The traditional teaching of reading, writing, and arithmetic alone will not fully prepare students to lead with integrity, govern fairly, analyze problems, and work collectively with people different from themselves. Social emotional learning (SEL) has been described as one of the missing links in academic education, but a restrictive approach to SEL instruction focuses primarily on emotional and behavioral containment rather than development of active citizenry. Out-of-school programs that provide opportunities for youths to conduct community service learning projects, however, can be a valued resource for supporting critical social emotional learning and social political development. The Chicago Freedom School (CFS) is one such program. This article features the voices of youths’ ages 14–16 who participated in CFS during the 2008–2009 Freedom Fellowship, using content analysis. It also discusses future implications for school mental health professionals and SEL instruction.

Critical Service Learning Toolkit offers a strengths-based, interdisciplinary approach to promoting social competence while enhancing emotional and academic skill development. Designed as a user-friendly guide to carrying out successful CSL projects, this Toolkit provides practitioners with step-by-step assistance in planning, implementing, and evaluating Critical Service Learning (CSL) projects in elementary and high schools. CSL trains youth to become active and conscientious citizens through engagement and leadership experiences that meet real needs in the community. This approach is unique in that it places the youth/student at the center of the process. Prioritizing social and emotional learning (SEL) and school engagement, CSL changes the role of the school-based, counseling professional into that of a facilitator who encourages skill-building, reflection, and civic engagement. Cultivating self-awareness, social-consciousness, and critical-thinking skills, brainstorming and community web mapping activities serve as the cornerstone of CSL and allow youth to become comfortable articulating concerns about their communities. By extending learning beyond the classroom and into the community, CSL enhances what is taught throughout the school curriculum, at all levels, and fosters a sense of civic responsibility and social agency.

Critical service learning (CSL), social and emotional learning (SEL), and positive youth development (PYD) represent key elements for promot¬ing healthy attitudes and behaviors among youth. This chapter explains each component and provides a theoretical overview. As mentioned in Chapter 1, CSL represents a therapeutic strategy that encompasses a philosophy of youth empowerment. CSL emphasizes youth becoming empowered to view themselves in relation to others, as partners, to bring about change in their environment. Mitchell (2008) defined CSL as an approach that challenges youth to become self-aware of how their own situations influence their relationships within their community. When these relationships are based on the concerns of the community, they can facilitate CSL through the examination of issues of power, privilege, and oppression— and disparaging assumptions of class, gender, and race— and then take action to address unjust and inequitable social and economic systems (Cipolle, 2010). Youth engage in critical thinking about the problems they face within their own communities and are encouraged to take action. The critical approach to service learning promotes social justice and challenges the status quo. The approach to CSL involves three key elements: “working to redistribute power amongst all participants in the service learning relationship, developing authentic relationships in the classroom and in the community and working from a social change perspective” (Mitchell, 2008, p. 50). The goal of CSL is to examine power relations, challenge oppressive institutions, and cultivate in youth the power to take action. In our model, the CSL approach presents “student voice” as a necessary component to create a sense of empowerment and authentic engagement. The community web-mapping tool discussed in Chapter 3 serves as the vehicle for students to address social justice issues as they compare and contrast their vision of perfect and imperfect communities (Figure 2.1). Social and emotional learning is a framework that provides opportunities for young people to acquire the skills necessary for maintaining personal well-being and positive relationships across their life span (Elbertson, Brackett, & Weissberg, 2009). The five competency clusters for students are the following: 1. Self- awareness: the ability to accurately recognize one’s emotions and thoughts and how they influence behavior.

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Critical service learning (CSL) emphasizes that youth become empowered to see themselves as partners with others to bring about change in their environments (Muscott, 2000). The nature of CSL evokes youth voice and choice in the application of cognitive, social, and emotional skills to everyday situations. This is especially true when conducting CSL in a group modality. Groups are ideal therapeutic intervention settings where CSL can be incorporated. Group work provides a smaller arena in which members may receive feedback, support, and guidance from peers. In fact, membership may allow youth to practice new behaviors or roles (Greenberg, 2003).Furthermore, CSL offers a natural fit for groups geared toward social and emotional learning (SEL) skill development (e.g., social skill groups, anger management, bullying prevention, confliction resolution). Within the multitier system of support (MTSS) framework, different tiers are designated for the provision of academic and social and emotional support to students where needed. CSL is beneficial within all tiers, but is especially effective at the Tier 2 (tar¬geted) and Tier 1 (universal) levels. On average, 5%– 15% of students in a school setting are in jeopardy of disengaging from the school environment (Scott & Eber, 2003). These students do not necessarily have an individual educational plan (IEP) but may have come to the attention of school- based practitioners as a result of office discipline referrals, suspensions, or truancies (Lindsey & White, 2009). Targeted group interventions provide additional support to these students for learning and practicing prosocial skills in a smaller and more insulated arena. For students who also receive special educa¬tion services, Klienert et al. (2004) contended that students receiving those services can benefit from interventions in the form of CSL. The benefits of CSL projects among the high- risk youth population may provide them with a way of building many of the developmental assets (such as positive experiences, resources, and other healthy characteristics) that help them make informed decisions and that are all protective factors for youth successes (Nelson & Eckstein, 2008).