Service Learning

You are here: Service Learning Home Who We Are Our Projects Service Learning Planed Projects Contact Us Useful Links In service learning, service is an educational vehicle with the potential to transform people’s ways of thinking, feeling and relating to others. It involves: -Offering one’s energy and skills for the sake of others. -The whole person thoughts, emotions, actions. -Experience-based rather than lecture-based education. Let's clarify what service learning is by looking at some of its distinguishing characteristics. Contained in the following paragraphs are some explanations of what service learning is, along with notes on how this model compares with the IRFF ONLUS model of education. After reviewing this you should come to understand how IRFF ONLUS is on the cutting edge of the service learning movement. One of the critical attributes of the service learning process is that it creates an environment where participants can face situations in which they learn to foster "intangible" qualities such as empathy, personal values, beliefs, awareness, self-esteem, self-confidence, social responsibility and a sense of caring for others. All these 'intangibles' can be learned in ways that allow the qualities to become part of each participant's own experience. In service learning the community service aspect serves as a vehicle for achieving specific academic goals and objectives. During service learning projects a reciprocal relationship develops in which service reinforces and strengthens the learning and the learning reinforces and strengthens the service. In the IRFF ONLUS approach to service learning, the "academic objectives" go hand in hand with the transcendent elements of learning. Service learning programs provide structured time for students to reflect on their service and learning experiences through a mix of writing, reading, speaking, listening as individuals or taking part in small or large group discussions. All of these elements are contained within the IRFF ONLUS project. Service learning differs from community service in that it uses community service as the vehicle for the attainment of student's academic goals and objectives and provides a foundation for students to examine themselves, their society and future. Credit is awarded for learning, not for a requisite number of service hours. Service learning provides students with opportunities to use newly acquired skills and knowledge in real life evaluations and is designed to empower both students and the communities being served. The needs of a community dictate the service that is to be provided for that community. IRFF ONLUS works in a community prior to taking on a project in order to understand more deeply the needs and sensitivity of a local community. The following observation by Mark Cooper of the Volunteers for America Corp provides a good insight on the power of service learning. " In one sense, service learning holds up a mirror for us to see ourselves, a microscope for us to examine our society, and binoculars for us to see what lies ahead. The success of IRFF ONLUS projects depends on the strength and variety of our partnerships. By cooperating with a large number of different organizations, we are able to offer many types of volunteer activity, including archaeological digs, restoration of public facilities, medical relief, building and construction work, general education, environmental regeneration, and many more. Consequently, there are many opportunities for individual volunteers and organizations to work with us. Why volunteer? Get ready for your life to change! The experience of taking part in an IRFF ONLUS Service Project will transform you, and help you and others like you gain the inspiration and power to transform the society we live in. Please Contact Us if you are interested in being a participant on one of our service projects, or if you would like to offer your skills to the organization. We are contacting organizations that would like to be a host for a group of volunteers, and perhaps have members or volunteers of their own who would like to share the IRFF service-learning experience. If your organization has some task that needs doing, some people to serve, then please Contact Us You also can become catalysis for the society by participating in our projects! 1. If you really want to change yourself and society you can participate in our projects directly by making good actions 2. You can be financial sponsor for our near future projects. All information you can get in irffmd@gmail.com © IRFF Moldova

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