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STUDENTS AGAINST VIOLENCE EVERYWHERE ~ IN ACTION:
Service Projects
Learning by doing is a key component of SAVE
Empowering students to get involved in hands-on efforts to
prevent violence is the most rewarding learning experience of
SAVE The SAVE
Essentials Manual has guidelines for creating a successful
service project as well as service project ideas.
Service projects take practical knowledge and information,
such as in the areas of crime prevention or conflict management
and turns them into a service-oriented learning experience with
an after-action reflection piece. An example would be
SAVE high school
students who travel to a local middle school and teach 7th
graders how to manage conflicts, then return to reflect on
their service experience as it relates to the skills of
conflict management they have learned.
STARTING YOUR SAVE SERVICE PROJECT
Many times the hardest part about doing a community service or
service learning project is getting started! Knowing and picking a
good project idea can take up the majority of time ... and time is
what you most need to do the actual project. Here's some things to
consider before starting to "brainstorm" ideas for a SAVE
service project.
- What are some topics or issues of concern or interest for our
school's or SAVE chapters students over the last few weeks or
months?
- Are there any crime or violence incidents that have recently
occurred in your school or community? If so, what were they?
- Is there a specific need in your school or community that you
feel should have more attention by students and others?
- What are social interest of concerns specific to your school
or community? (For example, there may be a higher incidence of
teen smoking or teen pregnancy in your local area.)
- What are topics, issues, or interest of most students/youth? (
You may want to ask students or chapter members to list their
top three concerns on a sheet of paper. Do not ask for names
on the paper and anonymously collect the responses.)
SAVE SERVICE PROJECT IDEAS
- Start a SAVE Chapter in other schools.
- Sponsor a crime/violence prevention fair for your school and community.
- Decorate a bulletin board at your school, local library, or local
business to spread the SAVE message.
 - Have a nonviolence essay contest and send the winning essay to possibly
be published on SAVE's website or in SAVE's newsletter.
- Support a local violence shelter by hosting a canned food, coat, teddy bear,
clothes, or cell phone drive.
- Adopt-a-grandparent or assist elderly in your community by running errands,
cleaning yard, or just provide company.
- Create a pamphlet on community or school crime prevention.
- Sponsor a kid photo identification booth at a local crime prevention
fair or mall expo.
- Assist your school's safety team with coordinating a safe
school site assessment.
- Clean-up and revitalize a deteriorated area of your school or community.
These are just a few of the many ideas provided in the SAVE Essentials Manual.
More Service Project Ideas
National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere
SAVE: Youth Voices... Grown-Up Choices! Toll Free 866-343-SAVE
For more information contact cwray@nationalsave.org / Copyright 2012
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