Helping Students Understand the Why Behind Service Projects
In 2019, I organized a group of students to decorate duffel bags for kids in foster care. Before the activity began, a representative from Lutheran Social Services of Illinois joined us to speak with the students. She explained that many children in foster care do not have suitcases and are often forced to carry their belongings in trash bags when moving between homes. The kids were surprised. They had never considered that something as ordinary as a suitcase could be out of reach for another child.
That brief conversation changed the way the students approached the project. They weren’t just decorating bags anymore. They were giving something meaningful to someone who deserved more than a trash bag. The students worked with purpose and care because they understood the impact their efforts would have.
When it comes to service projects or volunteering, helping students understand the cause is just as important as the activity itself. Here’s why.
Understanding creates connection
When students know the reason behind a service project, they can connect emotionally with the people they are helping. That connection can make the experience more powerful. Instead of completing a task just to get it done, students are motivated by a sense of empathy and responsibility. They want to make a difference because they understand who they are helping and why that help matters.
It encourages questions and deeper thinking
When students learn about a problem before jumping into a project, it often sparks curiosity. They may want to learn more about foster care, homelessness, food insecurity, or whatever issue the project addresses. These questions can lead to important discussions about fairness, inequality, and community responsibility. When students ask questions, they start to think critically about the world around them.
It makes space for reflection
Reflection is an important part of service learning. After a project, students should be encouraged to think about what they did, how it felt, and what they learned. But reflection is more meaningful when students understood the purpose from the
beginning. They can better process the emotions and lessons that come with helping others when they were fully present and informed from the start.
For the duffel bag project, we asked each participant to write a note to the child who would eventually receive the bag. These notes were placed inside the duffel bags. In order to write them, students had to reflect on the activity, its purpose, and the circumstances of the child who would one day read their message.
Another way to support reflection is through journaling. A resource like 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘈 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦? can guide students through thoughtful questions and prompts that help them process their experience and see themselves as capable of positive action. Reflecting in writing helps students internalize what they’ve learned and see how their actions connect to something bigger.
It builds a sense of agency
When students understand a cause and know how their actions can help, they begin to see themselves as capable of making a difference. That sense of agency is powerful. It builds confidence and encourages students to keep looking for ways to help. They learn that they don’t have to wait until they are older to start giving back.
It strengthens the community
Projects that include background information and context bring people together around a shared goal. Students who work together with a clear understanding of their purpose are more likely to support each other and celebrate the results. Service becomes not just a learning experience, but a unifying one.
How to help students connect with the cause
Before starting any service project, take time to explain the issue. You can invite a guest speaker, show a short video, read a story, or have a simple conversation. Keep it age-appropriate, but don’t shy away from honesty. Young people are more capable of understanding hard truths than we often give them credit for.
You don’t need to spend hours on background information, but you do need to help students see the people behind the problem. Once they make that connection, their motivation shifts. They are no longer doing something for a cause. They are doing something with awareness, empathy, and purpose.
Whether the project is collecting canned food, writing letters to seniors, cleaning up a park, or making care packages, it matters that students know why it’s important. And it matters that they understand how their contributions help. When students understand the why, they show up with heart. They give with intention. And they carry those lessons with them far beyond the end of the project.
〰️〰️〰️〰️
Stacey Montgomery
Mom, Author, and Founder, Believe and Be Brave