What Is Service-Learning?

Transcription

1 BRING LEARNING TO LIFE What Is Service-Learig? A Guide for Parets What Is Service-Learig? A Guide for Parets provides iformatio about your role i participatig i ad promotig this effective way of teachig. Servicelearig takes place i schools ad youth groups across America. Your ivolvemet ca make a differece! Simply put, service-learig coects classroom studies with the atural carig ad cocer youg people have for their world. Service-learig allows youg people to cotribute to solvig problems by helpig others i their school commuity, their eighborhood, or aroud the world. Whe studets apply what they are learig i ways that help others, the results are memorable. Studets gai lessos that last a lifetime. While learig, they develop the ability to cotribute to a better society ad we all beefit. Lear ad Serve America is a program of the federal agecy the Corporatio for Natioal ad Commuity Service. Created by Cogress ad the Presidet to promote service-learig, Lear ad Serve America egages more tha oe millio youg people from kidergarte through college ad is the largest supporter of service-learig i the Uited States. Visit to fid out more. To obtai a copy of the video, Brig Learig to Life, or to fid out more about servicelearig, cotact Lear ad Serve America s Natioal Service- Learig Clearighouse toll-free at SERV (7378) or visit What does service-learig look like? Here are a few examples. Elemetary childre i Florida studied the cosequeces of atural disasters through books ad ewspaper articles ad by iterviewig city officials. They determied that families eed a place to gather their importat papers i case of evacuatio. So the childre desiged a large evelope with a checklist for this purpose. They added tips about rescuig pets ad other advice to make a difficult situatio easier. Studets distributed the evelopes to families through school ad commuity orgaizatios. Middle school studets i Pesylvaia leared about the health cosequeces of poor utritio ad lack of exercise. They wated to do somethig to chage those habits for themselves ad their families. So studets coducted health fairs to educate their eighbors ad worked with their Eglish teachers ad families to create a cookbook with healthy versios of family recipes. The, because it was difficult to fid fresh produce, studets worked with their math, social studies, ad shop teachers to ope a fruit ad vegetable stad for the school ad commuity. High school studets i Oklahoma ivestigated how a local creek became polluted. I social studies, they researched the history of miig that led to the problem. They leared which govermet agecies help clea toxic waterways. Sciece studets cotiued o ext page

2 deliverig meals tutorig iterviewig vete visitig with el What does service-learig look like? cotiued from frot page tested water. I Eglish classes, studets iterviewed residets. Now, studets have authored two books of research, memoirs, ad poetry about Tar Creek. These activities helped make officials aware of the pollutio ad ow the creek is beig cleaed ad restored. Every year, studets sposor a coferece to ivolve ad teach others. With service-learig, studets apply kowledge, skills, ad talets as they show leadership ad cotribute to their commuities i may ways. Every studet ca succeed. Classroom participatio icreases as studets recogize that learig is relevat ad that they have a role to play i their commuities. How is service-learig differet from commuity service or voluteer work? Service-learig differs from commuity service or voluteer work because the educatio of studets ad youg people is always at its core. Studets are actively participatig i the process of uderstadig, itegratig, ad applyig kowledge from various subjects as they work to improve their commuities. The questio "Why am I learig this?" disappears as they see what they have leared i actio. Service-learig ca be defied as a teachig method that icludes service to others. With service-learig, studets: coect academic subjects, meet real commuity eeds, become leaders who cotribute ideas, make decisios, ad solve problems, discover beefits for everyoe ivolved, get to work with commuity parters, ad develop as active members of society. Four stages of service-learig Preparatio Studets acquire ew iformatio as they read, research, iterview, ad visit places, all leadig to a better uderstadig of real commuity. Actio Studets develop ad implemet a pla of actio, trasformig their ideas ito practical ways to cotribute to the commo good. Reflectio Studets cosider how their actios made a impact o themselves ad others, ad ways to improve as they cotiue to lear ad serve. Demostratio Studets show or tell others what they have leared ad cotributed; they may write articles, make presetatios, or create a website. For more iformatio, cotact Lear ad Serve America s Natioal Service-Learig Clearighouse

