Community Service-Learning in Teacher Education: A Report on Innovative Programs in New England

As the strengths of community service-learning are becoming more recognized by educators at all levels, many institutions of higher education are incorporating CSL as a dynamic pedagogy into their teacher education programs. Many schools or departments of education encourage or require certification candidates to perform CSL as part of their teacher training as ways to learn about the teaching profession through the practice of teaching and reflection. Fewer schools integrate service-learning into their teacher education program in another way: by teaching preservice teachers how to use service-learning as a pedagogy with children in their own future classrooms. This second group of programs are creating opportunities for education students to examine the strengths and weaknesses of service-learning, design their own service-learning project for youth, and work with professional teachers who use service-learning in their elementary or secondary classrooms