Community service is a voluntary contribution to the commonweal that teaches valuable lessons about the responsibilities of citizenship in a free society. Vital services are provided through thousands of organizations created to meet needs not otherwise provided for by government. Participation in these community service projects help create a sense of concern for the public good and a commitment to voluntarism so essential to the future of the United States. Students at every level of school can participate in these projects and thus learn many social studies skills, including data gathering, critical thinking, and decision making. Community service programs also teach civic participation processes and skills, including group interaction, leadership, cooperation, and political influence. Service activities build positive bonds between youth and the institutions of our society and strengthen student academic performance and self-esteem. Service brings together students from diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups. Fourteen characteristics of exemplary community service programs are cited, including the principles that: (1) community service must meet genuine needs; (2) it must have real consequences; and (3) it must require significant personal responsibility and decision making. Five nationally recognized school-based programs are given as examples of ongoing community service programs that teachers and curriculum specialists might study. A 13-item bibliography is included. (JB)