Service Learning Ashley Bower, Lauren Phillips, Megan Solko

“Service Learning?” What is Service Learning? A method by which youth improve academic learning while developing personal, civic, and career skills through structured service projects that meet real school and community needs. In such projects, youth practice skills and behaviors they need to learn through service. Service is a way to apply learning in the real world.

Visiting with senior citizens at a nursing home is volunteerism or service. Interviewing senior citizens to conduct oral histories is learning. When social studies students conduct oral histories and art students paint portraits of the senior citizens who were interviewed and then compile them into a book … that’s service learning. Service Learning vs. Volunteering/Community Service

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“Where You Stand” 1)Listen to the passage and statement read aloud from the text. 2)Move to the corner of the room that matches your opinion- Agree, Disagree, Strongly Agree, Strongly Disagree

Statements Diverse populations in a community can be problematic. Pg 13 Poverty can lead to crime. Pg 24 A woman’s place is sleeping. Pg 31 People who move to the United States should learn English. Pg 77 Beauty is a danger. Pg 79 Homeless people should not receive aid since they are not working. Pg 87 Marriage at a young age is bound to fail. Pg 101

Elements of Service Learning Preparation – assignments for research, needs identification and assessment, discussion, site visits, policy examination, guest speakers, project design. Action – service that flows from preparation. Either direct, indirect, advocacy, or research. Demonstration – presenting, teaching, performing, advocating, etc., about service. Reflection – writing, discussion, evaluation, future planning about needs and service.

PREPARATION Research/study Guest speakers Literature Field trips/observation Interviews

Power Letter Writing Problem/solution letters: select a problem and propose a solution. For example, may write to a newspaper editor about need for library or roads that need to be repaved. Pick an issue from The House on Mango Street and write a problem/solution letter. Lewis, Barbara. The Kid’s Guide to Social Action.Ed. P. Espeland & C.Pernu. Minneapolis: Free Spirit, 1991.

ACTION 1. Direct – person-to-person, face-to-face, tutoring, work with elderly… projects in which students’ service impacts individuals who receive the service from students. 2. Indirect – environmental, construction, restoration, clothing drives… projects with clear benefits to a community as opposed to specific individuals.

ACTION 3. Advocacy - working, acting, speaking, writing, lobbying … projects that create action or awareness on an issue of public interest. 4. Research - surveys, studies, evaluations, experiments, interviewing… projects that find, gather, measure, and report on needed information.

DEMONSTRATION Presentations – lessons, speeches, forums, PowerPoints, tri-folds, art, demonstrations Performance - skit, play, song, dance, rap Products – brochures, web sites, books, videos, quilts, calendars, puppets, benches

REFLECTION Discussion Journals Portfolios Evaluation Role play Performance Artwork

Group activity Read the slip provided to your group. The slip describes a service-learning project. With your group determine what issue the project addresses. -Environment, Community, Social? How does it meet the components of service learning? -Does it align with SSS? Which ones?

Service-Learning Ideas Adopt a river to clean up Teach people how to better take care of their pets Build a greenhouse at the school Pen pals for elders Care for a cemetery Teach CPR and fitness to elders Welcome video for new students Teach conflict resolution Develop portable museums on Native American culture Act as tutors to elementary school students Create hurricane preparedness guides for elders Sponsor Read Across America Events Sponsor a Math Night at Your School

Service-Learning Ideas, cont. Teach elders how to use computers Give tours in a museum Write and perform a play about your town Teach cooking to younger students Write and read books for younger students Design and help build a playground Conduct/write a town history Vermiculture project to recycle lunch-room leftovers Create murals for your school Start a recycling project Create environmental coloring/activity books for younger students Advocate for…

Discussion How can you select a meaningful service project? How will you prepare your class to address an issue? How can you create a service project with your students? “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead

Sandra Cisneros PowerPoint information adapted from: Joe Follman, Florida Learn & Serve, Florida Department of Education, Florida State University Orange County Public Schools Service-Learning Coordinator Timber Creek High School, Service-Learning Academy