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| From the Editors: |
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The Learn and Serve Challenge is right around the corner, October 6-12, 2008! The Challenge is a concentrated week of special events and community outreach activities designed to raise awareness and build support for service-learning. In other words, this is your chance to show the world what service-learning is and how it benefits students and communities across the country. Spotlight the work that youth in YOUR neighborhood are doing to better themselves and their communities and help get the word out about the power of service-learning! Learn more at www.learnandservechallenge.org
Don’t know where to start? Learn and Serve America’s National Service-Learning Clearinghouse can help! In addition to promoting your service-learning successes on our website, look to us for tips and resources on telling the service-learning story. We’ve focused this month’s newsletter on Accepting the Challenge, so read on for factsheets, resources, and NSLC library items on promoting and celebrating service-learning.
Be the Solution!
Barbara and Liberty
Barbara Holland, National Service-Learning Clearinghouse Director
Liberty Smith, National Service-Learning Clearinghouse Program Manager |
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| News: |
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National Service Agency Turns to Internet to Grow Campus Service
Aiming to tap the skyrocketing popularity of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace to promote social good, the Corporation for National and Community Service today announced $2.3 million in grants to use social media to engage college students in service to meet community needs. Read the full press release. |
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National Service Moves In After Hurricane Ike
National service disaster responders swung into action to assist recovery efforts after Hurricane Ike’s devastating impact throughout Texas late last week. With AmeriCorps members pre-positioned to deploy, response has been fast and effective. Read the Press Release. Or, get ideas on how you can help from our Hurricane Katrina Relief Service-Learning Resources and Tools page. |
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| New From NSLC: |
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This month, in honor of the Learn and Serve Challenge, we’ve decided to showcase some of the NSLC and Learn and Serve America produced materials that can help support you in spreading the word about service-learning.
Bring Learning to Life
Learn and Serve America has created a set of tools – available for free – to help you spread the word about the benefits of service-learning and grow the movement of service-learning from 30 percent of K-12 schools to more than 50 percent of schools in the next five years. To request these Bring Learning to Life materials, send an email to orders-nslc@servicelearning.org, or call 1-866-245-7378, extension 130. Or visit, www.servicelearning.org/lsa/bring_learning/
NSLC created these Tip Sheets to help you promote service-learning in your schools and communities using the Bring Learning to Life Materials:
Introduce Service-Learning to Your Local PTA
http://www.servicelearning.org/filemanager/download/bll_tipsheets/
Introduce_SL_to_your_Local_PTA.pdf
Present On a Service-Learning Student Perspective At A School Board Or Other Public Meeting
http://servicelearning.org/filemanager/download/bll_tipsheets/
Present_SL_to_your_School_Board_or_at_Another_Public_Meeting.pdf
Present Service-Learning to Your School Using Bring Learning to Life Materials
http://www.servicelearning.org/filemanager/download/bll_tipsheets
/Present_SL_to_Your_School_Using_the_BLTL_Materials.pdf
Demonstration and Celebration! Recognize Students and Teachers for Their Efforts in Service-Learning
http://www.servicelearning.org/filemanager/download/bll_tipsheets/
Recognize_Teachers_and_Students_for_their_SL.pdf
NSLC has Fact Sheets on a variety of service-learning and related topics pertaining to all four service-learning sectors. Here we have highlighted two resources that provide information on and an overview of the impacts and benefits of service-learning:
Benefits of Community-Based Service-Learning
http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/fact_sheets/cb_facts/benefits_cbosl/index.php
Impacts of Service-Learning on Participating K-12 Students
http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/fact_sheets/k-12_facts/impacts/index.php |
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| People are Talking About... |
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This month saw an active discussion on the Higher Ed email discussion list around the minimum amount of service time required for a class to be designated a service-learning course. Members from around the country gave examples from their respective universities. The conversation broadened to questions of what qualified as service/service-learning and whether students and faculty become burdened by the rigors and time-commitment of service-learning courses. To read these comments or add your own visit: http://lists.etr.org/read/messages?id=92536
On the K-12 email discussion lists, a conversation arose about service-learning project ideas, ranging from HIV/AIDS to historic preservation projects. Read about them here or add your own thoughts: http://lists.etr.org/read/messages?id=92248
If you’d like to sign up to receive messages from one or more of our email discussion lists on service-learning, please visit http://www.servicelearning.org/what_is_service-learning/lists_news/. |
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| NSLC How-Tos: |
Participate in the Learn and Serve Challenge
Accept the Challenge! The National Learn & Serve Challenge, organized by the National Service-Learning Partnership is a perfect opportunity to celebrate service-learning. October 6-12 marks the kickoff week to raise awareness about service-learning successes across the country with the spirit of continuing the effort throughout the year. This weeklong series of local, state, and national events designed to raise awareness and public support for service-learning is a great opportunity to shine the spotlight on service-learning in your local schools and community.
