Service Learning Commons^™

Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 1997-2002, Corporation For National Service

Service Learning, General

Created in 1993, the Corporation for National Service is a public-private partnership that oversees three national service initiatives - AmeriCorps, which includes AmeriCorps*VISTA, AmeriCorps*National Civilian Community Corps and hundreds of local and national nonprofits; Learn and Serve America, which provides models and assistance to help teachers integrate service and learning from kindergarten through college; the National Senior Service Corps, which includes the Foster Grandparent Program, the Senior Companions Program, and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).

A Curriculum Addressing Issues Of Hunger And Food Security For Minnesota Youth, Fighting Hunger In Minnesota

Curriculum

Children have an incredible capacity for understanding the problems of other children, but often lack the opportunities to participate in the solutions. In order to provide children with that opportunity, Hunger Partners of Minnesota has produced "Kids for Kids: Fighting Hunger in Minnesota." "Kids for Kids" is designed to help children develop an awareness about hunger, understand the extent of the problem in their community and state, and motivate them to respond to their community's needs.

Health Professions Schools In Service To The Nation, Sherril B. Gelmon, Barbara A. Holland

Conference Proceedings

The Health Professions Schools in Service to the Nation (HPSISN) program challenges health professions educational institutions to integrate community service into curricula and to promote student understanding of the social responsibility and public purposes of their chosen profession. With support from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Corporation for National Service, the HPSISN program began in 1995 in 20 demonstration sites, which were funded to integrate service learning into professional programs of study for entry into the health professions.

Intergenerational Service Topic Bibliography, Robin Vue Benson, Robert D. Shumer, Madeleine S. Hengel, Craig Hollander

Bibliographies

America is changing. More of our citizens are moving into the "senior" portions of their lives. Within twenty years, a significant segment of our population will be retired or nearing retirement. With this retirement comes a tendency to live in retirement communities, separated from mainstream society. At the same time, our youth are experiencing greater isolation from adult life and from interaction with older individuals. Because of our mobile population, many children grow up today without regular contact with a grandparent or an older adult.

This scenario suggests that there is perhaps no greater need in our society than to …

Intergenerational Service Topic Bibliography, Robin Vue-Benson, Robert Shumer

Bibliographies

America is changing. More of our citizens are moving into the "senior" portions of their lives. Within twenty years, a significant segment of our population will be retired or nearing retirement. With this retirement comes a tendency to live in retirement communities, separated from mainstream society. At the same time, our youth are experiencing greater isolation from adult life and from interaction with older individuals. Because of our mobile population, many children grow up today without regular contact with a grandparent or an older adult. This scenario suggests that there is perhaps no greater need in our society than to …

Teaching The Presidential Elections: A Social Studies/Service Learning Teaching Unit For The Middle Grades, Lisa M. Greco

Curriculum

Teaching the Presidential Elections by Lisa M. Greco is the first in a series of exemplary curriculum units on social studies and service learning developed by public school teachers and compiled by the Eastern Regional Information Center, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The idea for a series of curriculum units came from the National Service Learning Cooperative and the K-12 Learn and Serve America Clearinghouse who are affiliated with the ERIC Clearinghouse on Social Studies and Social Science Education. Both organizations wanted to showcase models of integrating service learning into history and social studies classes in elementary and …

Women's History Through Quilting, Tricia J. Lea

Curriculum

Women's History Through Quilting by Tricia J. Lea is the second in a series of exemplary curriculum units on social studies and service learning developed by public school teachers and compiled by the Eastern Regional Information Center, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The idea for a series of curriculum units came from the National Service Learning Cooperative and the K-12 Learn and Serve America Clearinghouse who are affiliated with the ERIC Oearinghouse on Social Studies and Social Science Education. Both organizations wanted to showcase models of integrating service learning into history and social studies classes in elementary and …

Empowerment In Student Teaching Through Community Service Learning, Rahima C. Wade

