Jamaal believes that educators need to be educated about the importance of service-learning and why they should employ it as an educational necessity. Not only does service-learning improve attendance rates and test scores, but by making students aware of issues, it also creates caring citizens who will then want to vote and be a part of their democracy. While learning about issues, service-learning additionally develops an understanding of all peoples, and in turn reduces violence. Rather than just memorizing facts, service-learning creates a wisdom that is unattainable from other methods of teaching.
Jamaal has spoken about the importance of service-learning all over the country and in the United Kingdom, detailing how leadership qualities can result from taking part in this program. He has won the respect of his peers as well as Senator John Glenn, Chairman for the National Commission on service-learning, while serving as a spokesperson on service-learning. The National Commission on service-learning is comprised of educators, govern-ment leaders, business leaders and youth leaders. It is supported by the John Glenn Institute and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. All of those involved recognize how service-learning can help young people become solution oriented when it comes to the problems we face as a society.
Jamaal is currently working with educators on a Steering Committee for the Learning In Deed Initiative in an effort to make service-learning part of kindergarten through 12th grade public education. Service-learning clearly builds a strong and wise foundation for students to become successful citizens, so that when they hit the ground, they can run.
"It's not enough to volunteer in a soup kitchen to gain a true understanding of what it must be like to starve"
- Jamaal Young
