After a student completes a service project, he or she should be encouraged to write about the experience. The reflection doesn’t need to be lengthy; it just needs to be an honest reflection of the student’s feelings and evaluation of the experience.
The goal here is for the student to spend a couple of extra minutes thinking about what the service meant and what was learned from the experience. By doing this, students see the deeper value of service; they learn it is more than just something to check off the list and experience meaningful personal growth.
Whether students are tracking service, internships, or work-based learning hours, they should write a reflection about their experience. This step is crucial in gaining deeper understanding from their experiences and can be leveraged on college and scholarship applications.