International service-learning in secondary education

Service-learning programs are becoming increasingly integrated into formal education curricula around the United States. These programs vary in location, age of participants, length, and type of service; however the principle objective is shared: that students provide a service that meets a need through an encounter with a reality other than their own while integrating their service experience into the academic curriculum. This study examines one particular international service-learning program for the students of an all boys private high school in Washington, DC, which takes place in the Dominican Republic every summer. The results of this case study suggest that international service-learning experiences could have a long term impact on students in relation to their world view, and plans for the future, including career choices.