After-School All-Stars Incorporates Service-Learning

Written by: Joe Hong, program director for San Diego After-School All-Stars & Aaron Dworkin, national program director for After-school All-Stars

After-School All-Stars (online at www.as-as.org) was founded by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and is a leading national nonprofit which provides free daily after-school programs to 80,000 low-income urban students at 450 schools in 13 cities across the United States. Seventy percent of the students served nationally are in middle school, 84 percent qualify for free and reduced lunch and 90% are students of color.

Service-learning is one of four national program priorities for After-School All-Stars (ASAS) along with Middle to High School Transition, Career Exploration, and Sports-Based Youth Development.

Our vision is to incorporate service-learning in every single enrichment activity that we do; from model cars, to hip-hop, to cooking. For example, one cooking class asked students to research hunger in their communities while they learned to make a meal to serve at a local food shelter. As an after-school program, ASAS is in a great position to show students they can easily connect service to their passions and skills – with activities they choose to do, are good at, and already love to do in their free time. We applaud those who work to connect service to core academic subjects. Overall we believe it is advantageous to help kids get in the habit of connecting service to whatever they love.

After-School All-Stars school sites typically have a student leadership group called Entourage, which takes responsibility for the planning and leading of service and service-learning projects at their school for major days of service; such as Cesar Chavez Day, MLK Day, and Global Youth Service Day. In addition, the Entourage group meets regularly and plans other service projects during the year.

After-School All-Stars is also making an effort to incorporate youth service as a responsibility of all of our sports teams and coaches. For example, we encouraged students on a soccer team to research and decide a cause they would want to dedicate their season to and then eventually create a way to support their cause through their season. We called it “Play for a Cause” and teams were encouraged to raise money from fans at their games, offer direct services to nonprofits instead of practicing one day, raise awareness of their cause by creating posters, and even dedicate a trophy to their charity. We asked these students, “If professional athletes and teams give back – why not middle school athletes too?”
Based on our experience working with Entourage middle school students in San Diego, please find a few key lessons Joe Hong has found in all his work with youth service and service-learning.

Successful service-learning with middle school students requires:

• TIME AND PLANNING

• ACADEMICS

• HEART AND MEANING

• VOICE

• RESPECT

• COMMUNITY

• REFLECTION

• PROGRESS

We have found that success EQUALS:

• Passionate staff

• Start small, see the big picture

• Clear roles and expectations

• Flexibility in schedule

• Link between service and standards

• Give the students a voice; feeling of empowerment

Below are a few examples of successful youth service and service-learning projects currently under way with ASAS San Diego students.

Urban Gardening
The problem of childhood obesity in the U.S. has grown considerably in recent years. The participants of After-School All-Stars Greater San Diego find this epidemic relevant to the community and the children we serve. Like other impoverished towns all over this country, there isn't a lot of access to high quality fruits and vegetables. There are also a disproportionate number of fast food places, which do not serve healthy food, but rather offers food that is much cheaper. Students in our after-school programs are creating an awareness of the community needs and are collaborating with two local community gardens. The students are growing an abundant number of fruits and vegetables that are given to families in need, meanwhile we provide nutritional education. The gardens are giving students access to fresh foods, introducing them to nature, and helping them live a healthier lifestyle.

Compassion for Haiti
Students at Montgomery Middle School in San Diego wanted to lead their school in an effort to respond to one of the gravest humanitarian crises in the Western Hemisphere. The students wanted their voices to be heard and they wanted to create an awareness of what they are doing to help not just in their communities, but in other nations. Not only are they raising money and creating awareness, the students are learning about the history and people of Haiti as well. The projects started the first week of the devastation and will continue until the end of the school year. Our service-learning club (Entourage) is leading the charge and is getting their fellow classmates, teachers, parents and administrators involved. They have collected over $2,000 thus far.

Bridging the Generation Gap
Today we stand on the brink of a national epidemic unlike anything we have experienced before. As the largest number of Americans reaches retirement age, Alzheimer’s and other similar progressive and fatal diseases threaten life as we know it. Our after-school students are reaching out and helping our elders living in San Diego because we have over 90,000 families coping with these diseases every day. The students have made monthly commitments of companionship and friendship to isolated seniors who live in long-term care facilities. The students have been doing arts and crafts and engaging in other stimulating activities for the elders.