Higher Education

The student teaching experience is probably the most influential phase of preservice teachers' development within a teacher education program (Burstein, 1992; Griffin, 1989). In particular, the relationship between the cooperating teacher and student teacher plays a critical role in student teachers' success. Preservice teachers are generally instructed to "do as I do" by their cooperating teachers. Thus, student teachers often find little opportunity to try out strategies they have learned in their university methods courses unless the practices are already in place in cooperating teachers' classrooms. In addition, few researchers have attempted to discern how to enhance preservice teachers' abilities …

Toward An Integrated, Whole Community Model Of Dropout Prevention, Michael Baizerman, Donald Compton

Partnerships/Community

As part of a statewide evaluation of dropout prevention programs in Virginia, survey data were collected statewide from school district dropout prevention coordinators. Ninety-four of the 103 school divisions (91 %) receiving state funds for dropout prevention responded to the survey. In addition, school staff were interviewed as part of a case study of seven schools to identify approaches to improving parent and community involvement, and focus groups were conducted with community agency representatives and parents. The interview data were analyzed using Joyce Epstein's model (see Table I) which organizes practical actions and likely outcomes for five types of parent …

Educational Policy Through Service Learning: Preparation For Citizenship And Civic Participation, Susan G. Forman, Louise C. Wilkinson

Civic Engagement

This article describes a course designed to prepare undergraduate students to participate effectively in civic life and in public decisions about education and schooling. The course includes an examination of the theoretical and conceptual basics of civic responsibility and service learning, and a review of the process of educational policy making, and an in·depth exploration of a number of current educational policy issues. The course is taught with service learning pedagogy. Experiences in a service placement yield personal knowledge that has the potential to inform students' critical analysis of theoretical, research, and policy literature and to make students more effective …

Enhancing The Middle School Curriculum Through Service Learning, Ron Schukar

Curriculum

On a warm April morning, 80 eighth-grade students from North Middle School in Aurora, Colorado, gathered in nearby Sand Creek Park to erect bat houses. "Why bat houses?" a local news reporter asked. "To control the insect population," one of the students answered. "We have reclaimed this park for all the plant and animal species that live here and for the people of our community who want to enjoy the surroundings," another student offered. "Because of the water and foliage, insects, especially mosquitoes, are a problem. We don't want the city to apply insecticides in the park, so we are …

Everyday Democracy: A Study Of Two Teachers' Perspectives On Social Education, Elaine Metherall Brenneman

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

As a nation, we are concerned about the values our children learn in school. Opinions regarding the appropriate educational content and strategies to sustain and improve our democratic country span the political spectrum. The social studies, a field dedicated to the development of good citizens, is especially concerned with values issues in education. Research on citizenship education has primarily focused its interest in the development and assessment of appropriate content and teaching strategies. An important, though often neglected, aspect of social education research is the investigation of teacher perspectives. This study suggests that who a teacher is, what she knows, …

School-Based Service: Reconnecting Schools, Communities, And Youth At The Margin, Joan Schine

Service Learning, General

The sound of gunshots was not particularly unusual in Washington Heights, a section of New York City where drug deals were common and children learned early to be vigilant. But on a late summer day in 1992, the fatal shot came from a police revolver, and it was a Dominican, a drug dealer, who was killed. The ensuing turmoil, born of the immediate crisis but a reflection of the longstanding antagonism between the youth of the neighborhood and the police, soon become a riot. Most of the police in the local precinct were White. The overwhelming majority of the young …

Service Learning As Civic Participation, Todd Clark, Marshall Croddy, William Hayes, Susan Philips

Service Learning, General

A central question in the service learning field is how service can best educate youth for active citizenship. For more than a decade, the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) has struggled with this question. We have introduced and experimented with various service programs because we have seen firsthand the value of service - how it engenders personal efficacy, empathy, and a sense of responsibility.