Here are some other ways that you can Be A Solution and participate in The National Learn & Serve Challenge:
For more ideas for spreading the word about service-learning, check out this month’s featured library resources.
Through service-learning, young people can “BE A SOLUTION” to real world challenges that face our community, nation and the world. |
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| Featured Library Resources: |
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Hands On Social Marketing: A Step By Step Guide
Social marketing is the use of commercial marketing techniques to promote behavior that will improve the health or well-being of the target audience or society as a whole. Hands-On Social Marketing: A Step-by-Step Guide will provide you with the practical skills you need to put social marketing to work for you. Each chapter takes into account the challenges faced by organizations with small budgets and little experience with developing and implementing this type of program. Despite this orientation, the information in this book is equally applicable to those working at the state, national, or international levels. The main message of this book is that you can do social marketing yourself. You do not need to hire a high-priced advertising agency or spend large sums of money to put these ideas into practice. This book emphasizes low-cost research methods and tells how to stretch a small budget without sacrificing quality.
http://servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=3960
Perceptions: Understanding and Responding to What People Think About Service-Learning
A key goal of the Learning In Deed initiative is to support the field in its efforts to broaden the base of support for service-learning. As a starting point, Learning In Deed gathered information through focus groups, a media scan and other sources to provide a snapshot of perceptions about service-learning. Although the research indicates that service-learning is not widely known or understood by the general public, education is an issue that resonates with almost everyone. Understanding what the general public thinks about education can offer insight into communicating about service-learning. This booklet is designed to provide a snapshot of perceptions about service-learning and suggestions for responding to these perceptions. This “snapshot” was compiled over a period of several months in late 1998 and early 1999 using various types of opinion research. This document should not be considered a comprehensive study on public opinion about service-learning but rather initial findings that the authors hope will be useful to the field. This is a tool for service-learning advocates to motivate and convince others about the value of service-learning.
http://servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=791
Public Relations and Marketing Tips for Service-Learning
This resource offers tips and suggestions for promoting and marketing service-learning and garnering support for service-learning programs.
http://servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8087
The Service-Learning Policy Toolkit
 The Toolkit was created to provide an educational opportunity for service-learning advocates interested in helping inform policymakers. The Toolkit is intended to support ongoing efforts to increase awareness and support for quality service-learning programs. It provides information and strategies for the work of service-learning’s most powerful supporters – the practitioners, teachers, student leaders, administrators and community activists who have experienced the powerful impact which service-learning can have on students and the community. The Toolkit helps supporters better understand how policymaking at the district, state and federal level can help to expand the overall scope and quality of the service-learning field
http://servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=6830
Sharing Your National Service Story: A Guide to Working with the Media
 This resource provides a guide to public relations for national service organizations to working with media outlets. It includes answers to many frequently answered questions and offers tips and ideas for people new to public relations and those interested in learning new ideas for broadcasting their message. The main section of this guidebook contains: brief descriptions of the various types of media outlets; pointers on conducting media outreach, including developing a media plan, selling your story to reporters, putting together a good press list; tips on building and maintaining relationships with reporters; useful pointers for interviews; advice on communicating through public service announcements (PSAs). Additionally, this guidebook provides several appendices with useful information and tips.
http://servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7081
Why Don't More People Listen When We Talk About Service-Learning?
