How is Service-Learning Sustainable at L’Anse Creuse Public Schools?

Written by Ellen King, Learn and Serve AmeriCorps*VISTA

Recently I sat down with Julie Rickel, Community Service-Learning Director at L’Anse Creuse Public Schools to ask her how service-learning is sustainable in her school district. I even caught it on video! Be sure to watch it to learn how a former grantee (who started to receive funding in ’93!) has continued with service-learning.

Responses: Why Do You Do Service-Learning, Why Will You Continue To Do Service-Learning?

Recently, the Learn and Serve – Michigan Team developed a survey calling for responses on “Why Do You Do Service-Learning” and “Why Will You Continue To Do Service-Learning.” We will continue to share the responses we received throughout the year.

This post features Sue Wilson, Academic Service Learning Coordinator at the Clarkston Community School District.

Why Do You Do Service-Learning?

Service learning is vitally important in Clarkston. It empowers our students, teachers, families, and community! All students are empowered because they get the opportunity to take the skills they are learning (no matter what level) in the classroom and use them in the real world. Students of all ages learn to collaborate, make decisions, and experience satisfaction in making a difference in their community. It's hard to see this type of learning from textbooks and worksheets! Teachers are empowered as they become a facilitator rather than the "keeper of all knowledge" when students take ownership in their service learning project. Families are empowered when they have opportunities to volunteer and/or share their expertise in their children's classrooms. And, finally, our community is empowered when its businesses, non-profits, government agencies, and schools are working together because it's the right thing to do.

Why Will You Continue To Do Service-Learning?

As an educator, service learning requires passion, organization, and a willingness to think "outside the box." Service learning is not a program that fades because Washington has decided to cut funding. It is our civic duty as parents and educators to continue to provide service learning experiences for our kids. If we don't, who will? Yes! We will continue to do service learning!

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If you are interested in seeing your response appear on our blog, follow this link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6SX3BPR and take our short survey to tell us why you do service-learning and why you will continue to do service-learning:

Sue Wilson can be reached at sawilson@clarkston.k12.mi.us for more information.

Education Northwest and MCSC Host Education Symposium

Written by Nicky Martin, Education Northwest

For 45 years, Education Northwest has been working with schools, districts, and communities across the country on comprehensive, research-based solutions to the challenges they face. Staff at Education Northwest are dedicated to and passionate about learning. Through our work, we strive to create vibrant learning environments where all youth and adults can succeed. We work with teachers, administrators, policymakers, and communities to identify needs, evaluate programs, and develop new solutions. The breadth of our work—ranging from training teachers, to developing curriculum, to restructuring schools, to evaluating programs—allows us to take a comprehensive look at education and to bring wide-ranging expertise and creativity to our clients’ challenges.

Since 1998, Education Northwest has worked specifically to support national service programs and community- and school-based mentoring programs. In partnership with Bank Street College of Education, we administered the LEARNS project for more than a decade – providing training and technical assistance to national service programs working with schools to provide tutoring, mentoring and out-of-school time support to youth.

In October, we built on this experience to partner with the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) on The Symposium: National Service as a Strategy to Support Schools. This two-day event in Thompsonville brought together teams of practitioners to learn about evidence-based best practices in tutoring, out-of-school time and school readiness and to hear from successful program peers. Teams spent focused planning time translating best practice into site-specific strategies that will strengthen their programs and bolster their school partnerships. The MCSC will follow up the event with facilitated learning communities that will help to carry on the conversation post-event.

We at Education Northwest have a long history of collaboration with MCSC and were happy to have this latest opportunity! MSCS does terrific work supporting programs throughout the state and sharing knowledge and expertise across the larger national service community. It’s our hope that our event can be replicated in other states in support of the Corporation for National and Community Service’s continued focus on education as a priority area.

Michigan's Second Annual Disability and Inclusion Week: Spotlight on the Chautauqua Learn and Serve Charter School

Written by the Learn and Serve – Michigan Team.

The Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) is currently celebrating the second annual Disability/Inclusion week. The MCSC strongly believes in the importance of making service a part of the lives of individuals with disabilities not just in Michigan. Our Learn and Serve – Michigan AmeriCorps*VISTA Ellen King was able to talk with the Director of the Chautauqua Learn and Serve Charter School, Cynthia McCauley in Panama City. Please read on to learn more about Cynthia and her program.

What has been your experience in engaging youth with disabilities in service-learning projects?

