Service Learning Commons^™

Assessing The Impact Of The Kids Consortium Kids Living Democracy And First Year Kidscan Programs: First Year Findings, Center For Youth And Communities

Project Summaries

KIDS Consortium is a New England based non-profit organization that works with teachers, administrators and students to involve students in addressing real challenges faced by their communities. It provides tools and training around its KIDS As Planners service-learning model for educators and community organizations, and conducts student Apprentice Citizenship leadership programs. Together teachers and students identify, research, and work to address local community needs. KIDS provides funding, guidance and training to teachers who match community projects to school curricula, with the ultimate goal of promoting positive outcomes for students, teachers, schools and communities.

Preparing Community-Oriented Teachers: Reflections From A Multicultural Service-Learning Standpoint, Marilynne Boyle-Baise

Diversity

The Banneker History Project (BHP) reconstructed the history of a local, segregated school. The Benjamin Banneker School served African American youth from 1913 to 1951. Oral histories from surviving alumni as well as primary documents from the times were sought. This article focuses on ways that one group of participants, 24 preservice teachers of color. experienced and interpreted the BHP. Data are reported in response to three questions: (a) Whose community does service learning serve? (b) What meanings do preservice teachers make of culturally responsive teaching? and (c) Does a community orientation count in teacher education? The author reflects on …

Youth Helping America - Building Active Citizens: The Role Of Social Institutions In Teen Volunteering, Corporation For National And Community Service

School K-12

At a time when many are worried that the United States is experiencing a general decline in civic and political engagement, volunteering appears particularly strong among today’s young people. While volunteering is just one form of community involvement, research has shown that it is often connected to other forms of engagement, and, among youth, volunteering plays a valuable role in shaping how youth learn to interact with their community and develop the skills, values, and sense of empowerment necessary to become active citizens.

Inside Unlv, Suzan Dibella, Gian Galassi, Carol C. Harter, Mamie Peers, Holly Ivy De Vore, Regina Bacolas, Cate Weeks

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Learning To Give: Final Evaluation Report Overview & Recommendations (2004-2005), Michigan State University

Higher Education

The Learning to Give project has evolved considerably from its inception nearly a decade ago. From an almost exclusive concern with helping children understand philanthropy and their potential role in it, the project has broadened its focus to include helping children learn how to contribute positively across all aspects of civil society. The earlier years were necessarily focused on creating and testing curricular lessons; more recently the emphasis has fallen on disseminating those tested materials and encouraging their adoption in more schools. In the last two years the project has begun to expand beyond Michigan and currently is establishing itself …

Service Learning: Strategies For Developing Character, Catherine Berger Kaye

Special Topics, General

Simply put, service learning connects school-based curriculum with the inherent caring and concern young people have for their world-whether on their school campus, at a local food bank, or in a distant rainforest. With the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, young students are especially attuned to how we as a nation, truly rely on the spirit and actions of volunteers to bring both essentials for daily living and to restore hope.

Character, Civic Renewal And Service Learning For Democratic Citizenship In Higher Education, John Annette

Civic Engagement

This article explores the civic republican conception of citizenship underlying the Labour government's programme of civil renewal and the introduction of education for democratic citizenship. It considers the importance of the cultivation of civic virtue through political participation for such developments and it reviews the research into how service teaming linked to character education can lead to the civic virtue of duty or social responsibility.

服務研習計劃簡訊第三期 Office Of Service-Learning Newsletters, Volume 3, Office Of Service-Learning, Lingnan University

SLant 嶺召

在今期通訊中，課程導師、機構代表，以及學生分別分享了他們對推行服務研習計劃的感想 (只有中文)

In this issue, course instructors, service agency supervisors and students share their impression on the implementation of Service-Learning and Research Scheme (Chinese ONLY)

Quo Vadis: What Can Students Do For American Cities?, Harris Wofford

Special Topics, General

The experience of service learning can be deeply rewarding, whether the service rendered is voluntary or a required part of the curriculum; whether it is part-time or full-time (as it is in most programs of national service); whether it takes place in the community where the college or university is located, in a student's home community, or in other parts of the country-- or overseas in the peace Corps.

Becoming Culturally Responsive Teachers Through Service-Learning: A Case Study Of Five Novice Classroom Teachers, Elinor L. Brown, Bobby R. Howard

Service Learning, General

In the effort to augment teacher candidate education beyond text-based direct instruction, universities and teacher preparation programs are incorporating more field-based interactions through which teacher candidates can master skills and reinforce pedagogy through experience. The term "service-learning" was first used by the Southern Regional Education Board in 1969 to describe "the accomplishment of tasks that meet genuine human needs in combination with conscious educational growth" (Staton, Giles & Cruz, 1999).