Talk It Up is a year-long series written to help people advocate more effectively on behalf of service-learning. This edition addresses how to better promote service-learning through "social-marketing." The authors define four key elements of this approach and apply them to advocacy.
http://servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=6514
Marketing 101: Using Social Media / Web 2.0 to Highlight Your Program
This resource contains information, resources, and links on using Web 2.0 and social media tools to support and highlight your service-learning program. Whether you’re just beginning to think about building a website for your program or you’re interested in how the newest technology advances can improve your communication and your program this page has something for you. From website design, to social networking, podcasts, and RSS NSLC has pulled together links and resources to help you to disseminate your information/message faster, further, and more effectively.
http://servicelearning.org/instant_info/marketing_101/index.php
**Service-Learning ‘Classic’**:
In addition to bringing you new library resources or those selected each month around a theme, we want to highlight some of those foundational resources that are of enduring importance and usefulness to the field. Remember that you can always conduct a search for such "classic" resources (or "starter" and "expert" resources) by visiting our advanced library search page. http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/default.php
Building Support for Service-Learning
Service-learning is recognized as one way to help reform American schools. Conrad and Martinez address the importance of a shared vision for service-learning by teachers, students, administrators, parents, and community members. Aguilera addresses the importance of effective school leadership to support service-learning. Kraft describes the necessity of collaboration within specific schools in order to insure effective service learning. Kraft also writes how to effectively train teachers in the school setting to integrate service learning and how to build strong partnerships between family, school and community to foster service-learning. Martinez, Conrad, and Billig note how to foster public support for service-learning. Billig addresses how to fund service-learning programs, emphasizing the acquisition of outside funding. Billig also addresses how federal, state, and local policies impact service-learning and how key government policies relate to service learning.
http://servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=1695 |
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| Order Publications from NSLC: |
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Did you know that NSLC offers copies of many of our most popular service-learning marketing resources for free or low cost to both grantees and non-grantees? You can order free copies of the Bring Learning to Life items or of the NSLC promotional postcard for SLICE: Service-Learning Ideas and Curricular Examples to help you spread the good news about service-learning. The order process is easy. Just fill out the form online and let us do the rest!
http://www.servicelearning.org/pubs/index.php |
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| What's Happening: |
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2008 Imagining America Conference
October 2 – 4, 2008
Los Angeles, CA
Center for Diversity and Democracy, University of Southern California
www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=832
The National Learn & Serve Challenge
October 6 – 12, 2008
Your Local Community
National Service-Learning Partnership
www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=836
2008 5th Annual NAAEE Research Symposium -- EE Research: To what end?
October 14 – 15, 2008
Wichita, KS
North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)
www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=822
37th Annual NAAEE Conference – Explore New Horizons for Environmental Education
October 15 – 18, 2008
Wichita, KS
North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)
www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=821
National Conference on Disability Inclusion & National Service: Acting Today to Shape the Future
October 16 – 18, 2008
Alexandria, VA
Corporation for National and Community Service, the National Service Inclusion Project, the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston and the Association of University Centers on Disability
www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=813
8th Internal research Conference on Service-Learning & Community Engagement
October 26 – 28, 2008
New Orleans, LA
International Association for Research on Service-learning and Community Engagement
www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=728
Engaging Youth through Service-Learning in Out-of-School Time Settings
November 5 – 6, 2008
San Diego, CA
Rescue Social Change Group, California Department of Education (CDE), and the California Afterschool Network
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=848
12th Annual Healthy Communities Healthy Youth Conference: Igniting Sparks
November 6 – 8, 2008
Minneapolis, MN
Search Institute
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=756
ACHE 70th Annual Meeting
November 8 – 11, 2008
Nashville, TN
ACHE & Murray State University
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=629
Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education: Strategies for Campus-Wide Collaboration
November 10 – 11, 2008
Burlington, VT
The School for International Training/World Learning and Vermont Campus Compact
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=833
20th Annual National Dropout Prevention Network Conference
November 16 – 19, 2008
Atlanta, GA
National Dropout Prevention Center
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=827 |
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| Learn and Serve America Grantee Materials Roundup: |
Have you ever been convinced that your program isn't the first to try a particular idea? Do you wonder if others would be interested in your project discoveries? Whether you're just starting out, or have been engaged in service-learning for years, let the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse make the connection for you. We collect materials created by service-learning programs and add them to our library for others to access. If you have produced surveys, forms, curricula, project plans, or any type of materials that could be shared with others involved in service-learning, send them our way! Check out this list of recent grantee submissions to find evaluation tools, program ideas, publicity ideas, strategies for measuring learning, etc.
