A basket, a smile. Values education in non-formal education through service-learning

Abstract

Sports activities are one of the main sources of non-formal education. The large number of participants, as well as the motivation with which they come, provide an ideal context in which to achieve a comprehensive education. This requires a deliberate approach, as it is well known that sport does not educate in itself. At the sport academy La Fábrica de Valores of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, as part of its socio-emotional education training programme, a service-learning experience was developed with the participation of 19 adolescents from the U16 boys' and girls' teams. Based on a proposal with the intention of raising funds for the Khanimambo Foundation (Praia de Xai-Xai, Mozambique), the objective was to develop the values aligned with the club's identity of solidarity, empathy, cooperation and responsibility through the service-learning methodology. The results of this practical and innovative experience in a non-formal educational context include the participants' feeling of personal satisfaction in helping others and the development of empathy, solidarity and cooperation. It is suggested that some of the numerous volunteering actions carried out in schools and sports clubs should be configured following a service-learning methodology in order to consolidate the learning of values and attitudes.