What is AP with WE Service?

AP WE Service

What Is Service Learning?

​Service learning is an academic pedagogy and is distinct from volunteering or participating in community service. While service learning does involve performing service, it is based on a structured academic foundation. To learn more about the impacts of service learning, see At A Glance: What We Know about The Effects of Service-Learning on College Students, Faculty, Institutions and Communities, 1993-2000: Third Edition (.pdf/265KB) , a compilation of research by faculty at Vanderbilt University.

Students who participate in service learning within the WE framework apply their academic learning to real-life settings and situations by being active in meaningful community-based service. In addition, they work on problems that make academic learning relevant while enhancing their leadership and social skills, analytic ability, and civic responsibility.

By incorporating hands-on service-learning projects into AP courses, AP with WE Service empowers students to become leaders and agents of change.

The College Board does not endorse or favor any particular issue, stance, or type of service over another.

Learn more about the program.

The AP Program and WE supply a structure, guidance, and resources to AP teachers who integrate WE Service into their courses. However, teachers and students have latitude, within guidelines, to define what form their service will take.

Students who take an AP with WE Service course have the opportunity to earn recognition.

Teaching ModulesThe AP with WE Service program provides teaching modules that align to AP course content and can be directly implemented into an AP course curriculum. Each module focuses on an actionable topic, such as hunger or education, and incorporates WE’s service-based learning framework and resources. The WE model helps teachers and students to identify local priorities and translate classroom learning into hands-on innovation and problem solving.

Teachers choose a module that teaches students to apply the content and skills they have learned in their AP class to real-world opportunities that require innovation, creativity, and hard work.

Six AP with WE Service Courses Available.  The program is currently piloting with six courses:

• Computer Science A

• Environmental Science

• European History

• Human Geography

• Spanish Language and Culture

• Studio Art: 2-D Design

Program Principles

Seven guiding principles inform the development of the AP with WE Service program. Service projects are:

• Local/national/global. Students take one local or national action and one global action.

• Youth-led. Students drive the activity.

• Driven by teamwork. Students work on the activity in small groups.

• Teacher supported and mentored. The instructor encourages and advises the student groups and ensures the project links to AP course content.

• Productive of observable impacts. Students can see the impact of their actions.

• Cause-inclusive. Within the key content focus areas, students can choose to work on an issue they care about.

• Nonpartisan. All AP with WE Service materials are nonpartisan and do not promote or encourage a partisan position; instead, the materials are tied to the AP course content and skills, and all decisions about specific service projects are made locally.

Student Recognition

Students who take an AP with WE Service course, meet the recognition requirements described below, and take the AP Exam for that course can earn a program recognition that will be communicated to colleges and universities.

High schools will also have the option to indicate on students’ transcripts that they have completed AP with WE Service for a particular course.

Recognition Requirements

In order for their students to earn the service-learning recognition, AP teachers must plan for up to 10 hours of in-class instruction related to service learning. Each student must engage in a minimum of 20 hours of service, not counting the “Record and Reflect” and “Report and Celebrate” stages of the modules.

Students must also earn a 2 on a 3-point scale on all rubric categories within the following stages and evaluation criteria:

• Investigate and Learn: Students explore topics related to a real-world challenge or opportunity.

• Action Plan: Students develop a plan to implement their service-learning project, including one local or national action and one global action.

• Educate Others: Students design and implement an activity to raise awareness about their service-learning topic.

• Take Action: Students implement their action plan.

• Record and Reflect: Students create a portfolio to record data and their reflections about their project.

• Report and Celebrate: Students present the results of their service-learning project.

"AP with WE Service." AP with WE Service – Advances in AP® - The College Board. The College Board, 2017. Web. 26 Jan. 2017.