Rewarding Community Service

Developing good interpersonal skills is an important part of success in life. For some students, especially high-risk students, developing these skills and the self-confidence that goes only with them can be a difficult challenge.

"Tough kids, or rather kids who think they're tough, get perspective on life by helping others," says Lee Curtis, who runs the Langford Alternative Education Program in Victoria, an alternative school program for Grade 8 and 9 students. Volunteer work helps teach his students these valuable life skills.

For an hour a week, the Langford students visit a local seniors' home. While there, they sing for the seniors, usually war-time drinking songs, smiles Curtis. "That seems to be what's most popular." The seniors sing along or listen with great enjoyment. After the sing-along, the students spend a few minutes talking to the seniors. They learn first-hand accounts of the history they have only encountered before in books. They hear about difficulties and tragedies that others have survived. They see that the seniors still need and want social contact.

There are great intangible rewards to this program, explains Curtis. The students learn compassion, empathy and patience. They learn about the disabilities of others and learn to appreciate the contribution that the seniors made to society in the past. It opens their eyes to the contributions they can make themselves in the future.