Restoring the Wildlife Habitat
Students have chosen to volunteer for the San Diego Audubon Society to help foster the protection of birds, wildlife, and their habitats. The society also offers local conservation and education programs. The students helped restore a special nesting site for endangered California Least Terns. They also worked at FAA Island, a small island just west of Fiesta Island that is used for air traffic control purposes and is usually closed to the public. Unfortunately, this site is full of vegetation and invasive plants and so cannot be used by the terns for nesting and rearing their young. The students worked to clear this vegetation and to prepare the site for the arrival of the terns in late April 2010.

Helping Refugees
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) provides opportunities for refugees to thrive in America. Each year, thousands of refugees are invited by the U.S. government to seek safety and freedom. Forced to flee conflict or persecution, many have survived for years against incredible odds. These refugees step off the plane with next to nothing but their dignity, hope, and determination. In San Diego, the IRC helps them rebuild their lives. The New Roots Community Farm, a project of the IRC in San Diego, was started to provide our refugee clients with land to farm their own food as a way to improve their food security. Our students will volunteer alongside the refugees to learn about the history, the people, and the cultures of so many different countries including: Somalia, Burma, Vietnam, and Kenya.

The final key thought from ASAS is to remember that we are not training the leaders of tomorrow; we are working with the community leaders of today. 

Joe Hong can be reached for questions at jhong@as-as.org.

What It Takes to Sustain Service-Learning

Written by: Fran Rudoff, Executive Director of KIDS Consortium & Jo Gates, AmeriCorps*VISTA with KIDS Consortium

Service-learning experiences engage students in solving authentic community problems, and there’s plenty of evidence (http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/fact_sheets/k-12_facts/impacts) that it’s a powerful strategy for teaching and learning. So what does it take to sustain service-learning, to develop a high-quality program that provides lasting results?

The KIDS (Kids Involved Doing Service-Learning) Consortium is honored to be facilitating the 2011 Service-Learning Sustainability Symposium with Learn and Serve – Michigan on February 9 and 10 at the Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire, Michigan. (Register by January 27, 2011 at www.michigan.gov/mcsc.) Participating school district teams will explore systemic approaches for embedding service-learning into their organizational culture, including an intentional process to examine the elements of quality service-learning, and the nature and extent of professional development activities for educators that lead to quality experiences for students.

We know from the experiences of hundreds of school districts we’ve worked with around the country that full integration of service-learning into the culture and curriculum of a district and the larger community requires a thoughtful, integrated process. Rob Liebow, superintendent of Mount Desert Island Regional School System (home to Acadia National Park) in Maine, says, “I’ve really come to be a true believer in the value of service-learning. It is the one biggest change that we’ve made in our curriculum that has made the most difference for our kids.” The district’s Educational Vision Framework, developed by a leadership team of administrators, teachers, and community members emphasizes differentiated instruction and includes service-learning. This support has led to a wide variety (http://su98xserver.u98.k12.me.us/U98/Snow/Service_Learning/Photo_Gallery.html) of successful service-learning projects (http://su98xserver.u98.k12.me.us/U98/Joanne/Pemetic_School_S-L/The_Story_in_Photos.html) in the district since 2001.

Developing an educational framework that integrates service-learning into the educational process for all students involves four key elements: leadership and vision; professional development; curriculum, instruction, and assessment; and community involvement. Each of these areas will be explored during the Symposium; teams will leave with tools and strategies to consider their current status, set goals for the future, and identify initial steps for moving forward.

Leadership and Vision

What does it look like when a community and school district have a clear vision and strong leadership for service-learning? There are as many paths as there are educational leaders. However, some major indicators of system-wide support and vision are significant factors:

· Integration of service-learning into a district’s mission or goals statement.

· A broad-based leadership team empowered to set goals, allocate resources, evaluate progress, and make connections between service-learning and other school initiatives

· A strong administrator and team who demonstrate a commitment to service-learning.

