A few weeks ago I encountered my first service-learning naysayer in person. I've read about these people before...those who think service-learning is a passing fad. And I finally encountered one in person. I wasn't adequately prepared to deal with it. On my way home that day, it came to me - what I should have said. "Citizenship never goes out of style." I hardly believe service-learning a passing fad. It has roots back to John Dewey in the early 1900s and his concept of "public education." And there will certainly NOT be a shortage of community problems to solve anytime soon! Alright, so maybe it isn't "cool" to be civically engaged...but I didn't say it was "cool." Plus, I'm not in high school anymore, so I don't care what's cool. What I said is that it won't go out of style. We're a democracy! As long as we are, it's important (again, I didn't say it was cool) for people to be engaged, informed citizens.
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