The service learning methodology-especially when it blends individuals of all abilities in service and learning for the greater good, has grown into a passion that is almost who I am. I see the world through the lens of service learning. As an example, one of our projects is serving food to the homeless and individuals with financial challenges. Students with challenges and older individuals with disabilities who have aged out of our Learn and Serve program learn a recipe, travel via public transit to a grocery store, purchase the ingredients, take it to the office-again, via public transit, all with the help of their non-disabled peers. But it occurred to me, how unfair this is to the homeless population, and I thought we must find a way for them to serve, too. So, the meal became a community meal where everyone was invited to join a crafts making session called "Community Pillars." The purpose of the session was to make items from discarded furniture to be sold for donations to support programs for homeless women and children. The power of the concept is so apparent in this project. Egos are being replenished. People are learning or re-learning work skills that they must have. Most important, all are feeling valued and know their lives have meaning. Our shared humanity is so energized by the process.

For more information about the Community Pillars project, click here: http://www.newsherald.com/articles/sbc-94537-homeless-making.html

How has service-learning impacted your students?

Individuals with disabilities have become empowered and independent beyond any one's belief. My daughter, Melissa, is a professor of educational psychology at Indiana University where she teaches special education topics. Since I have taught special education for forty years, she grew up knowing and working with my students. After I started the charter school to use only the service learning methodology, Melissa came to visit the school and said, "Mom, I don't know how to say this in a way that is not politically incorrect, but your students don't look "handicapped" anymore." I hadn't seen it until she said it. She was correct. Because our charter school is only for students with disabilities, our students are able to form true friendships with others who would otherwise never cross paths. My students have the power to make substantive, positive change in all facets of those involved-disabled to gifted-even in their appearance and the ways they carry themselves. This visible, external strength will help them later in life; they will have confidence to remain engaged in their communities and they will have the confidence to seek employment and convince an employer that they are an asset.

Do you have any good stories that would highlight successful service-learning projects with your students?

Our students teamed up with students from a high school in the area, Bay High School, to take a philosophy course overseen by Oxford University. Follow this link to a special video about the project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-0wRrP9Zu0

Introduction to the Second Annual Disability/Inclusion Week

Written by: Ellen King, Learn and Serve – Michigan AmeriCorps*VISTA

The Michigan Community Service Commission is so excited to announce that we will be celebrating the second annual Disability/Inclusion Week October 17-21, 2011. This week-long effort raises awareness about disability and inclusion to make service a part of the lives of individuals with disabilities. The Learn and Serve – Michigan team will be focusing this awareness on including individuals with disabilities in service-learning projects, and other youth service opportunities.

Throughout the week of October 17, we will connect you with countless disability/inclusion resources through Facebook (Learn and Serve – Michigan) and Twitter (@learnandservemi). You can also track the Michigan Community Service Commissions tweets all week with #inclusion. Be sure to check in everyday for inclusive classroom project examples and other service-learning and inclusion related resources!

Sign up to join us for our webinar on Wednesday, October 19^th at 3:30 as we discuss “Engaging Youth with Disabilities in Service.” This webinar will connect schools and youth serving organizations with valuable tools and resources to help serve and connect with those with disabilities. Attendees will also hear from a special education teacher who will highlight successful service projects. Registration is still available: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/900700242

Do you have any inclusive service or service-learning examples that you would like to share with us? Comment and we will be sure to highlight it during Disability and Inclusion Week!

September 11 National Day of Service

Written by Chelsea Martin, Volunteer Michigan AmeriCorps*VISTA

This month, people all across the country are taking part in September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance activities. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and national service coordinators like HandsOn Network are partnering with organizations like 911day.org, My Good Deed, as well as state and local organizations to help Americans serve, honor, and remember those who served or were lost in the tragedy.

The Michigan Community Service Commission has joined the growing national movement focused on supporting veterans and military families as part of their September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance efforts. With funds granted by HandsOn Network and the Points of Light Foundation, the MCSC is working to coordinate service projects across the state of Michigan between September 8 and September 12, 2011. Projects will incorporate an element of remembrance for the 9/11 tragedy and many will engage military members, veterans, or military families in projects. Partners like Michigan Habitat for Humanity, AmeriCorps State programs, and local volunteer centers are carrying out service projects like community garden clean-up and house builds in communities across the state.

If you’re interested in creating a September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance project, there is still plenty of time! Visit www.handsonnetwork.org for great project tool kits. To find listings of already existing service projects based on zip code, check out www.911day.org.

The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance is a culmination of an effort originally launched in 2002 by 9/11 family members and support groups. It became officially recognized following the passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of April 2009.

Also, be sure to check out Michelle bama’s PSA on this National Day of Service: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC66p-cStSU&feature=channel_video_title

Responses: Why Do You Do Service-Learning, Why Will You Continue To Do Service-Learning?

