Volunteering is an essential part of preparing students to "take responsibility as open minded, principled citizens in a global community." While performing community service, children have the opportunity to see first-hand just how much their work can have an impact on the world. Community service gives students an opportunity to explore academic interests through a real world lense. We''ve found that when students connect what they''re learning in school to issues that actually matters in real life, they throw themselves into learning. Research also back this up. Studies show that students who give back to the community perform better in school, particularly in subjects such as math, reading, and history.