Paying The Bills Is Not Just Theory: Service Learning About A Living Wage, Nina Banks, Geoffrey Schneider, Paul Susman

Higher Education

This article discusses how to combine service learning, and spccifica!Iy a living wage research project, with radical political economy-based undergraduate economics courses to promote critical thinking, civic engagement, and active learning in students. The authors explore how instructors can integrate service learning into the teaching of political economy. In addition, the article describes the authors' experiences with living wage projects that they have implemented. The article makes the argument that the combination of experiential learning and political economics enriches the course experience for students significantly, leaving a much more lasting impression on students than a standard economics class.

The Impact Of Participation In Service-Learning On High School Students' Civic Engagement, Shelley Billig, Susan Root, Dan Jesse

School K-12

Recent evidence suggests that there is a growing problem of civic disengagement among youth in the United States. Young people in high school report having little interest in civic and political affairs and little knowledge of or trust in the political system (Levine & Lopez, 2002; National Commission on Service-Learning, 2001; Rahm & Transue, 1998; Torney-Purta, 2002). Results from a recent poll indicate that many young people do not feel they can make a difference, solve problems in their communities, or have a meaningful impact on politics or government (Lake Snell Perry & Associates and The Tarrance Group, Inc, 2002). …

Student Nurses Participate In Public Health Research And Practice Through A School-Based Screening Program, Christine A. Bronsan, Sandra L. Upchurch, Janet C. Meininger, Lynne E. Hester, Gwen Jonson, Mona A. Eissa

Service Learning, General

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions among children in minority populations, placing them at risk for diabetes and hypertension. The importance of educating a generation of nurses who have the knowledge, skills, and passion to address this public health need is crucial to the profession and to America's health. This article describes the use of a Community Partnership Model to frame baccalaureate nursing students' (B.S.N.) service learning within the context of a research study to screen middle- and high-school students for health risks. The missions of education, research, and practice are linked together in the model by three processes: evidence-based practice, …

The Banneker History Project: Historic Investigation Of A Once Segregated School, Marilynne Boyle-Baise, Paul Binford

Special Topics, General

The Banneker History Project was a service learning project in which students investigated the history of the Benjamin Banneker School, a segregated school that operated from 1915-1951 in a Midwestern college community. This article discusses the research these students conducted and the perceptions they adopted as a result of their work.

Inform And Influence: Advocating For Service-Learning - A Step-By-Step Guide, National Service-Learning Partnership, National Center For Learning And Citizenship

Guides

This guide is for people who believe that service-learning should be a part of every young person's education and who want to contribute effectively to expanding the use of service-learning.

Whose World Is This?, Jayne R. Beilke

Higher Education

As. defined by critical theorists, critical multicultural education requires the development of a critical consciousness (conscientization). The elements of critical consciousness include dialogue, problem-posing, and the exploration of generative themes such as race, class, and gender. The formation of a partnership between university students and a community nonprofit, youth-serving agency, can be a powerful catalyst in the development of critical multicultural consciousness.

This article describes an on-going partnership between university secondary education majors in a multicultural education class and the local Boys and Girls Club. It draws upon student reflective journals to illustrate the process of developing critical multicultural consciousness …

Service Learning And Faculty Involvement, Peter A. Maresco

WCBT Faculty Publications

This paper begins with an overview of service learning programs at colleges of business and specifically details faculty/student involvement in the service learning process at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT. and its positioning with regard to other similar programs. The paper also highlights three specific areas of program differentiation; its Problem Based Service Learning program, a Community Based Service Learning program nationally recognized by Campus Compact, and a globally focused service learning program established between its students in the College of Business and students in an elementary school in Nepal.

Developing Civically Rich Culminating Projects, Project Service Leadership

School K-12

The Culminating Project is a new graduation requirement that has been passed by the State Board of Education. The graduating class of 2008 will need to complete these projects in order to receive a regular diploma from Washington state. By adopting a state-wide graduation requirement of a Culminating Project for all high school graduates, the State Board of Education has provided a new and challenging opportunity for students across the state to realize the vision articulated by Washington state’s education reform law.