Recently, the Learn and Serve – Michigan Team developed a survey calling for responses on “Why Do You Do Service-Learning” and “Why Will You Continue To Do Service-Learning.” We will post the responses to these questions leading up to the 2011-2012 school year.

This post features Angelia Salas, Senior Program Officer at the Michigan Community Service Commission.

Why Do You Do Service-Learning?
Service-learning helps fulfill the human promise early in life. Each and every single human being on this planet has gifts to contribute and it seems important that we tap that potential as soon as possible. If we create that spark in the academic setting, the potential for learning is intensified.

Why Will You Continue To Do Service-Learning?
Good teachers have used service-learning in the classroom forever. It will remain an important way to reach students and meet academic and community needs. We created a movement over the last two decades. That won't end.

If you are interested in seeing your response appear on our blog, follow this link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6SX3BPR and take our short survey to tell us why you do service-learning and why you will continue to do service-learning.

Angelia Salas can be reached at salasa@michigan.gov .

Responses: Why Do You Do Service-Learning, Why Will You Continue To Do Service-Learning?

Recently, the Learn and Serve – Michigan Team developed a survey calling for responses on “Why Do You Do Service-Learning” and “Why Will You Continue To Do Service-Learning.” We will post the responses to these questions leading up to the 2011-2012 school year.

This post features Maria Kimmel, a special education teacher at Belding Area Schools.

Why Do You Do Service-Learning?
Service-learning provides opportunities to help my students be involved in helping their community and achieving learning goals in a unique way. It gives them a chance to get out of the classroom and apply skills in real and meaningful ways. It gives my students, who have learning difficulties a way to shine and achieve while helping others in need.

Why Will You Continue To Do Service-Learning?
Service-learning Projects provide my students opportunities to work as a team to help others while meeting their own learning goals. It helps them be successful and gives them purpose, instead of seeing themselves as disabled, they view themselves as people who can help others in meaningful ways.


If you are interested in seeing your response appear on our blog, follow this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6SX3BPR and take our short survey to tell us why you do service-learning and why you will continue to do service-learning.

Maria Kimmel can be reached at kimmelm@bas-k12.org.

Social Media in Service-Learning

Written by: Brad Lewis, (Program Officer for Learn and Serve America at the Corporation for National and Community Service)

Learn and Serve America (LSA), at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) funded 10 Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and six Institutions of Higher Education in 2008 to pilot the implementation of social media in service-learning programs.

Several years later, we learned some valuable lessons.

At the outset, CNCS recognized that with a small budget and a large country, we had to work through intermediaries to get things done. Therefore, this strategy was to test the use of the web as the ultimate vehicle to meet the masses. It had to do with reaching out to meet Americans where they were – on the web.

“93% of teens go online, as do 93% of young adults. Also, 74% of all adults go online. Further, nearly

three quarters (73%) of online teens and an equal number (72%) of young adults use social network sites.” (Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2010)

There was little adoption of these strategies in community-based agencies and schools, while institutions of higher education were a bit farther along.

“When we started, there was zero support for using social media. We have learned so much…. Now it is integrated into our communication strategy and is helping us connect across streams of service.” (Angelia Salas, Michigan Community Service Commission)

The funding seeded innovations in connecting tools such as blogging, Facebook, wikis and Twitter with service-learning work in order to increase youth engagement, community collaboration, and best practices for high-quality service-learning.

What does this mean for the field?

· Using social media tools, appropriately customized, supported by skilled workers who have adequate time, and combined with training modules, can boost civic engagement and strengthen the organizations that use this strategy.

· Developing new tools or platforms is difficult, slow, and full of unexpected challenges. Yet many people express the need for new tools and are critical of the existing ones. The development cycle in private industry involves failure and restarting or revising original plans, so that is to be expected.

· It is important to use social media strategically and for a purpose. The way to start is not to say, “Students use Facebook, so we’d better do something with it.” The starting point is to ask, “What do we want to achieve? What tools do we need to accomplish that goal?” Then: “Are social media tools among those we need?”

Our CBOs summed it by saying:

Social media presents many exciting opportunities for community organizations to communicate about and advance service-learning, even with the obvious start-up challenges being champions for new ways of doing business.

They also found unanticipated positive impacts. One grantee noted, “Our intention was to engage youth; the unanticipated impact was how excited adults were.”

Last words:

“Just don’t jump on a social media site because it looks cool. Really think about your goals, your purpose, and your audience, and if that site will do for you want you want.”
- Erica Ricker, Heartland Foundation

Trends to come:

Scanning the horizon, we see: (this came from our Higher Education folks)

· Very heavy use of social media by young Americans, and positive correlations between social media use and volunteering. Declines in young Americans’ use of earlier media, such as newspapers and television, as social media has revolutionized.

