An Investigation into the Organization, Challenges, and Impact of an Urban Apprentice Teacher Program

Service learning programs are being advanced as effective vehicles for preparing young people for active citizenship and promoting growth in self-esteem, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, and personal responsibility. Although there is a burgeoning literatue addressing service learning programs in school subject areas such as language arts, math, science, and social studies, little consideration has been given to the potential of physical activity programs to provide meaningful service learning experiences for youngsters. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data, this article describes an apprentice teacher program in which a group of urban youngsters taught basketball to young children attending a summer sports camp. The apprentice teacher program captured the interests and talents of this group of young people who, in their school career, had been characterized as behavior problems, poor attenders, and low achievers. The experience improved their self-confidence, concern for others, intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, and enthusiasm for learning. The apprentice teachers completed the program aware of the contributions they could make toward helping others and eager to continue the work the following year.