Professional Development

A key element of sustaining a high-quality service-learning environment is continuous and varied professional development opportunities for educators. Understanding the differences between service-learning and other forms of community-based learning, and then going deeper and learning tools to implement high-quality service-learning, is fundamental to sustaining a solid program in a district. The KIDS Consortium model (http://www.kidsconsortium.org/learningservice.php) of service-learning stresses three key principles – student ownership, academic integrity, and apprentice citizenship – and also provides a practical step-by-step framework to guide implementation. The framework is consistent with the new national quality standards (http://www.nylc.org/pages-programs-researchleadership-K_12_Service_Learning_Standards_for_Quality_Practice?oid=6453) and includes the following:

· Define service-learning.

· Discover problems and needs in their school or community.

· Investigate the causes and effects of the problems they identify.

· Research various solutions to the problems.

· Evaluate the pros and cons of each solution and decide on the actions they will take.

· Create an action plan and timeline to implement their ideas.

· Implement their plan.

· Evaluate the results of their actions.

While these more linear steps are occurring, teachers also create a collaborative environment in the classroom to foster team work; facilitate on-going reflection (making connections between learning and the project); connect the service-learning project to the curriculum; reach out with students to parents and the public; and celebrate successes along the way.

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Academic integrity is one of the key elements (http://www.kidsconsortium.org/kidsmodel.php) of service-learning, highlighting curriculum throughout the process of integrating service-learning into the district’s culture. Initially, the connection of individual projects to academic objectives is often the only focus. As the extent and quality of practice grows, districts begin to expand opportunities for students to have multiple service-learning experiences through all grade spans and multiple content areas. Embedding service-learning in the curriculum at specific points is an overall strategy that often takes years to plan and implement.

Community Involvement

Engaging community organizations and others outside the schools in service-learning projects takes time and effort. As community members work directly with students on projects, see the projects highlighted in local media, and see positive results in the community, these relationships strengthens the students, the schools, and the community.

About KIDS Consortium

Founded in 1992, KIDS (Kids Involved Doing Service-Learning) Consortium is a nonprofit organization that has engaged 300,000+ students in service-learning projects connected to local and national issues. KIDS Consortium education consultants train and assist teachers, administrators, and community partners as they work with K-12 students to identify, research, and address real community challenges with service-learning. To learn more, please visit www.kidsconsortium.org.

NOTE: If you haven’t already, don’t forget to register for the 2011 Service-Learning Sustainability Symposium! Registrations are due by Thursday, January 27 and can be done at www.michigan.gov/mcsc.

The Importance of Youth Service and the Efforts of the 2011 Global Youth Service Day

By: Learn and Serve – Michigan Team

What is Global Youth Service Day?
Although it is only January, it is hard not to think about the 2011 Global Youth Service Day coming up in April. As suggested in the title, Global Youth Service Day is a youth-led service event that occurs all over the world. The purpose, or mission of this national day of service is to mobilize youth to improve their communities and address some of the following issues: education, health, clean energy/environmental stewardship, economic opportunity, disaster preparedness, support to veterans military families, and public safety, just to name a few. Students are encouraged to lead and plan their own service or service-learning project to be held over the course of the weekend of April 15-17. Overall, Global Youth Service Day is a program led by Youth Service America, which encourages youth to engage in volunteering.

Why is Youth Service in particular so important?
Through quality service experiences, youth can develop important skills such as critical thinking, a sense of civic responsibility, and an increased sense of self efficacy that will be useful to them throughout their college and work lives. The sense that they can, and should, participate in their communities creates a strong foundation for their future civic engagement. When service is tied to what young people are learning in the classroom the impact is even more promising. In addition to the civic and academic skills benefits, studies are starting to suggest the connection youth make to community members, their educators, and other classmates can impact their decisions and abilities to graduate from high school. Youth engagement in a community, especially when tied to the curriculum and when the youth are given an active voice, can be an enormous benefit to the path of not only the youth’s future, but the community's future as well.

