Key Principles of the KIDS Model

Academic Integrity

KIDS projects grow out of community needs, yet are an integral part of the academic curriculum. Teachers are too busy with existing curricular demands to take on any projects that represent “yet another thing to teach.” Service-learning offers an effective instructional strategy that helps students meet state learning standards and achieve measurable outcomes while fostering experiences that are connected and meaningful for both students and teachers. By tying service-learning projects to local curriculum requirements, teachers play an important facilitation role—actively helping students link their community experiences with lasting academic learning.

Projects that are relevant to “real life” help to motivate and maintain student interest. Because service-learning involves many different methods of teaching and assessment, it can engage students who don’t respond well to traditional classroom approaches. It also appeals to high-ability students, allowing them to reach beyond the set curricula and think critically about problems they’ve identified. By giving students at all levels opportunities for growth and expression, service-learning helps them to apply and demonstrate new knowledge.

Apprentice Citizenship

The KIDS model views young people as vital community members who can apply their knowledge, skills and energy to meet real local and regional needs. Students develop expertise in community issues by seeking out and working with local experts, community organizations and government agencies. Community members value the work that students do because it meets genuine needs.

Through the KIDS process, students develop civic awareness and skills needed for effective citizenship: critical thinking, conflict resolution, attentive listening, information-gathering, cooperation, decision-making, advocacy and problem-solving.

Student Ownership

By challenging students to identify and solve community problems, KIDS projects help young people find new direction and meaning in their lives—both in and beyond school. Students practice making decisions through small group work, classroom meetings, and one-on-one interactions with adults. The adults share in learning, acting more as partners than as experts. By working alongside students and providing role models, community members can enhance students’ aspirations.

KIDS projects tend to generate enthusiasm and a sense of adventure among students, which may translate at first into commotion and confusion but ultimately results in authentic student learning. A KIDS classroom can look very different than a traditional one—with noisy committees of students sharing findings, maps and charts sprawled everywhere, and flip charts overloaded with ideas. Problem-solving provides a context in which students with different talents emerge as leaders. Students become the “experts,” driving the entire process of planning and implementing projects.

Through the KIDS process, students learn that they have the power to make a difference. They also learn a great deal about what strengths they have to share with their families, friends and communities.