High Quality Service Learning August 5, 2009 Sacramento State Region 3 Service Learning Network Deb Bruns & John Durand STEM Service Learning Summer Institute.

High Quality Service Learning

August 5, 2009Sacramento State

Region 3 Service Learning Network

Deb Bruns & John Durand

STEM Service Learning Summer Institute

What Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes do we hope students will have when they graduate

from our K-12 system?

Service learning is a powerful teaching and learning strategy that engages students in youth-led community service projects integrated with academic learning

What is Service Learning?

Knowing the Terms

• Volunteerism

• Community Service

• Service Learning

Community ServiceCommunity ServiceExampleExample

Students remove trash Students remove trash from a streambed, from a streambed, providing a service to the providing a service to the community.community.

Service-Learning Service-Learning ExampleExample

Students in a science class Students in a science class identifyidentify trash in their trash in their community streambed as a community streambed as a problem, problem, decidedecide to remove the to remove the trash, trash, analyzeanalyze what they found what they found and how pollution impacts the and how pollution impacts the environment, environment, share results share results andand recommendationsrecommendations for the for the community to reduce pollution, community to reduce pollution, and then and then reflectreflect on their on their experience.experience.

The Difference betweenThe Difference betweenService-Learning and Community ServiceService-Learning and Community Service

Service Learning Statues

• Create a dramatic picture using yourselves as statues to communicate one of the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice

• HINT: pictures don’t move. Think like a statue. Be the statue.

• Interpret your element creatively!

K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice (plus one)

Meaningful ServiceService-learning actively engages participants in meaningful and personally relevant service activities. 

Link to Curriculum Service-learning is intentionally used as an instructional strategy to meet learning goals and/or content standards. 

Reflection Service-learning incorporates multiple challenging reflection activities that are ongoing and that prompt deep thinking and analysis about oneself and one’s relationship to society. 

DiversityService-learning promotes understanding of diversity and mutual respect among all participants. 

Youth VoiceService-learning provides youth with a strong voice in planning, implementing, and evaluating service-learning experiences with guidance from adults. 

K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice (plus one)

PartnershipsService-learning partnerships are collaborative, mutually beneficial, and address community needs. 

Progress MonitoringService-learning engages participants in an ongoing process to assess the quality of implementation and progress toward meeting specified goals, and uses results for improvement and sustainability. 

Duration and IntensityService-learning has sufficient duration and intensity to address community needs and meet specified outcomes. 

Civic Responsibility Service-learning fosters civic responsibility and improves the quality of life in the community.

“Hey, I’m already doing those!”• In your small groups, each person shares one

standard that you feel you have done well in your classroom or program. Please give specific examples.

• Record these current practices on a flip chart

EXAMPLE: Youth voice—students do a community photo-mapping project to identify environmental issues to study

K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice (plus one)

Learn and Serve America

www.learnandserve.org

A Reason to Learn

Elk Grove Unified School District

http://www.sdcoe.net/edoptions/service_learning.asp

Calvine High School

Service-Learning QuadrantService-Learning Quadrant

High ServiceHigh Service

Low ServiceLow Service

Unrelated LearningUnrelated Learning Related Related LearningLearning

IVIII

III

Service-Learning Service-Learning

Quadrant ActivityQuadrant Activity

Read the case studiesRead the case studiesIdentify “service” and “link to Identify “service” and “link to curriculum”curriculum”Determine into which quadrant Determine into which quadrant the project fallsthe project fallsYour group will be assigned a Your group will be assigned a case study to report oncase study to report on

Service-LearningService-Learning

Quadrant ActivityQuadrant Activity

High ServiceHigh Service

Low ServiceLow Service

Unrelated LearningUnrelated Learning Related Related LearningLearning

IVIII

III

High Quality High Quality Service-learningService-learning

Chavez American Government S L Project

Review the project description and answer the questions on page 3

A Place For Us

Youth Voice Meter

Community Based Projects

• Classroom or School community

• Local neighborhood or city

• National or global community

Points of Entry

• Existing program or service

• Curriculum content or skill

• Theme or unit of study

• Student-identified need (photo mapping, schoolyard review, student interests/talents)

• Community-identified need (newspaper articles, partner agency)

Getting Started: Preparation

• Identify an issue

see “Points of Entry”

• Investigate and analyzefield trips, guest speakers, interviews, survey, research

• Identify partners

• Develop an action plan

Getting Started: Small Group Discussion and Planning

• Points of entry: Each group member should come up with a potential “point of entry” to share

• Choose one of the ideas for the group to begin exploring and developing

• Address key elements– Link to curriculum – Meaningful service– Youth voice– Partnerships

• Create a poster to share that includes the key elements above and shows how you would get started.

Service Learning ResourcesYouth Service California

www.yscal.org

California Department of Educationwww.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/sl

Governor’s Office/California Volunteerswww.californiavolunteers.org

Learn and Serve Americawww.learnandserve.org

National Dropout Prevention Centerwww.dropoutprevention.org

Questions?

• John Durand, Cosumnes River Preserve & Galt Service Learning, [email protected]

• Deb Bruns, Service Learning Network & CREEC Network, [email protected]