SERVICE LEARNING

District 11 Educational Support Services

http://www.d11.org/doi/ServiceLearning/index.htm

 

Louann Dekleva, Administrative Supervisor of Volunteer Service deklel@d11.org

 

"Service-Learning Colorado Springs partners with students, teachers, administrators and community members to support a collaborative infrastructure for service-learning. Our work promotes awareness & understanding of service-learning and assists practitioners throughout the process, creating opportunities for all youth to become involved in high quality service-learning that fosters civic engagement."

 

Debra Yazulla Sharpe, Service-Learning Coordinator dsharpe@coloradocollege.edu.

         

News

Recent Service Learning Newsletter  December 2007

Training for Teachers - Service-Learning Teacher Trainings were offered October 12th & 17th to give interested teachers a basic foundation for implementing service-learning in their classroom.  These trainings were attended by teachers from Columbia, Queen Palmer & Washington Elementary, The Bijou School and Palmer High Schools.  A Winter Service-Learning 101 Teacher Training has been scheduled for Friday, January 25, 2008, to be held at Colorado College’s Partnership for Civic Engagement, 1018 N. Weber Street.  The training is from 8am-4pm and includes breakfast and lunch.  For more information, please contact Debra Yazulla Sharpe, Service-Learning Coordinator, at 227-8271 or dsharpe@coloradocollege.edu.

Service-Learning Meet-up January 28th, 4:30-5:30
Any D11 teacher currently implementing service-learning in their classroom, or interested in doing so, are invited to a series of professional development “Service-Learning Meet-up’s” during which educators are encouraged to share ideas, challenges, explore opportunities and network with others.  These Meet-up’s are held approximately every 6 weeks at the Partnership for Civic Engagement Office at Colorado College, located at 1018 N. Weber Street.  The last meet-up was held on December 10th and was a fantastic success with teachers representing 5 different partner schools engaging in stimulating and collaborative conversation about environmentally-focused service-learning projects and PeaceJam.  The next Meet-up will be held on January 28th from 4:30-5:30 and refreshments will be served.  All are welcome! 

Board Update
The Service-Learning Colorado Springs Leadership Board met for the first time October 2nd.  Their goal this year is to capitalize on each member’s strengths and current place in the community, asking each individual to be an advocate for service-learning in their every day life and work.  The mission is program sustainability and with each new convert’s awareness of the benefits of service-learning, the greater the potential of having service-learning imbedded in School District 11’s pedagogy.  Members of the Leadership Board represent Colorado College, School District 11 teachers, administrators, School Board, Director of Curriculum, students and community partners. 

What We Believe

About Service Learning: Service-Learning Colorado Springs is funded through Learn & Serve Colorado at the Colorado Department of Education and is a partnership between Colorado Springs School District 11 Volunteer Services and Colorado College’s Partnership for Civic Engagement.  The program is currently being implemented at Columbia, Lincoln & Washington Elementary, Mann, North & West Middle and Wasson High Schools. 

Learn-Engage-Transform - Service-learning is a tool used to contextualize learning by integrating relevant service into academic studies.  Students use critical and reflective thinking skills to engage in an identified community need, deepening their understanding of academic content and larger community systems.  Service-learning provides a space in which youth practice informed civic participation, thereby transforming themselves and their community.

Service-learning best practice:

  • Supports increased student attendance.

  • Leads to more positive perceptions of school and youth by community members.

  • Reduces the likelihood that participating students will engage in “risk” behaviors.

  • Develops students’ sense of civic and social responsibility.

  • Positively effects  students’ interpersonal development and the ability to relate    to culturally diverse groups.

  • Improves the overall school climate.

  • Provides opportunities for students to become active, positive contributors to society.

  • Results in greater mutual respect of teachers and students.

  • Helps students acquire academic skills and knowledge.

  • Engages students in their studies and motivates them to learn.

 

Standards-Based Instruction

The theory behind service-learning is an intentional link between service and academic standards.  The classroom learning is deepened through service to others and guided reflection and a demonstration of knowledge gained are key components. Service-learning looks different at every grade level, but at all times it is addressing content standards.

 

Curriculum

Service Learning takes many forms as it strives to meet the needs of individuals and groups within our community. Here are a few examples:

  • Third-grade students visited residents at a nursing home, interviewing them about their lives and the history of the Pikes Peak region.  Throughout the year the students and residents kept in touch through letters, establishing pen-pal relationships.  The connection formed between the students and seniors was invaluable, bridging the generation gap, but they also touched on reading, writing and social studies standards. 