Service Learning And Democratic Citizenship, Richard Battistoni

Service Learning, General

Over the course of this semester I have become a citizen of New Brunswick. It could be argued that I was a citizen here well before registering for the course, but I did not feel as if I were one. Having taken the course, I now know why I must work for change, and never accept the status quo - things can always be better. I am now aware of what is happening around me. New Brunswick extends beyond the [campus] bus route. It is filled with people who need aid, people who give aid. people who cannot be bothered …

History Of The Service-Learning It Requirement In Maryland, Kathy Megyeri

Service Learning, General

Schools in Maryland have long provided some opportunities for students to volunteer. There have been the usual walk-a-thons, canned-food drives, visits to the elderly, and tree-planting projects. Building on this tradition, in 1985 the Maryland State Board of Education enacted a requirement that all school systems offer courses and programs in community service, open to all students, for elective credit, to provide opportunities for students to reach beyond themselves to help others. Two hundred of Maryland teachers were trained by the state, and during the 198889 school year, over 1,000 students were engaged in community service projects for credit (Maryland …

Theoretical Underpinnings Of Service Learning, Rebecca Lynn Carver

Service Learning, General

Although the merits of service learning frequently rest on how well it can be argued that the programs improve students' academic skills, this is only one of several outcomes that can result from implementing service learning programs. This article introduces readers to the full range of goals that service learning promises to achieve and to the specific principles that can be put into practice in order to meet these goals. Service learning consciously integrates students' experiences into the curriculum. As such it addresses the three major goals of "experiential education": allowing students to become more effective change agents, developing students' …

Beyond 4-H Community Service... To Community Service Learning, Allan T. Smith

Service Learning, General

For more than 70 years Community Service has been an important part of 4-H. So has hands-on, learning-by-doing, that we now call experiential learning. When you put those two ideas together appropriately, the result goes beyond a "feel good" experience: service activities tied closely to what youth are learning positively impact learning, and genuinely help the community.

Individuals With Disabilities Performing Service Topic Bibliography, Robin Vue Benson, Robert D. Shumer, Madeleine S. Hengel, Craig Hollander

Bibliographies

Disabled and special needs populations have frequently been the beneficiaries of service-learning programs. In this revised version of an earlier introduction to service-learning and special needs individuals we add new studies that illustrate the use of service for disabled individuals as both recipients and deliverers of program activity. Our goal is to provide information on the value of service for special needs populations and programs.

The items in this bibliography were obtained through searches of the ERIC database, our own collection of material, and selected websites dealing with special needs programs. These searches have significantly expanded the number of items …

Civic Works, Inc. The Environmental And Pal After School Mentoring Teams - Final Evaluation Report, Allison H. Fine, Jim Baird

Project Summaries

Civic Works is a youth service corps program based in Baltimore, Maryland. The program operates a number of activities in which teams of corps members perform community service work in urban neighborhoods. Several of its teams are funded by AmeriCorps. Civic Works commissioned Innovation Network, Inc. (InnoNet) to design and conduct participatory assessment activities with two of its AmeriCorps service teams: the Environmental Team and PAL After School Mentoring Team.

Peer Tutoring And Mentoring Services For Disadvantaged Secondary School Students, M. Anne Powell

Project Summaries

In 1988, the Congress enacted a one year demonstration program, the Secondary Schools Basic Skills Demonstration Assistance Program, aimed at improving the academic achievement of disadvantaged children with mentoring and peer tutoring services (Pringle, et. al., 1990). The evaluation report prepared upon the completion of this demonstration offers one of the most significant studies of school-based peer tutoring and mentoring in the nation.

Service As A Bridge To Higher Education: Developing Service Learning In Developmental Studies, Elizabeth Bryer, Carol Gish

Higher Education

Though the new and exciting field of service learning has rapidly expanded to kindergarten through college, very little has been said about the appropriateness of service learning for developmental studies (pre-college) level students. Since developmental studies courses have in the past been labeled "remedial," perhaps it has been assumed that these students are not yet ready for the rigors and challenges of service learning. This is the story of one developmental studies department that has found that, on the contrary, service learning is precisely what our students need to help them smooth the sometimes intimidating transition into higher education.

