Learn and Serve America

What is Learn and Serve America?

Service of the Corporation of National and Community Service Improves the skills and learning habits of youth Promotes good citizenship What is Learn & Serve America?

What is Service- Learning?

Is a teaching method whereby students learn & develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that is: Conducted in the community Meets the need of that community Service-Learning

Service-Learning: Coming Together Community & School

Is coordinated with the community; Elementary schools; & Secondary schools. Helps foster civic responsibility Service-Learning:

 Is integrated into and enhances the academic curriculum of the students  Provides structured time for students to reflect on the service experience Service-Learning:

Is not Community Service

How can Service Learning help my school?

A national study suggests that effective service learning programs: Improve academic grades Increase attendance in school Develop personal and social responsibility How can Service Learning help my school?

Critical thinking Communication Teamwork Civic responsibility Mathematical reasoning Problem solving Public speaking Vocational skills Students learn

a student who has completed a minimum of seventy-five (75) clock hours of documented community service-learning in grades nine (9) through twelve (12), shall be eligible to receive one (1) academic credit (elective) that may be applied toward graduation. ACT 648/1993

(b) The community service shall be in programs or activities (Non- profits) approved by the State Board of Education and the local school board and shall include preparation, action, and reflection components. (Schools are automatically considered service sites). Supervised by certified staff Act 648 cont

The LRSD Requires…… Students accumulate 60 hours to receive ½ credit towards graduation and they must accumulate 120 hours to receive a full credit.

3 Types of Service Direct Service Activities are person-to-person and may include: –Tutoring, –Peer mediation –Building an environmental classroom or nature trail –Coaching Special Olympics children –Learning and performing plays for the local nursing home

In-Direct Service Activities benefit the community as a whole (i.e. address a need identified by the community) –Organizing a food drive –Organizing and working a community clean- up project –Assisting a local homeless shelter in a community initiative. 3 Types of Service

Advocacy Activities that engage the students in addressing and informing the community on a local, state, or national issues. –Establishing a voter registration campaign –Petitioning the local government to clean up a toxic area near a school –Increasing public knowledge about teen drug abuse –Lobbying the school district or community government to establish a recycling program 3 Types of Service

Education: tutoring; reading partners; peer mediation; design and implement a voter registration campaign or a youth leadership program Public Safety: develop and present violence prevention/conflict resolution; coordinate a crime prevention/public safety fair; install smoke alarms in the homes of senior adults or local homeless shelters; eliminate graffiti in the community by painting in its place a mural Service Areas

Human Needs: write a community services guidebook in several languages; deliver mobile meals; tutor youth in a homeless shelter Environment: sample, monitor, and map natural resources; restore weather- damaged areas; create a butterfly garden, nature trail, or community garden; establish a recycling program Service Areas

Preparation Action Reflection Demonstration/Recognition 4 Required Components

Preparation Identify a recognized need Take inventory and draw upon student’s skills and knowledge Acquire information regarding the recognized need Develop a plan of action (which encourages student responsibility) Incorporate service and learning into the classroom curriculum

Action Provides meaningful service Uses previous and acquired academic skills and knowledge Offers unique learning experiences Provides for student ownership Is age appropriate and provides a safe learning environment

Reflection A time to measure what has been accomplished and the impact that service learning has had on the participants. It provides structured time for youth participants to : –describe what happened; –record the differences(s) made; –discuss thoughts and ideas; –measure the impact/success of the project itself

Demonstration/Recognition Allows students to inform others of what they have learned and accomplished. They review the preparation,action, and aspects of the reflection that make this an authentic learning experience. They acknowledge to themselves and to others the method and outcomes of the learning process.

One form of recognizing students is the Presidential Student Service Awards. The President's Student Service Awards is a White House initiative which recognizes young Americans with awards for outstanding community service, while encouraging more young people to serve. ($2 postage fee per award) Demonstration/Recognition cont

For more information visit service-awards.org. Demonstration/Recognition cont

Contact Information Kirby Shofner For information on current Arkansas Service-Learning sites, visit Arkedu.state.ar.us choose Curriculum on the right hand side of the page and then choose Learn and Serve.