Impact of Community Service on Citizenship Education

            Community Service is a word that many of us hear very often. However, some of us frown upon the word as we do not believe in engaging in voluntary service. Community service can be defined as “services volunteered by individuals or an organization to benefit a community or its institutions” (Online Free Dictionary). In other words, community service can be understood to mean the rendering of service by choice or free will for the benefit of the wider community by an individual, group, or institution without necessarily expecting monetary gain in full knowledge and appreciation of being a volunteer. In the spirit of learning about citizenship education, I came to the realization that community service has an impact on citizenship education. It is a real shocker to me that I didn’t make the connection sooner or maybe it is case where I sub-consciously knew.

            Citizenship Education can be defined as educating children, from early childhood, to become clear-thinking­ and enlightened citizens who participate in decisions concerning society.

A knowledge of the nation’s institutions, and also awareness that the rule of law applies to social and human relationships, obviously form part of citizenship education course. (UNESCO, 2010). The new thrust of the Ministry of Education, Youth and information will therefore see the Civics programme as process education that facilitates how we become, live and operate as citizens. It focuses on the process by which we come to an understanding of ourselves as human beings, as a collective occupying a given geographical space, and of the need to include everyone in an appreciation of certain core values. This will facilitate greater harmony, care and respect for each other, the land that we are blessed to occupy and the institutions that protect collective welfare. 

Community Service is viewed as a form of social capital, with particular reference to the role of volunteering in promoting social inclusion, assisting marginalized social groups, its relationship to other forms of civic participation and unpaid work, creating a civil society, social action, in community building and community renewal. The character of the cooperation of the sector with all kinds of other key social players such as government, business, communities and people as individuals has given the community service sector strong power to affect the society as a whole.

            Community Service promotes people to be more active in civic engagement and concerned of citizenship. Many voluntary organizations share information with local government and community to push forward community services including department of education, environment, and energy and so on. This illustrates the crosscutting nature of volunteering throughout and between the different sectors. Community Service increases people‘s confidence in ability to work with local government or state government to meet a range of community needs, such as fixing a pothole or getting an issue on a statewide ballot. People also feel more civic obligations, and are more active in participating in various civic activities, including voting in elections and serving on a jury.

           Through community service, individuals are given the opportunity to advance their citizenship education skills. So next time you are asked to complete community service do not frown because as small as your contribution is, it does make a difference.

Contributor: Samantha Dwyer

                        Bachelors Degree in Education

                        History and Social Studies

                        Bethlehem Moravian College