Citizen Participation: A Brief Review Of Resources And Readings, Madeleine S. Hengel, Robert D. Shumer

Bibliographies

The following document is organized for a quick review of Citizen Participation, and is not intended as an endorsement of the programs or organizations listed here. Resources and readings are intended to be a starting point for researchers, practitioners and others who are interested in beginning to look for information on Citizen Participation.

To get more information, look in the resources sections and to read about civic and citizen participation, look in the readings section.

In general, the easiest and least expensive way to have access to the readings and documents is through your local library. Even if you are …

Service-Learning And Evaluation: A Brief Review Of Issues And The Literature, Madeleine S. Hengel, Robert D. Shumer

Bibliographies

One of the most frequently requested topics for information at the National Service-Learning Cooperative Clearinghouse is evaluation. Practitioners want to know what to do and how to do it. Graduate students want to know what has been done and how they can do evaluation. Program administrators want to know how evaluation can assist them in making the case for and expanding service programs.

The good news is there is more than enough information available to answer all these requests. There are literally volumes of work on almost every conceivable aspect of evaluation. The bad news: There is too much information …

Individuals With Disabilities Performing Service Topic Bibliography, Madeleine S. Hengel, Robert D. Shumer

Bibliographies

The following document is organized for a quick review of Citizen Participation, and not intended as an endorsement of the programs or organizations listed here. Resources and readings are intended as a starting point for researchers, practitioners and others who are interested in beginning to look for information on Citizen Participation.

To get more information, look in the resources sections and to read about civic and citizen participation, look in the readings section.

In general, the easiest and least expensive way to have access to the readings and documents is through your local library. Even if you are not near …

School-Sponsored Service Programs And The Educational Development Of High School Students, Andrew Furco

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

Currently, a growing number of our nation's school districts are encouraging students to perform community service. Vermont, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, for example, all include community service activities as part of their K-12 education plans. Maryland requires all high school students to complete 60 hours of community service prior to graduation. And as part of California's Challenge Initiative, it is expected that by the Year 2004, every student in California will engage in at least one community service or service-learning experience prior to graduation (1996, California Department of Education).

Experiential Education - Ex 196, Eileen M. Lewandowski

Syllabi

A planned and evaluated work experience for which the student receives academic credit (and may receive financial remuneration). The work experience may be related to the student's major or be exploratory in nature. One credit may be awarded for each 40 hours of work experience. The course may be repeated for a maximum of six (6) credits and is available on a Pass/Fail basis only.

International Service Learning, Harry C. Silcox, Torun E. Leek

International Service Learning & Community Engagement

It is clear that a network of international service learning is in its formative stage, the authors point out. We must not allow the politics of service programs in the U.S. to blind us to the opportunities in other parts of the world that will enable us to advance the theory and ideology of service learning.

Student Participation In Community Service Activity, National Center For Education

School K-12

Increasing community service participation has long been a goal in the United States. Some examples of how this goal has played out in national policy are President Kennedy’s creation of the Peace Corps, President Bush’s creation of the Points of Light Foundation, President Clinton’s creation of AmeriCorps, and Congress’ adoption of the National Education Goals, which include the objective that all students will be involved in activities that promote and demonstrate good citizenship and community service. In part, the push for volunteer service reflects the idea that the act of volunteering would be beneficial to those who participate and might …

The Use Of Grand Assessments In K-12 Service-Learning Research, Andrew Furco

Evaluation/Reflection

Findings from most studies on the impacts of service-learning on K-12 students tend to be based on one assessment too/focusing on one construct (e.g., self-esteem, civic participation, etc.). While conventional research wisdom tells us that this approach is more statistically stable, it does not seem to be adequate for studying service-learning programs. Both service-learning and experiential education researchers face several dilemmas in determining the effects of service-learning activities on students' educational development. The idiosyncratic nature of the program activities, the lack of well-tested assessment instruments, the confounding influences on students learning, etc., make service-learning research a challenging and difficult endeavor. …