Community Participation Making a Difference

Purpose Learning through experience can be the most powerful learning of all This requirement gives students the opportunity to actually experience the concepts learned in school.

Acceptable Activities Read the list in the instructions carefully The amount of “event credit” is determined by the amount of participation Please check BEFORE you participate in an activity to be sure it will count

Unacceptable Activities “Nice thing to do, but nothing to do with class.” This is the determining factor used to declare an activity acceptable or not We are not discouraging you from doing “nice” things, but they do not allow you to “experience” class concepts

Unacceptable Examples Volunteering at your church, the hospital, or your kindergarten teacher’s classroom are very “nice” things to do, but they do not connect to any learning from Government or Economics

Acceptable Example Attending a protest or gathering petitions for the upcoming elections Organizing a meeting or event that relates directly to class information Starting a club on campus to fight drug use, ease traffic at lunch/after school, or…… All these examples go beyond being a good person and involve concepts relevant to your classes

Level 1 – Sit and Watch School Board Meeting – 1 credit City Council – 1 credit Home Owners Association – 1 credit Town Hall meeting – 1 credit Commission meeting – 1 credit School Site Council meeting – 1 credit Above activities = 6 credits

Level 2 Example - Participate City Hall meeting and write letter – 2 credits Amnesty International Presentation and letter writing campaign – 2 credits Community meeting – attend and ask a question of the speaker – 2 credits Above events = 6 credits

Level 3 – Creating Change – Host/Organize Example – Joining a Committee that want to stop Teenage Alcohol Abuse and create awareness. Student helps organize events, town hall meeting, speaks to City Council and works with police department. Provides to teacher ongoing activity evidence. Above event = 6 credits

Level 3 Examples- Form your own group Sticker Shock - Stop underage access Teens and Alcohol – Town Hall Forum Restaurant patio - anti-smoking Solutions for Change – Adopt a Family for Holidays /Research Poverty Parking Lot Safety – A lesson in beauracracy.

Level #3 – Join a group and get involved Youth Coalitions from City government Surfrider Foundation Amnesty Internation Adelante Mujer – Empowering young women Elac Meetings Other? What is your interest/passion?

Negatives It takes some of your time you would most likely use some other way It can be boring depending on what you choose It can be stressful, especially for those of you who wait until the last minute

Positives Become a part of something you never knew was available Understand class concepts better because you “saw” them with your own eyes Make contacts for Letters of Recommendation Use hours as examples, concrete details in other classwork

Honesty and Integrity Expectations on Conduct at events Lateness, Cell phones, homework, sleeping, talking to your peers are not acceptable at events. This seems obvious, but it happens. Cheating – forging signatures or not attending the activity you said you had attended is not acceptable. Cheating – results in an automatic failing of the project AND the class.

Websites www.rbvhs.org or ranchosocialstudies.org Go to Social Studies site and print out your own copies of Community Participation forms. Teacher websites – check regularly on your teacher’s website – new activities may be listed. However, ultimately, up to you to find events!

And finally…this can be fun and rewarding! Try to choose events that mean something to you. Go prepared to your events. Go on mapquest or google maps for directions. Look up the agenda to a meeting prior to attending meeting. Ask teachers when you need clarity! Share with others what you learn!

Pick the right thing. Don’t settle.