning is one more way ASU is supporting a culture of lifelong learning. Through the Professional Educator Learning Hub, Universal Learner Courses and CareerCatalyst offerings, ASU ensures both educators and students have access to high-quality learning that prepares them for the future. Whether you’re interested in earning a micro credential or taking a full course, the Professional Educator Learning Hub has options so you can bring service-learning experiences to your community. Explore the Designing and Implementing a Service-Learning Experience micro-credential today and start building classrooms where students learn by doing — and lead with purpose.