Service Learning. Educators are learning that what kids do outside the classroom can greatly improve their behavior during the regular school day. Kids involved in effective out-of-school programs tend to do a better job of staying on task and avoiding fights in school, research suggests. Schools that offer service-learning, after-school, and mentoring programs are finding that the some of students' most critical learning experiences often take place outside the classroom. Combining elements of such tested educational practices as experiential education and student-centered learning, service learning emphasizes problem solving, critical thinking, and independent judgment. from New Attitude: Linking Kids to the Larger Community Can Turn Lives Around