by Francis Harris

Created on: February 21, 2010   Last Updated: February 22, 2010

Requiring student participation in wider "real community" projects, under appropriate supervision, will help the young person's all-round development.

Naturally projects should not expose young people to untoward dangers. They should be well supervised; within the abilities of the young person; provide the young person scope to expand their  knowledge and skills; allow them to serve or perform a useful role; connect with chosen people from the community and come to be a genuine part of community, integrated with it, not segregated from it; and projects should be of nature that there is scope to "get it wrong" and learn.

Many community projects are possible for a wide range of ages and abilities: from helping plant trees and vegetation with a land care group, to doing behind the scenes chores at a drop-in center; from entertaing isolated folk in nursing homes, to doing a working bee at the local playgroup; from teaching "computers" or technology to retirees, to learning languages or crafts from community groups; from helping with gardening, to doing yard tidying. Older young people may even benefit from "work experience" in offices and shops, garages and trade places.

So what benefits are there for the young person?

1. The young person gains new skills, insight, knowledge and abilities in a practical setting.

2. The social integration of young people goes someway to alleviating the generation gap - that is the breakdown in communication and understanding - between people of different generations that has fragmented communities across the world. Young people are brought into relationship and connection with people and groups they would otherwise not meet.

3. The young person has a chance to integrate with the community, develop (supervised) relationships with mature role models, exposing themselves to positive examples that augment their narrow world of immature peers.

4. The young person is extended to think and act beyond self-interest and personal gain; and do something positive for the community. They have a chance to develop a sense of responsibility for the community in a way that would not be possible if they were not a part of it, working for it, and supporting it directly.

5. The young person extends their sense of personal identity coming to see themselves as a part of the wider community. Even minimal acceptance and belonging  in this wider community is so valuable to rival the world of gangs and fickle peer acceptance that otherwise dominates their lives.

6. The young person will grow in self-worth realising they have much to give the community - especially if they are sharing a skill or knowledge - and should be empowered to realise that they have a positive role to play in helping others, so helping their sense of self-worth and value.

7. Many projects are simply fun to do, giving the young person a break from the classroom and the artificial routine that otherwise dominates their lives,

While it make take some organizing to ensure that suitable tasks are found for particular students, that the young person is always safe and community engagement is properly supervised, the benefits for students themselves and the wider community abound.

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