Sterling High School offers plenty of electives and a variety of classes to choose from. The classes can range from culinary, foreign language, publications, building, etc. There are plenty of options, and service learning is a very popular choice. 

  Service learning is academically relevant service activities that address human and community activities in a course. It also means assisting or helping the teachers or staff members that students are assigned to. Service learning is a class that serves as an elective and can be taken by talking to your counselor. 

   Teachers and staff are asked if they need extra assistance and want a service learner in certain periods. The classes can range from helping in the office by handing out passes to students, or helping teachers with paperwork or anything they need extra assistance in. Students are also given the opportunity to be service learners outside of Sterling High School and give assistance to teachers and staff in other schools like: Jefferson Elementary School, Challand Middle School, Lincoln Elementary School, Franklin Elementary School, and Washington Elementary School. Service learners are then given a list of what teachers and staff agreed and are able to choose which class they would like to service learn in. Once chosen, counselors assign students to the teacher and students then will start either a couple days after or the very next day. 

  Service learner adviser and counselor Darci Francis states, “Service learning students are assigned to work with a staff member within the Sterling Public Schools district. Depending on the student’s placement, he/she could help with making copies, working on classroom crafts and projects, grading, tutoring, or running passes. The expectations are different for each teacher, classroom, and grade level. Each week, students are required to submit an attendance sheet, which is what gets recorded for a weekly grade. The supervising teacher also completes a mid-term evaluation and a final evaluation for the service learning student evaluating the student’s attendance, attitude, productivity, and communication skills.” 

   Many student experiences may differ, when asked about her experience service learning, Junior Kaya Jones states, “It’s been great so far, this will be my second year service learning I will continue doing it for my senior year next school year.” 

  Service learning may or may not be for everyone, but is it recommended from other service learners? Junior Kaya Imel-McCombs states, “Yes, I would recommend service learning because it’s a great way to change up your day. It’s also a great way to develop skills.” 

    Overall, service learning is a fun experience but should be taken seriously, there are high expectations in place for S.H.S. students.