Abstract
While prior research on service-learning has established the benefits for participating college and university students, more recent research has attempted to explore the value of service-learning projects for the recipients of the service-learning projects, typically public-school students. This study endeavors to extend this research to a special subset of this population by examining the outcome of a 6-week service-learning project in an alternative educational setting for juvenile offenders.
 This service-learning project involved teams of four to five university business school students presenting a life skills curriculum to two classrooms of students who have been adjudicated through the juvenile courts. We administered an optional questionnaire to all participating students as a pretest and posttest, asking about their knowledge and skills in career readiness. We found statistically significant increases in ratings from pretest to posttest. Analyzed individually, all 28 items showed statistically significant improvements from pretest to posttest. Scales created from the items were also statistically significant, with the greatest change in items measuring Goals. We interpret these findings as an indication that adjudicated youth have a substantial need and interest in career information and training.
Highlights
Research suggests that certain at-risk student populations assigned to nontraditional academic settings feel more comfortable and are, more motivated to attend school
The data from this study provides strong evidence that juvenile offenders reported substantial benefit from the service-learning project
It appears from this data that such youth do not come to school with the skills and knowledge about work expectations and skills that other youth seem to gain from out-of-school environments. This sample of juvenile offenders seem to have benefitted from some training that typical students sometimes find to be natural, or that they have learned in other contexts, like the need to make eye contact during an interview, or the importance of non-verbal communication
Summary
Research suggests that certain at-risk student populations assigned to nontraditional academic settings feel more comfortable and are, more motivated to attend school. According to Ingersoll and Leboeuf (1997), the goal is to provide educational instruction to students that are often unable to succeed in traditional academic settings. Such schools are being used to teach juvenile offenders (Gottfredson, 1987; Arnove & Strout, 1980). As a response to the complex issues surrounding juvenile justice issues, the Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2014 National Report notes “the juvenile justice system must react to the law-violating behaviors of youth in a manner that protects the community and holds youth accountable and enhances youth’s ability to live productively and responsibly in the community” The need to develop an array of pedagogical approaches to serve this population, including skills relevant to future employment
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