Inside Unlv, Erin O'Donnell, Carol C. Harter, Cate Weeks, Nancy Syzdek

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Fostering Educational Resilience And Achievement In Urban Schools Through School-Family Community Partnerships, Julia Bryan

Partnerships/Community

In this era of education reform, school counselors are among educators being held accountable for the academic achievement of minority and poor children, School counselors in urban schools serve a disproportionate number of minority and poor children at risk for school failure. Urban school counselors can play critical roles in engaging their school's stakeholders in implementing partnership programs that foster student achievement and resilience. This article discusses team facilitator, collaborator, and advocacy roles and strategies for urban school counselors and specific types of partnership programs they need to promote to foster academic achievement and resilience in minority and poor students.

Democratic Service Learning, Lew Allen, Kathy Thompson

Civic Engagement

The ultimate purpose of American public education is to help students learn how to be compassionate, problem-solving citizens in a democratic society. It is the job of schools to help each generation envision a better future and acquire the dispositions, skills, and experiences to make this vision a reality. Our youngest citizens need a democratic education, for which service-learning is an indispensable element.

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Moving Left, Robert Gottlieb, Regina Freer

Regina Freer

No abstract provided.

Fostering An Environmental Ethic Through Service Learning, Amie Eisenhut, Diana Flannery

Special Topics, General

Objective: To explore connections between environmental education, public concern for environmental health, and service learning. Methods: A 20-item survey was administered to same students at the beginning and end of a 15-week Environmental Health course. Qualitative data were collected from reflective papers based on students involved in community based learning. Results: The findings of the study revealed that students grew in their sense of environmental responsibility; significantly increased their "level of concern" for 18 of the 20 environmental variables measured; and viewed community action as empowering. Conclusion: Students' participation in an Environmental Health course and engagement …

The Use Of Service-Learning In Emergency Management, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Special Topics, General

Service-learning is an educational approach that offers distinct advantages for emergency management higher education. Service-learning marries educational objectives with practice environments in such a way that the student, the university, and the community all benefit. "Real world" contexts and emphases on critical thinking, problem solving, ref1ection, application and interpersonal skills enrich learning about emergency management.

Make The School Board Your Ally, Sheldon H. Berman

Special Topics, General

To survive and grow in a school district, service-learning must be supported by the district's school board and embedded in district policy. Because today's school boards are focused on standards, testing, and accountability, advocates have to convince them that service-learning is an important vehicle for achieving both district and wider social goals. In preparing this article, I asked Hudson school committee members (in Massachusetts, a school board is called a school committee) to share their views about how advocates can gain support from their boards to promote service-learning at the district level.

Motivating Students Through Project-Based Service Learning, Melanie Bradford

Special Topics, General

In a survey conducted by an independent evaluator for the California High School Exit Examination, the state's teachers reported that student motivation was the greatest limitation on teachers' effectiveness (Human Resources Research Organization 2003). Because a lack of encouragement is also a primary reason for high student dropout rates, this article will offer proven strategies for addressing the issue of student motivation.

National Service: A Resource For Faith-Based And Community Groups, Corporation For National And Community Service

Special Topics, General

The Corporation for National and Community Service provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country, primarily through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs.Together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to build a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility in America.Through access to human capital, grant funding, training and technical assistance, and other resources, we can help increase your organization’s capacity to deliver innovative solutions for communities.

All of us have something to share that can make our communities and our nation stronger.

We hope this booklet …

Studying The Historical Jesus Through Service, Alicia Batten

Service Learning, General

Service learning pedagogy often assumes a variety of forms when connected with classroom teaching. Through a creative use of service learning pedagogy, the author constructs learning designs that foster student engagement with course content and prompts interrelated connections between the subjects and their own service learning experiences. The author highlights the importance of setting a context for service learning through creating activities linked to learning goals, integrating service learning components with classroom teaching methods, and proactively engaging student apathy, resistance, and faith perspectives through specific assignments that combine experience, analysis, and subject matter. The course described in this essay directly …

Sharing Your National Service Story: A Guide To Working With The Media, Corporation For National And Community Service

Service Learning, General

Running a national service program is more than a full-time job. Between developing projects, recruiting volunteers, managing finances, seeking resources, and filling out paperwork, it may feel like there’s no time to do anything else. With all the things a busy program manager has to do, you may wonder: “Why should I care about media coverage, and can it really help me?”

Transportation Mural, Cesar Chavez Foundation

Project Summaries

10th-12th grade identified graffiti as one of the main problems in their community; in order to combat this in a creative way the students decided to paint a mural to discourage tagging. As a part of the Transportation Academy at Franklin High School their mural depicted a timeline of transportation in the American West—from walking, to horses, to trains, and finally the local Gold Line Metro rail. The students partnered with a local mural artist to create a vibrant and colorful mural. 100 students participated in the design and painting and so far the wall has remained graffiti-free.