What is the Michigan Community Service Commission doing for Global Youth Service Day?
The Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) is again serving as a Lead Agency for Global Youth Service Day. In partnership with Youth Service America and The LEAGUE Michigan, the MCSC will be working to mobilize young people from across the state to make a difference! The MCSC will award mini-grants to organizations in Michigan to host Global Youth Service Day projects. Grants will be valued at up to $500, and applications must be written by youth who plan on participating and implementing the project. Volunteer Centers, 501(c)3 organizations, and K-12 and higher education institutions are just some of the many organizations who are encouraged to apply.

How do I get involved?
Get project ideas, find a project near you, and/or register your project by visiting www.gysd.org.

Apply for the MCSC’s and The LEAGUE Michigan’s mini-grant! Guidelines and the application can be found online here: http://michigan.gov/documents/mcsc/2011_GYSD_Mini-Grant_Guidelines_and_Application_342628_7.pdf. They are due by Monday, February 28, 2011 by 5:00 p.m.

Stay updated! Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/mcsconline and Facebook at www.facebook.com/MICommunityServiceCommission.

2011 Michigan Mentoring Month: What are you doing to "Pass It On" this year?

Written by: Katy Timmer, Mentor Michigan AmeriCorps*VISTA Member

Hi! I’m Katy Timmer, a second-year AmeriCorps*VISTA serving with the Mentor Michigan team at the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC). Mentor Michigan is a statewide partnership of more than 250 youth mentoring organizations. Mentor Michigan works to ensure all youth have ongoing relationships with stable, caring individuals. Along with the Mentor Michigan team, my time is largely dedicated to supporting youth mentoring programs across the state through outreach, resources, training and technical assistance, and helping volunteers connect with mentoring programs in their area, among other tasks.

As I approach the halfway point of my second year of service and reflect on the last year and a half, I think of all I have learned as well as the personal and professional growth I have experienced in such a short period. My experience serving as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with Mentor Michigan and the MCSC, as well as volunteering through Big Brothers Big Sisters and Girl Scouts, has altered my path in life, in an unexpectedly positive way. I am about to begin my second semester in the Youth Development Specialist Graduate Program at Michigan State University, a career path inspired by the service opportunities I have been afforded. January is the 2011 Michigan Mentoring Month, which provides a perfect opportunity to celebrate and reflect on our own life-changing experiences, and take time to “Pass It On.”

The annual Michigan and National Mentoring Month – held every January – provides an opportunity to recognize the impact of volunteer mentors, recruit additional individuals to serve, and celebrate the efforts of mentoring matches across the state. The Michigan Mentoring Month theme is “Pass It On” because we believe sharing a little of yourself with a young person can reward both of you with lifelong benefits.

Help us spread the word about the impact of mentoring in Michigan! Visit www.mentormichigan.org to explore the 2011 Michigan Mentoring Month Toolkit, which contains resources and ideas to help promote activities, thank mentors, and recruit new mentors. Make sure to check out the 2011 Michigan Mentoring Month Projects document to learn more about the great events and activities held across the state by local mentoring programs!

In addition to these events, there are three special opportunities to highlight and support mentoring as part of the 2011 Michigan Mentoring Month:

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on Monday, January 17, 2011. Consider volunteering; creating a service opportunity for your employees, colleagues, students, or community members to participate in; or just build awareness about service with those around you.

Thank Your Mentor Day on Thursday, January 25. On that day, we encourage you to reach out to thank or honor those individuals who encouraged and guided you, and had a lasting impact on your life.

Mentoring Night at the Palace on Saturday, January 22, features the Detroit Pistons and the Palace at Auburn Hills celebrating mentoring and they want you to join them! Come participate in the first-ever "Mentoring Night at the Palace" and watch the Pistons take on the Phoenix Suns at 7:30 p.m. Throughout the evening a special emphasis will be placed on mentoring.

For more information and to purchase tickets at a discounted rate, please visit: http://www.nba.com/pistons/tickets/mentor_michigan.html. For every ticket sold through this website Mentor Michigan will receive $5, which will be distributed through a statewide funding opportunity at a later date in the form of Detroit Pistons mini-grants.

Help us make mentoring count in Michigan!