· The “other revolutions”: Social media and youth have been important themes in, for example, the Arab revolutions of 2010-11 and the Obama campaign of 2008.

· Evidence that important service and service-learning organizations are not well served by the tools that the market provides. (E.g., The Phoenix Project’s focus groups found universities dissatisfied with web tools for service-learning.)

· Technological change is rapid--consider the widespread growth of smart phones and tablets--yet important populations are still stuck with old technology. Schools may only have computers sold in 2001.

· There is no breakthrough technology, no “killer app,” for civic engagement or service-learning.

The list of CBO social media grantees and a description of their Web 2.0 projects can be found at the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (NSLC) website: http://servicelearning.org.

Learn and Serve America Community-Based Organization Social Media Grantees/Lessons Learned document - http://www.servicelearning.org/2008-cbo-social-media-grantees

Learn and Serve America Higher Ed Social Media Grantees/Lessons Learned document - http://www.servicelearning.org/2008-he-social-media-grants

Weekend Survival Kits

Written by: Kelly Hall & Leslie FitzWater, Mid Michigan Food Bank

Thirty percent of those served by the Mid Michigan Food Bank’s hunger-relief network are children. According to Feeding America, child hunger can impact a child’s growth physically, emotionally, and academically and make them more likely to suffer poverty as an adult. Feeding America also cites that 20.5 million children depend on free or reduced-price school meals to keep them from going hungry.

The Weekend Survival Kit program at the Mid Michigan Food Bank serves elementary school students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. Most of these children receive a majority of their food at school during the week which is why this program steps in to provide food for the weekends.

Every other Friday, volunteers bring in kits that contain two breakfasts, two lunches, three dinners, and two to three snacks to the schools for distribution. Last school year the program began by distributing Weekend Survival Kits to 250 kids in four different schools in mid-Michigan. Due to the word getting spread around about the program and an increase in economic need, there has been a significant increase in program participants. At the end of this year a little more than 1,600 kids in 33 different schools were receiving Weekend Survival Kits.

At the end of each year students are surveyed. As part of that survey they were perfectly able to articulate the benefits of the program and the effects hunger had on them.

When asked “How would this year have been different without the Weekend Survival Kit?” answers such as these were given: “I wouldn’t get as much energy”, “I wouldn’t be able to sleep as much”, “I wouldn’t be able to exercise”, and “We wouldn’t be able to pay attention, we would be drowsy.”

Frequently, community members ask whether the children really need the food with all the other programs available. The students that were surveyed succinctly described how important this food is: “If I didn’t take the food on Friday’s I wouldn’t have food for the weekend.”

“I wouldn’t be able to eat as much as I should be; I would only eat once a day.”

“[It would] be bad [if I didn’t get the kits] because we run out of food and have no money.”

“We don’t have money so I only have snacks, this gives me meals.”

And as one child simply said: “I would go hungry.”

For more information on the Mid Michigan Food Bank, visit http://www.midmichiganfoodbank.org/. Or watch the video below!

Call for Responses: Why I Do Service-Learning, Why I Will Continue to Do Service-Learning

Written by: Learn and Serve – Michigan Team

The Learn and Serve – Michigan team recently created a section for our blog called “Why I Do Service-Learning and Why I Will Continue To Do Service-Learning.”

We are asking service-learning experts, like you, to help tell the story of why our commitment to service-learning endures. Please click on the survey link below and fill out the form to share your response as to why you do service-learning and join others in support of service-learning in Michigan.

Your answers will appear on this blog, the Learn and Serve – Michigan’s Resources Blog in the future, in an effort to inspire people across the state to integrate service-learning into their school’s curriculum and to continue to participate in service-learning.

Please follow this link to tell us why you do service-learning, and why you will continue to do service-learning: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6SX3BPR

We look forward to receiving your responses!

Youth Volunteer Corps

Written by: David Battey, Founder and President of Youth Volunteer Corps

When, at the age of 16, my mother informed me she had signed me up to do volunteer work for the summer, I wish I could say that I was excited for the opportunity to learn and grow and give back to the community that I loved. But the truth is, I was bummed.

My whole life shifted when I showed up for my first volunteer project. I met two young kids who I was assigned to mentor and who had no idea I wasn’t the coolest teenager in the Kansas City metropolitan area. They looked up to me and clearly valued my presence and input. That summer spent with those kids helped build my confidence and self-esteem, and when I was done it was clear to me I truly could have an impact on the world around me. I was hooked.

