Service Learning Commons^™

Excellence In Service-Learning Practice, National Service-Learning Partnership

Conference Proceedings

Report of a conference to improve and make consistent high-quality service-learning practice across all K-12 schools and youth organizations.

Homelessness Service-Learning Project, Cesar Chavez Foundation

Project Summaries

11th grade U.S. history students determined that homelessness was a problem in their community. The project partner was the Los Angeles Mission, a multi-service homeless service center in Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. The Mission was in great need of socks, underwear, and toiletries, so prior to volunteering at the Mission the students held a drive at school and collected more than 30 boxes full of these items. We hand-delivered the items on the day of our field trip to the Mission. Students and teachers spent 2.5 hours working in the morning doing tasks such as folding clothes, cleaning, …

Model Chavez Service-Learning Project, Cesar Chavez Foundation

Project Summaries

The Volunteer Center of Orange County and 4th grade teachers from Santa Ana, Newport and other parts of Orange County worked together to develop the “Educating the Heart” Cesar E. Chavez service-learning project. The “Educating the Heart” project is a multi-faceted service-learning experience that supports the Academic Curriculum and provides 4th grade students with a unique hands-on perspective of California History. This experience brings to life Cesar E. Chavez, his values, and his efforts to reform conditions for migrant farm workers in California. Using service as a vehicle for learning, students will also gain a sense of civic responsibility and …

7th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Walk, Cesar Chavez Foundation

Project Summaries

K-12 students throughout Los Angeles County learn about Cesar E. Chavez and the Farm Worker Movement through age appropriate in-class curricula, student activities, and video presentations. Students learn about the living and working conditions of migrant farm workers, the importance of agricultural, and current efforts to bring about changes in the lives of migrant farm workers. Students then plan school-based assemblies and events, including student-generated art, theater, spoken word, music etc. to educate the entire school about the contributions of Cesar E. Chavez and other important civil rights leaders and to get students involved in the 7th Annual Cesar E. …

Recycling Service-Learning Project, Cesar Chavez Foundation

Curriculum

11th grade students identified needs related to excess campus trash and a school budget crisis. They chose to tackle both issues by expanding South Gates recycling program. Students partnered with the LA Conservation Corps recycling programto set-up a large recycling bin, arrange for pick-up and disposal, and generate proceeds for school improvement. The students were responsible for a major education campaign on campus as well as the logistics of the project including the location of the recycling bin. The education campaign included: making and distributing posters and flyers, classroom and PowerPoint presentations on recycling, intercom announcements, and information on the …

Food Quality And Food Choice Project, Cesar Chavez Foundation

Curriculum

Students at Southgate High School identified school improvement as a pressing need. Students chose to focus specifically on the dissatisfaction with food served on campus. Students developed a campus wide survey to report on improvements that can be made in food service as well as healthy food alternatives in cafeteria and vending machines. Students also learned about the value of good nutrition and the lack of quality and fresh food available in low-income communities of color.

Community Service Work-Study Program (Cswsp) Student Handbook - For Student Employees 2005-2006, Center For Service And Learning At Oberlin College

Curriculum

This document contains: Introduction; Community Service Partners; Financial Information; Training; Student Resources; Frequently Asked Questions; and Contact Information.

Community-Campus Partnerships For Economic Development: Community Perspectives, Anna Afshar

Partnerships/Community

What are community representatives saying about the value of community-campus partnerships (CCPs) for promoting economic development? CCPs are playing an increasingly visible role in neighborhood revitalization. More and more, we in the Community Affairs Unit of the Federal Reserve System find ourselves reporting on the outcomes of these collaborations. While community-campus engagements offer potential benefits for both communities and academic institutions, it has become clear to us that there is a shortage of narrative and analytical work clarifying how well these partnerships operate from the community perspective. This paper aims to help fill that gap.

Partners In Community Service, William Lucci

Partnerships/Community

Making a community connection is part of "The Stafford Way" at Vermont's Stafford Technical Center.

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?”

The Philadelphia Story: A Guide To Service-Learning System Building, Kenny Holdsman, David Tuchmann

Guides

In June 1998, the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia passed a resolution mandating that all students demonstrate citizenship competencies by completing a service-learning project for promotion to grades 5 and 9 and for high school graduation. This resolution, part of Children Achieving–– Philadelphia’s education reform plan––launched an initiative supporting service-learning practice on an unprecedented scale for one school district.

