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.