Service-Learning Through the Arts
Making a Positive Impact on Youth Through Creative Collaboration
What Is Service-Learning?
Service-learning is an approach to learning that gives students the opportunity to gain experience and build skills as they work alongside their communities.
ASI’s Service-Learning Programs are designed for high school students interested in making a positive impact in their community. Our programs provide in-person, online, and hybrid learning opportunities for participants as they develop practical skills through real-life work experience and mentorship over the course of 10 weeks.
How Do I Get Involved?
All participants must complete the full onboarding process before starting a project.
This includes submitting a resume, completing a background and child safety check, reading our volunteer manual, and completing an onboarding form with a parent or guardian.
Visit our onboarding page below for instructions on how to apply.
For more information on opportunities for college students, see our internship page.
What Does Participation Look Like?
Participants can be involved in-person, online, or through a hybrid option.
In-person participants interested in working with youth will assist a certified art teacher in designing and teaching their own lessons to elementary age students. In-person participants must be able to attend after-school workshops at a recreation center for an hour a week.
Online participants will work alongside ASI staff and volunteer teams to create lessons and materials for our online courses.
All participants will be provided with a Microsoft 365 workspace account where they can choose which online, after-school, team meetings to attend depending on their interests and what fits best with their schedule. Participants will also document their hours and track their learning through a guided journal.
What Do Students Learn?
All participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with professionals throughout various projects and learn durable skills including:
– Writing content in a variety of formats
– Designing handouts and presentations for workshops
– Mentoring younger students in a classroom setting
– Crafting a professional and eye-catching resume
– Practicing goal-setting and self-assessment
– Communicating within a professional workspace
What Do Past Participants Say?
“The program has provided opportunities to future jobs and encouraged me to explore the boundaries of teaching as I develop lesson plans and independence.”
“I learned to place myself in a different perspective, to see things the way the kids [I teach] do.”
“I really enjoyed the drum lesson. It was cool to see the kids feeling and doing things that may have been a completely new experience for them.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t have a resume?
Creating a resume is a great skill for starting a career. We require one as part of the onboarding process to get a glimpse at who the participant is and what their interests are. Do your best to put one together – experienced mentors and peers alike will help participants polish their resumes in a professional and career-minded manner.
Why do I need to do a background check and child safety check?
We require all ASI members to complete these checks in order to ensure the safety of the youth we work with. You will also need these to enter the recreation centers if assisting with in-person classes.
When And Where Do In-Person Workshops Take Place?
Check out the ‘Schedule’ section of our intern page for more information.
What are some recent projects Art Sphere has worked on?
To read more about our accomplishments, check out our most recent newsletter.