Four years later, the District had formed partnerships with over 250 community agencies, trained 2,400 teachers in the philosophy and methodology of service-learning, and leveraged approximately $20 million per year in financial and in-kind resources to support …

Perceived Effects Of A Correctional Health Education Service-Learning Program, John Amtmann

Higher Education

The Montana State Prison (MSP) Wellness Program was designed to provide educational and service activities to male inmates for the purpose of improving health status and increasing knowledge on significant health issues relevant to contemporary society. The Applied Health students at Montana Tech of the University of Montana aided in the delivery of the MSP Wellness Program. These services and activities were designed to meet the goals of Healthy People 2010, a national prevention agenda written in a collaborative fashion by governmental agencies and highly regarded health educators.

Journal- Based Reflection In Undergraduate Service Learning And The University Therapeutic Riding Center, A. A. Pyle, H. A. Brady, D. E. Lawver, C. L. Akers, N. T. Cepica

Evaluation/Reflection

Principles of Therapeutic Riding, Animal Science 3309, is a service- based learning course that gives undergraduates the opportunity to participate in hippotherapy sessions. This course first offered in 1998, has been held for 12 semesters. A total of 233 students from over 15 majors have been trained in this discipline. Advanced Therapeutic Riding, Animal Science 4001, is a continuation of the Principles class that allows students to participate in the sessions and serve in leadership roles. This class has been active for 8 semesters and has included 51 students.

The Institutionalization Of Service-Learning As A Pedagogical Tool For Campus Engagement At Public Versus Private Higher Education Institutions, Gwenda R. Greene

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

Historically, higher education institutions have charged departments such as Academic Affairs with students' academic growth, and Student Affairs with their social and emotional development. Where and how these two come together to engage the holistic development of students will differ widely among institutions. This research premise was to investigate a method that could help bridge Academic Affairs and Student Affairs areas. A comprehensive review of the literature on educational reforms in higher education delineates service-learning as an innovative pedagogy for impacting the holistic development of students while enhancing the scholarship of engagement throughout the institutions. This research outlines theories, principles, …

The Third Way, Richard M. Freeland

Higher Education

Liberal education and professional education have traditionally been considered opposites. According to received academic wisdom, students seeking broad exposure to the arts and sciences should not be burdened with acquiring workplace skills, and students preparing for careers in fields such as business and engineering should not be diverted by more than a token engagement with "irrelevant" liberal arts content.

Storm Water Management For Society And Nature Via Service Learning, Ecological Engineering And Ecohydrology, Theodore A. Endreny

Higher Education

A framework for urban storm-water management that moves beyond flood control to improve societal and ecological services will maximize the functions and benefits of water resources management. Theoretical constructs for such work originate from the integration of ecological engineering, ecohydrology and service learning paradigms. Implementation consists of simulating, monitoring and reporting how storm-water design decisions to infiltrate or directly discharge runoff result in a complex set of linked adjustments to the dynamics of the water table, soil chemistry concentrations, plant stress/viability, terrestrial habitat, river loads/flows, and aquatic habitat patterns. Coordination of a socio-ecological-based urban storm-water management programme is discussed using …

Service Learning In An Fcs Core Curriculum: A Community-Campus Collaboration, Carol Friesen, Sue H. Whitaker, Kay Piotrowicz

Partnerships/Community

The new core for the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Ball State University was designed to provide students with a better understanding of the integrative nature of the family and consumer sciences (FCS) profession. The resultant 9-credit core includes an introductory course, a capstone course, and one student-selected course. The content in the introductory class centers around the conceptual framework and cross-cutting threads described by Baugher et al. (2000) in the "Body of Knowledge for Family and Consumer Sciences." Topics covered in the course include professional ethics, public policy, technology, systems theory, critical thinking, diversity, communication skills, global …

Recent Dissertations On Service And Service-Learning Topics: Volume Iii (2001-2003), Katrina Norvell

Bibliographies

Bibliographic information for 127 dissertations on service learning topics.

Middle School Service-Learning Instructional Framework, Maryland State Department Of Education

Curriculum

Students have enormous energy, enthusiasm, and intelligence that they will devote to our commlll1ities when they are asked and given the opportunity. Schools are now doing the asking and they are creating opportunities, both in courses and as part of their extracurricular activities. Students have weather stripped and rehabilitated houses and tended animals at the zoo. They have planted marsh grass to save the Chesapeake Bay and tested streams for pollutants. They have created plays about drug and alcohol abuse and put on fashion shows for senior citizens. These are not simply nice things to do. They contribute to an …

Service Learning And International Business Education, Ilan Alon

Intergenerational

In recent years, business schools have come under increasing scrutiny for teaching relevant and practical skills to their students. Experiential and service learning- learning by doing- has been one area in which business schools were able to complement their traditional classes to enhance their students' learning outcomes. International business is an area in which the growth of experiential learning has been slow. This paper seeks to explain a unique model for providing international business experience to MBA students using a high-ranking small MBA program in Florida as a case study.