3 ras tree-platig stockig food assistig immigrats ders commuity gardes w How do studets beefit from service-learig? Studies show that service-learig ca develop studets kowledge ad abilities i may ways. Through service-learig programs ad experieces, studets may: icrease motivatio ad desire to lear; develop resposibility, make decisios, ad solve problems; improve i may academic areas; have a better sese of self; develop the ability to work well with others; experiece positive relatioships with peers ad commuity members; replace stereotypes with respect for others; be exposed to career optios; be better prepared for college ad the workplace; lear about commuity resources for themselves ad their families; make a positive cotributio to their commuity; ad begi to develop a lifelog commitmet to public service ad to learig. Research shows that service-learig positively affects youth i three geeral areas: academic egagemet ad achievemet, civic attitudes ad behaviors, ad social ad persoal skills. To read more about this research, iformatio is provided by Lear ad Serve America at this website: issuebrief_servicelearig.pdf. For example: A Philadelphia study foud that 6th grade studets participatig i service-learig programs had higher scores tha oparticipats i tests for laguage arts ad sciece. (Billig 2004) Civic egagemet activities raised the odds of graduatio ad improved high school studets' progress i readig, math, sciece, ad history. (Dávila, A. ad Mora, M. 2007) Studets i service-learig had a stroger set of job ad career related skills ad aspiratios tha studets who did ot participate. (Yamauchi, et.al. 2006) As educator Joh Dewey said, Educatio is ot preparatio for life. It is life itself. Studets classified as at risk made sigificat progress i readig ad writig, ad i school adjustmet ad geeral resiliecy. Attedace ad participatio rates icreased, as did grade poit averages ad positive attitude toward themselves ad school. (Kraft ad Wheeler 2003) For more iformatio, cotact Lear ad Serve America s Natioal Service-Learig Clearighouse

4 patries ritig books buildig homes recyclig Is there a role for parets with service-learig? Absolutely! Parets play a key role i the success of service-learig i a variety of ways. Paret ivolvemet i schools Parets brig valuable resources, iformatio, ad ideas to service-learig. Cosider these ways parets have bee parters. Parets iform admiistrators ad teachers about service-learig ad available state ad atioal resources. Parets educate other parets about service-learig so they ca assist teachers i ad out of the classroom. Parets atted service-learig cofereces to stay iformed ad ivolved. Parets promote awareess about service-learig by: placig service-learig o paret meetig agedas, helpig teachers ad studets showcase service-learig at Back-to-School ight, writig a article for the school ewspaper, assistig studets to create service-learig displays, ad icorporatig or showig Brig Learig to Life materials at paret-teacher meetigs. Beig ivolved i your child s educatio seds a direct message to your child that learig matters. Whe supportig service-learig, you also teach your childre that at every age we ca be cotributig members of society. Paret ecouragemet of their child s ivolvemet i service-learig If your child is participatig i a service-learig experiece, express support to your child, your child s teacher, ad school admiistrators. Ask how you ca be helpful. Have coversatios with your child about commuity issues. Read books ad ewspaper articles o the topics with your child for shared experieces ad to lear together. Paret participatio i o-school settigs Wherever youth gather, service-learig is a way to egage i meaigful activities that beefit everyoe. A service-learig approach may iclude leadership developmet, surveys of commuity eeds, ad plas that allow youth to trasform ideas ito actio. Discuss with program staff ways parets ca be helpful throughout the process. "Service-learig is a atural extesio of the civic missio of schools givig studets from all backgrouds a better educatio while givig our society better citizes. It's a wi-wi, a bridge betwee the classroom ad the commuity that brigs passio ad eergy to both." Elizabeth Burmaster Wiscosi State Superitedet We kow that service-learig beefits youg people i a variety of ways. As idividuals, service-learig improves self-esteem ad self-cofidece, ad reduces ivolvemet i risky behavior. As citizes, service-learig gives youg people a icreased sese of civic resposibility ad a commitmet to commuity ivolvemet. As studets, service-learig helps improve school performace ad academic egagemet. Dr. William Richardso Former Presidet & CEO W.K. Kellogg Foudatio Schools ad college campuses are rediscoverig their role i citizeship educatio, icludig through a great idea called service-learig a approach that weaves academic study with real-world problem-solvig through commuity service. We ca all joi i as metors, parters, ad supporters..." Agus Kig Former Maie Goveror For more iformatio, cotact Lear ad Serve America s Natioal Service-Learig Clearighouse

