100% of City Academy students participate in service learning. Service learning is more than volunteering; it is another means of accomplishing big learning. Service learning combines service tasks with structured learning opportunities that link the task to self-reflection and self-discovery and the acquisition and comprehension of knowledge, ideas, values, and skills.

At City Academy service learning is required for graduation. Students have opportunities to participate in school sponsored service learning in at least four different ways.

• Student service learning committees provide service for the school community while providing students the opportunity to learn about the area of service they are providing. 

• Academic service learning opportunities arise in classes across the curriculum when a controversy or issue emerges from the course of study. Students learn about this multifaceted concern and are then asked to develop a solution or resolution to the issue based on their study. Students perform a service when they communicate their solutions to those in our community directly dealing with the issue, or when they take action themselves on the issue.

• 11th and 12th grade students participate in internship placements of their choosing in non-profit or government organizations in the community. Students learn about the causes and issues of the organization within which they are serving. The student intern then helps the organization implement some of the interventions they have helped develop.

• Each year there are also several whole school service learning activities where the student body learns more about a particular community need and then acts to help resolve it.