This article compares the English tradition of active citizenship education with the US tradition of service learning. It starts by outlining service learning and noting some of the defining characteristics as well as some of the tensions. It then discusses the model of active citizenship that has been promoted in England's secondary school curriculum, considering how this has been defined and how it has been implemented. The two traditions are then compared to highlight the substantial areas of overlap between the two models, sharpen some of the distinctions and consider why there have been limited connections between them in practice. This discussion raises several issues that link to foundational questions about the nature, scope and purpose of citizenship education which are discussed in relation to the changed political context in England after the establishment of the coalition government.