5 aimal rescue What ca I do to be sure service-learig is a part of my child s educatio? restorig promotig habitats safety Is service-learig happeig at your child s school? Talk to teachers ad admiistrators to fid out whether service-learig is already takig place at your child s school. Yes! What ow? 1. Let your support be kow! Talk to your child s teachers ad/or school admiistrators to fid out how you might be able to help. 2. Make sure that those i charge of service-learig at your child s school are aware of all the great resources available through the Natioal Service-Learig Clearighouse. 3. Cosider workig with the PTA the paret, teacher, studet associatio or aother paret/teacher orgaizatio to develop a pla for parets to be of support to teachers. The PTA recogizes that collaboratio with the commuity stregthes schools, families, ad studet learig. Service-learig is a excellet way to foster parterships with the commuity. Support your child i helpig the commuity! Visit for more iformatio. No. What ow? 1. Take copies of Brig Learig to Life materials to your child s school to iform teachers ad admiistrators of the beefits of service-learig. 2. School admiistrators may welcome articles o the impacts of service-learig i educatio. Resources o this ad other service-learig topics ca be foud o the last page of this publicatio ad by visitig 3. State Educatio Agecies receive fudig from Lear ad Serve America to help build etworks of teachers ad school admiistrators, parets, ad commuity agecy parters who are kowledgeable about service-learig ad ca work to get programs started. Visit to fid cotact iformatio for someoe i your State Educatio Agecy who ca help coect you to this larger commuity of service-learig supporters. Get ivolved i other service-learig opportuities. Service-learig does t just happe i schools! Iquire at local youth, commuity, or faith-based orgaizatios to fid existig service-learig programs where your child ca be ivolved. If they re ot ivolved i service-learig, itroduce them to its beefits with Brig Learig to Life materials. Visit the Natioal Service-Learig Clearighouse "Resources for Parets" page for additioal iformatio o service-learig ad a list of orgaizatio websites you ca search for voluteerig ad/or service-learig opportuities i your area. For more iformatio, cotact Lear ad Serve America s Natioal Service-Learig Clearighouse

6 Fid out more paitig murals Resources This guide to the basics of service-learig for parets is a compaio piece to the Lear ad Serve America video, Brig Learig to Life. This eight-miute video offers isights from teachers, pricipals, ad studets who have experieced the beefits of service-learig, ad provides a itroductio to service-learig as a effective strategy to improve academic achievemet, icrease studet egagemet, improve social behavior, build civic skills, ad stregthe commuity parterships. The video, available i VHS, CD-Rom, ad DVD formats, also icludes two televisio public service aoucemets (60-secod PSA ad 30-secod PSA). Visit or call , ext. 130 to order free copies of Brig Learig to Life DVDs, posters, ad the teachers gettig started guide Service-Learig i Actio to share with your school. Across America, service-learig is helpig studets perform better i school while improvig their commuities through service. By coectig classroom lessos with commuity service projects, service-learig egages studets ad brigs learig to life! For more about service opportuities i your area ad additioal resources, visit Lear ad Serve America s Natioal Service-Learig Clearighouse "Resources for Parets" page at Books ca help you lear more, see examples of service-learig projects, ad promote servicelearig i the commuity. The Busy Family s Guide to Voluteerig: Do good, have fu, make a differece as a family! by Jey Ly Friedma, Robis Lae Press, A iformative compilatio of ideas ad resources to ivolve every family member i collaborative projects. The Complete Guide to Service Learig: Prove, Practical Ways to Egage Studets i Civic Resposibility, Academic Curriculum, & Social Actio, by Cathry Berger Kaye, Free Spirit Publishig, A comprehesive resource for teachers, youth workers, ad parets that covers service-learig plaig ad implemetatio, with over 300 examples of service-learig scearios. The Kid s Guide to Social Actio, by Barbara Lewis, Free Spirit Publishig, A useful resource packed with iformatio for helpig kids trasform their ideas ito results, with may stories of accomplishmets. Paret Ivolvemet i Service Learig, by Cathry Berger Kaye, Natioal Dropout Prevetio Ceter, Part of the Likig Learig with Life series, this publicatio offers ideas to ivolve parets i supportig service-learig i schools ad egagig i service-learig as a family. Writte by Cathry Berger Kaye, M.A Lear ad Serve America s Natioal Service-Learig Clearighouse. Photocopyig for oprofit educatioal purposes is permitted. Portios of this brochure adapted from The Complete Guide to Service Learig: Prove Practical Ways to Egage Studets i Civic Resposibility, Academic Curriculum & Social Actio by Cathry Berger Kaye, M.A., Used with permissio of Free Spirit Publishig Ic., Mieapolis, MN; ; All rights reserved. For more iformatio, cotact Lear ad Serve America s Natioal Service-Learig Clearighouse L124-1/08