How Does Service Relate to Learning?
Service and learning go hand in hand, it is an idea that may not be readily apparent, but as you perform more and more service, it is something that becomes clear. Service is not a one way transaction, when you perform service, the people you are serving are not the only one receiving the benefits of that service, you receive benefit from that service as well.
Service becomes an educational experience in a number of ways. You can experience new things, learn new skills, interact with new people, and much more. When these things combine, you find your horizons remarkable broadened. You find yourself learning new things learning new things every time you perform service and you'll find the new experiences and knowledge deeply rewarding.
I think the best way to, however, to relate service to learning is through my own experiences in service. I have over the years volunteered with Special Olympics, the Salvation Army, in the small fishing islands of Maine, and more. However, what really comes to mind is my service as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. The Coast Guard Auxiliary is an organization of volunteers who supplement Coast Guard personal in all U.S. Coast Guard missions with the exception of military action and direct law enforcement. I have been volunteering with the Auxiliary for a little over two years now. Recently, a 154 foot long Tow Boat, the UTV Stephen L. Colby, struck ground and sunk in Le Claire, Iowa. I volunteered to assist as a member of the Coast Guard team that responded to the accident.
When the Colby sunk, there was just under 100,000 gallons of fuel and oil on the boat. This oil immediately began leaking into the Mississippi River. The Coast Guard was charged with ensuring, first, the protection of the environment from the oil spill, and second, overseeing safety during the salvage operation of the boat. Members of the Coast Guard from as far aways as Virginia were called in to assist. In addition to the U.S. Coast Guard, members from the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, the NTSB, the Iowa DNR, Illinois EPA, Le Claire Fire Department, as well as the Owner of the Tow Boat and a number of companies charged with cleaning up oil spills and marine salvage all responded to the accident. The wealth of knowledge contained in the combined resources of the response was immense! Every single day assisting with the response was a learning experience for me. You cannot be in a situation like this and not learn. I learned about public affairs helping the very adept team of public affairs specialists. I learned about the properties of oil in water and containment and recovery methods for oil spills. I learned about commercial vessel construction and operation. I learned about salvage principles and techniques. I think most importantly, I gained experience working with a diverse group of professionals, from multiple agencies and companies and how to work together with people who have different expertise and experiences. By the time it was all over, I found what I had learned in my ten days responding greatly outweighed the service I performed.
Service is intrinsically linked with learning, in more ways than imaginable. That is why it is so important to keep an open mind when performing service. Try new things, gain new experiences. You're helping other people, but you never know what you'll get out of it as well!
