engleski

School Volunteering – empowering students for active citizenship

Croatian public policies related with civil society development (e.g. Law on Volunteering and National Strategy for Civil Society Development) put significant emphasis on schools as ‘catalyst’ for students’ experiential citizenship education as well as students’ empowerment for active participation in democratic society. Non- governmental organizations have therefore taken the initiative to create supportive environment and assist schools in developing volunteering programs as extra- curriculum activities. The aim of this paper is to present research results on the impact that such volunteering programs have on those students engaged. Research combines quantitative and qualitative approaches, as well as caste studies, and is still work in progress. Preliminary results show perceived impact on (I) personal (e.g. sense of accomplishment while helping others, awareness of their role in contributing to a better living conditions in neighborhood), (II) ‘academic’ (e.g. new knowledge and skills), (III) social (e.g. awareness of needs and problems of others, better understanding of problem solving on local level) and (IV) institutional level (perception of school as a more pleasant place to be and learn, growing sense of affiliation to alma mater school). As for the positive long-term impact, more then 2/3 of students engaged expressed their intention to continue volunteering after graduation.

School volunteering ; students’ experiential learning ; volunteering impact on students ; school-community cooperation

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