  • A middle school science club was using research skills to learn about energy & conservation.  Armed with their knowledge they went door-to-door and educated their neighbors about the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficient fluorescent light bulbs.  They increased awareness about a very real issue while addressing science and writing standards.

  • A high school video production class put their skills and knowledge to practical use when partnering with patients at a convalescent home.  Students worked with families to create end of life videos.  They met a real need in creating a lasting legacy while applying what they learned in class to real life. 

Several pre-existing curricula exist, allowing teachers to utilize a pre-designed program that ties to standards.

  • Project Citizen is appropriate for K-12 and ties directly to social studies and language arts.  It is a portfolio-based project in which students work cooperatively to identify a problem in their community, look at current public policy and alternative responses to the issue and develop their own policy & action plan. 

  • PeaceJam is an international education program designed for high school and elementary school students, addressing issues of racism, violence and peace.  Students study diverse forms of local and global community action and citizenship through an examination of the lives of Nobel Peace Laureates, leading them to design and implement their own service project.  The curriculum ties to social studies, reading, writing, science and art & music standards. 

  • Catamount Institute is a local organization whose mission it is to inspire ecological stewardship through leadership and education.  They have created multiple curriculum to be used in the classroom ranging from topics of ecology & leadership (YES), water conservation (Keepers of the Water) and eco-friendly school environments (SAGE). 

  • Care & Share has designed a curriculum called Hunger 101 which focuses on the economics of poverty and would be perfect to use in a class wishing to engage in service-learning while evaluating the topic of hunger & homelessness.

Assessment

Impact surveys were administered to several hundred students at all grade levels to measure the effects of engaging in a service-learning project. 
Results of Grades 3-5 Student Service Learning Impact Survey:

  • 83% enjoyed the project

  • 67% enjoyed school more since completing the project

  • 61% felt they helped the community

  • 42% felt that he/she got to give the class/teacher his/her opinion

  • 84% felt the teacher explained the purpose of the project

  • 67% would like to do more service learning projects in the future

Results of the Service Learning Impact Survey, Secondary Students:

  • 87% enjoyed the experience

  • 33% found school more interesting

  • 41% believed their academic performance has improved since the service learning project

  • 61% feel they made a personal connection with the people they served during the service learning project

  • 78% feel they cooperated well with their classmates during the project

  • 81% understood the connection between their academics and the service

  • 71% believe the goals of the service learning project was communicated by the teacher

  • 54% have more confidence in their skills/abilities because of the service learning experience

  • 53% report taking a leadership role

  • 68% feel their contributions to the project were valued

  • 62% feel they made a positive difference in their community

Parent Resources

 

Teacher Resources

Service-Learning Clearinghouse http://www.servicelearning.org  The Learn and Serve America National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (NSLC) supports the service-learning community in higher education, kindergarten through grade twelve, community-based initiatives and tribal programs, as well as all others interested in strengthening schools and communities using service-learning techniques and methodologies.  

Learn & Serve: The Corporation for National and Community Service  http://www.learnandserve.org  When faced with challenges such as illiteracy, poverty, crime, and environmental problems, our nation has always relied on the dedication and action of citizens. Today, the Corporation for National and Community Service carries on that tradition by working with governor-appointed state commissions, nonprofits, faith-based groups, schools, and other civic organizations to provide opportunities for Americans of all ages to serve their communities. 

National Youth Leadership Council - http://nylc.org NYLC's mission is to build vital, just communities with young people through service-learning. As one of America's most prominent advocates of service-learning and youth service, the NYLC is at the forefront of efforts to reform education and guide youth-oriented public policy. This organization houses a wide variety of resources available to anyone interested in youth leadership and service-learning.

Learning in Deed http://learningindeed.org - In 1998, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation launched Learning In Deed, a national initiative to engage more young people in service to others as part of their academic life. The concept at the heart of the initiative is service-learning. The Foundation has supported service-learning for decades because they believe it engages youth in a powerful way that can help ensure a bright future for our nation. Learning In Deed is comprised of four components: Policy and Practice Demonstration Projects, the National Commission on Service-Learning, the Learning In Deed K-12 Service-Learning Leadership Network and the Learning In Deed Research Network. 

Learn and Serve Colorado - http://www.cde.state.co.us/servicelearning  The Colorado Department of Education administers school and community-based service-learning grants at the K-12 level. These are federal grants that are awarded to Colorado from the Corporation for National Service, the department of the federal government that administers AmeriCorps, VISTA, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Learn and Serve, and other national service programs.

Comments to:

LouAnn Dekleva deklel@d11.org

Debra Yazulla Sharpe, Service-Learning Coordinator dsharpe@coloradocollege.edu.

          updated 9/24/2008

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