I learned that service projects need to be authentic, not busywork--students should be applying their technical skills in ways that actually benefit the community. The bus transformation project was a good reminder that service can be real work, not just a canned activity.
I plan to look at our existing service projects and ask whether they're genuinely building skills or just checking a box. I'm also going to involve students more in selecting and planning--they'll buy in more if they have ownership.