Service Learning:

Service learning is an exciting strategy to help students in using classroom learning in real life situations. Service Learning provides opportunity to educational institutions to integrate service into learning process of students. Students are encouraged to design and deliver service projects for meeting the needs of the society. Service-learning provides an opportunity for every student to be successful. Service-learning is a stimulating and meaningful activity. Education is becoming increasingly irrelevant to real issues of the society.  Students have become objects or passive recipients rather than actors. Today, majority of the educational institutions are preparing students solely for careers. They are not preparing students for service to the society. It is time to bring a major shift from what is happening in the educational institutions – the heavy-loaded curriculum, limited-assessments and too many books – to cultivate the spirit of sacrifice and spirit of selfless service to the society. It is time to address the deficiencies in our education system. Our education system has become self-centered. Educational institutions have so much to offer in the shape of human (students, teachers, volunteers and parents) and material (physical infrastructure such as buildings, classrooms, libraries, computer labs, science labs, transports, etc.) resources to address the present challenges. Service Learning program provides an exciting opportunity to educational institutions to use these resources for both meeting the educational needs of students and addressing serious social problems. It is already proven that service learning improves the academic performance of the students, brings new energy and life to the classroom, contributes in developing life skills among students and improves the relationship between teachers and students. The most striking part of service learning program is that both learning and serving are focused. Service Learning is more than a one-dimensional activity. It aims at helping students to make connections between theory and practice. It aims at developing sense of responsibility among students about the issues around them. Service learning provides millions of workers at less expense to the society.  Given the situation of Pakistan, it is the need of the hour to make service learning compulsory for all children and young people studying in educational institutions as part of their studies’ requirement. Each student must give certain hours for service to the society. The government and educational institutions should acknowledge those hours given by the students through credits, rewards and acknowledgements. Youth Engagement Services (YES) Pakistan has successfully demonstrated the impact of Service Learning program on students, schools and the society with the help of Catholic Board of Education, Lahore. Under this program, over 15,000 students have been engaged in the designing and implementation of service learning projects.

Youth Service:

It is based on the concept of “service” where young people are provided an organized opportunity to learn and serve in their communities for a pre-determined service period.  It is a powerful strategy to engage young people in service which benefits both young people and the society. Youth service refers to the meaningful engagement of young people in designing and implementation of community development projects. It is used as a developmental tool to engage out of school young people in carrying out programs that are left unattended. It is seen as an effective mechanism to re-integrate youth into the society as active-citizens and not as citizens in waiting. There are millions of young people in Pakistan who are educated, half-educated, skilled, half-skilled and illiterate looking for opportunities to establish their identities and prove their potentials. There are no programs and policies to benefit from the enormous talent, intelligence and positive energies of these young people. These young people are out of touch with themselves and the society. Youth service provides an exciting personal development opportunity to the left-out young people, while at the same time helping the society to address serious developmental issues. True and ever-lasting change is only possible when youth service and community development are seen as the two sides of the same coin. Youth service also provides an effective way to engage marginalized and socially-excluded young people in re-branding their image in the society by transforming themselves from dependants to service providers. Youth service is based on the idea that young people learn and develop through organized services that satisfy the need of the community. Youth service can be used as a developmental tool by the government and the civil society organizations to engage young people particularly disconnected young people in meeting the unmet service needs of the society. There are many examples and case studies of young people engaged by YES Network Pakistan in meeting the needs of the society and transforming them from victims to leaders.

Youth Social Entrepreneurship:

It is an exciting way to engage young people in bringing positive change in the society. It also helps young people to assume leadership role in social change. Youth social entrepreneurship helps a young person to walk away from the idea of charity and do something that is meaningful, lasting and socially impactful. There are several organizations operating at regional and international levels for the promotion of youth social entrepreneurship. YES Network Pakistan has played a pioneer role in starting a youth social entrepreneurship program in Pakistan.  Youth social entrepreneurship is a very effective and proven youth engagement model which has resulted in the creation of several exciting ideas for meeting the needs of the society in the areas of public failure. Youth social entrepreneurship challenges young people to become changemakers by taking the initiative to address gaps, inequalities and sufferings by launching ventures of their own design. These social ventures are as diverse as the needs of the people. What makes social entrepreneurship different from other engagement models is that the young people fashion their ideas into attainable goals by leading the process to completion. Young people are more likely to be engaged in social entrepreneurship if they are engaged during childhood through service learning. Youth social entrepreneurship can be integrated by a wide range of stakeholders such as educational institutions, ministries, civil society organizations, private enterprises, etc. into their on-going programs and operations for generating innovative ideas to transform the society by drawing on the talents, skills and abilities of young people. YES Network Pakistan has introduced the concept of Youth Social Entrepreneurship in over 600 youth serving institutions of Pakistan in collaboration with British Council. YES Network Pakistan has launched several exciting products to build-up a culture of youth social entrepreneurship and to inspire young people to become changemakers in the society. YES Network Pakistan has recently established Youth Enterprise Generator in the Agriculture University of Faisalabad to encourage young people to promote entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and creativity among young people.