Objectives. Though many decry the decline in political participation and in
terest, few academic studies present a clear approach to help reverse these
trends. This paper examines the impact of service-learning programs on stu
dents' self-concept, political engagement, and attitudes toward out-groups.
Methods. The data come from a pre and post survey given to more than 200 h
igh school students in 10 different schools. We use Huber regression to ass
ess the impact of student voice in the service-learning project on six depe
ndent variables. Results. We show that if students are involved in service-
learning projects in which they have a high degree of voice and ownership,
their self-concept and political engagement will improve, and they become m
ore tolerant toward out-groups, Conclusion. In short, having a voice in ser
vice-learning programs builds citizenship.