Impact Of Service Learning On Physical Therapist Students' Knowledge Of And Attitudes Toward Older Adults And On Their Critical Thinking Ability, Janna Beling

Service Learning, General

As the number and proportion of elderly people rapidly increase in the next few decades, there will be increased demands for physical therapists to work with older clients. Although the availability of physical therapists to work with elderly people will be determined, in part, by their personal preferences,¹ most physical therapists will be routinely required to work with elderly clients and clients' aging family members.² In order to provide effective services, it is imperative that physical therapist students possess adequate knowledge about the aging process and recognize the individuality of older clients, as well as their capacity for …

Service-Learning Projects Enhance Student Learning In Strategic Management Courses, John Angelidis, Igor Tomic, Nabil A. Ibrahim

Service Learning, General

Academia has been criticized for Its supposed isolation from society and its lack of emphasis on practical applications and hands-on experience. Institutions of higher education are responding to this criticism by incorporating experiential service-learning in their curricula. One business course which is particularly appropriate for integrating service-learning into the curriculum is Strategic Management.

Next Steps: A School District's Guide To The Essential Elements Of Service-Learning, Maryland Student Service Alliance, Maryland State Department Of Education

School K-12

We are pleased to share a new tool for service-learning. Next Steps: A School District's Guide to the Essential Elements of Service-Learning is an excellent guide for state level or school district administrators as they create or improve their service-learning program, regardless of their previous experience in service-learning. Students make a tremendous difference in their schools and communities when they are given the opportunity to use their enthusiasm, energy and ideas to problem solve and contribute to the common good.

Maryland was the first state to require that all students participate in service-learning to graduate from public high school. Educators …

The Value Of Work: A Case For Promoting Christian Service Opportunities To College Students, Glenn Bryan

Special Topics, General

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the historical evolution of attitudes toward work, the Protestant work ethic, a Biblical perspective on work, and to provide a rational for why Christian colleges should offer multiple service opportunities for students to help them integrate faith into their everyday lives.

Maryland's Best Practices: An Improvement Guide For School-Based Service-Learning, Maryland Student Service Alliance

Curriculum

We are pleased to present a new tool for service-learning. Students can make a tremendous difference in their schools and communities if they are given the opportunity to use their enthusiasm, energy and ideas.

Maryland is a leader in the field of service-learning. We believe it is important for our students not only to understand the concept of citizenship but also to be good citizens by providing needed service to their communities. Teachers around the state have found service-learning to be a highly effective teaching method, adding relevancy to classroom learning.

As the first state to require that all students …

2004 Service Statistics: The Engaged Campus - Highlights And Trends Of Campus Compact’S Annual Membership Survey, Campus Compact

Higher Education

Campus Compact’s latest annual member survey reveals a strong five-year trend toward increased civic engagement among U.S. colleges and universities, as measured by student service opportunities, faculty participation in service-learning, community partnerships, and campus infrastructures to support service work.

Participatory Research And Service-Learning: A Natural Match For The Community And Campus, Robert Blundo

Higher Education

Integrating academic content and service in the community brought my students a sense of connectedness between classroom learning and their personal lives and the lives of others within the larger community. This is the intent of service-learning, and like many other efforts at service-learning, this experience once again engaged students in terms of academic learning as well as affirming their connectedness to the larger community (Stanton, Giles, & Cruz, 1999). How we as faculty can create a setting for this to occur is always challenging and exciting in terms of the unique and creative ways faculty are making these connections …

Community Partner Guide To Service-Learning & Volunteerism, California State University - Northridge

Higher Education

I am pleased to welcome you to our Community Partner Guide to Service-Learning and Volunteerism at California State University, Northridge. As I stated in my Annual Convocation message this year, we at Cal State Northridge are very proud of our mission, which is to serve the higher educational needs of this region.

Our academic and student service programs help to grow our region’s intellectual capital by providing classes and activities that prepare an educated workforce. We emphasize programs that place our students in the community to learn and then to serve which positions us as a major force in meeting …

Csl Facts 2003/2004: Facts On Community Service Learning In The California State University, California State University

Higher Education

This report includes: The California State University; Commitment to Service; California's Call to Service; Facts and Figures; Service Profiles Across the CSU; and Contact Information