Because of that summer, after graduating from college, I founded Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC), and in the last 20 plus years, more than 240,000 youth have served nearly 4 million hours in communities across the U.S. and Canada.

Since 1987, YVC has grown to 50 affiliated programs across those two countries. Understanding that a young person’s first experience volunteering can determine whether they will ever volunteer again, we have fine-tuned the art of creating youth volunteer projects that are inspiring, educational, challenging, and fun. After the completion of our summer programs in 2010, we surveyed the hundreds of youth who participated, and 96 percent said they would volunteer again based on their experience serving with YVC.

Throughout all this growth, Michigan has remained one of the most important states for YVC. Although we’re based in Kansas City, YVC has more ties to Michigan than any other state. Here are just a few reasons why we love Michiganders:

· In 1990 the W.K. Kellogg Foundation awarded YVC a $1 million, four-year grant to expand the YVC model. This grant resulted in three new YVC affiliates in Michigan by 1991.

· We currently have five Michigan affiliates (Alpena, Ann Arbor, Muskegon, Plymouth, Eastern Upper Peninsula, Southwest Michigan – St. Joseph), which is more than any other state.

· In the past we’ve had as many as nine YVC sites in Michigan.

· One of our board members, a former YVC Program Director herself, is from Michigan.

We’re always looking to expand our model of youth service to more communities in Michigan and beyond. Here are the top three reasons to become a YVC affiliate:

1. Gives you access to a national network of established programs, professionals, and their collective experience and knowledge.
2. Offers a unique group-based, out-of-school time model for youth (ages 11-18) to serve their communities in a variety of ways.
3. Service-learning is a growing national trend and YVC is a pioneer, employing the concepts in a community based setting.

You never know how much you may change a teen’s life when you introduce them to service. For more information on YVC or how to become an affiliate, email me at dbattey@yvca.org.

You can also visit http://www.yvca.org/ for more information.

2011 Governor’s Service Awards: Honoring Michigan’s Volunteers

Written by: The Learn and Serve – Michigan Team

The Michigan Community Service Commission, in partnership with Governor Rick Snyder, is currently accepting nominations for the 2011 Governor’s Service Awards. These awards are given to individuals, organizations, and businesses that are committed to service and volunteerism in their communities. The categories accepting nominations are:

- Governor George Romney Lifetime Achievement Award

- Outstanding Volunteer Program Award

- Corporate Community Leader Award

- Outstanding National Service Program Award

- Mentor of the Year

- Senior Volunteer of the Year

- Volunteer of the Year

- Youth Volunteer of the Year

One important category the Learn and Serve – Michigan team would like to highlight is the Youth Volunteer of the Year Award. We believe volunteer service that begins at an early age is often carried forward throughout life. This category recognizes and celebrates the efforts of young people age 21 and younger who take action to make his or her community a better place. Nominees may be involved in many activities or give significant time to one particular cause.

A celebration will be hosted by Governor Rick Snyder to pay tribute to five finalists, including the winner, in each of the eight categories in October of 2011.

Nominations must be postmarked by Tuesday, July 26.

Do you know someone you would like to nominate? Visit the Michigan Community Service Commission’s website at www.michigan.gov/mcsc for the nomination form and additional information on the 2011 Governor’s Service Awards!

What are young people doing in your community? Be sure to comment and highlight the hard work of the young people in our state!

Kent ISD Promotes Project-Based Academic Service-Learning

Written by: Steve Dieleman, Kent Intermediate School District

The Kent Intermediate School District coordinates a Learn and Serve America Youth Engagement Zone initiative. The program is designed to improve student engagement, attendance, behavior, achievement, graduation rates, and college enrollment. The process is targeted in two communities in Kent County: Kelloggsville and Godfrey-Lee Public School Districts. The initiative is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

All tools, projects, and curriculum developed through the initiative are available to at no-cost to educators throughout the state and nation. Online resources are provided for students, educators, and community organizations. Use the following link to access the web site:

http://kentisdservicelearning.com

The Kent County process assures integration of service-learning in the curriculum. The county-wide Curriculum Crafter includes Project-Based Learning. All service learning programs in the initiative meet standards for Project Based Learning and inclusion in the Curriculum Crafter. For more information, visit the links below:

http://curriculumcrafter.org

http://curriculumcrafter.org/content.aspx?page=ServiceLearning

Partners in the Youth Engagement Zone include Curriculum Crafter, Stoneshores Consulting, Grand Rapids Community College, Lowell Area Schools, and Wittenbach/Wege Agriscience & Environmental Education Center. Service learning projects in the Youth Engagement Zone are designed to address the three elements of sustainability: Economy, Environment, and Society.

See many photographs of our planning sessions on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/61424043@N08/