Whether or not you're a Learn and Serve America Grantee, let others know about the successful approaches used in your service-learning program. Submit today at:
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/promote/index.php
Remember that Learn and Serve America grantees must send the Clearinghouse all program evaluations and other material developed through their funded activities.
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/grantee_submitted_mats.php |
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Fund Development Tools
Northwestern Connecticut Area Health Education Center
This toolkit provides templates, checklists, and guidelines for service-learning programs looking to build key relationships, apply for grants, and secure funding.
http://servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8106
Internet Safety Podcasts
Arizona Learn and Serve
This collection of podcasts on CD-ROM was created by students at Casa Grande Middle School in Arizona as a service-learning project. The podcasts cover issues of Internet safety, such as cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and chatroom safety.
http://servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8096
Learn and Serve America Meth Free TN: Youth Edition, Year 2 Project Evaluation Report
Volunteer Tennessee
The University of Tennessee’s Institute for Assessment and Evaluation (IAE) was contracted to provide ongoing annual evaluation of the Learn and Serve America (LSA) Meth Free TN: Youth Edition (also referred to as Afterschool Service-Learning) over the life of the grant program. Learn and Serve America Meth Free TN: Youth Edition is a statewide grant program that supports integration of service-learning in afterschool programs to further statewide methamphetamine (meth) prevention initiatives by creating anti-meth communication products by youth for youth. In this second annual evaluation report, the Institute for Assessment and Evaluation team presents its findings and conclusions regarding Afterschool Service-Learning progress as of June 2008 (the end of the project reporting year July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008). This report provides a formative evaluation perspective. Accordingly, the evaluation offers findings, conclusions, and recommendations for consideration by the State Program Coordinator and staff.
http://servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8104
Public Relations and Marketing Tips for Service-Learning
Florida Learn & Serve
This resource offers tips and suggestions for promoting and marketing service-learning and garnering support for service-learning programs.
http://servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8087
A Quick Guide to Service Learning for Elementary Schools
Arizona Learn and Serve
This guide was written by busy elementary teachers for busy elementary teachers who want to incorporate service-learning into their classroom and school. The ideas in this book are simple and do-able. Teacher that pick up this guide can read the general materials and head straight to ideas for their grade level (K-6) and subject curriculum. This guide includes information on Arizona Department of Education Service-Learning Competencies and Indicators, as well as project planning worksheets and other resources.
http://servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8094 |
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| Promote Your Program! |
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We want to show the world what service-learning can look like!
Do you have a terrific story of a student who was slipping through the cracks until they were reached by service-learning? Or do you have an inspiring project that makes others wonder what THEY could be doing to better the community? Send us your service-learning success stories and let us tell them to America!
http://www.servicelearning.org/nslc/success_story_form/
Send us your high quality photos of your service-learning programs or projects to highlight on our sector pages, as well as on the rest of the site, what service-learning in action can look like!
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/mat_contrib/share_photo_form.php
Photos and Success Stories aren’t the only way that you can promote the work you’re doing and help support others who are doing service-learning across the country. SLICE is the newest tool from Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse to help make service-learning easier and better. It's an easy-to-search database full of hundreds of high quality service-learning lesson plans, syllabi, and project ideas. You can help grow this resource and grow the field of service-learning by submitting your own service-learning curricular examples today! http://www.servicelearning.org/slice/index.php
We really appreciate all the contributions you make to the enhancement of Learn and Serve America’s National Service Learning Clearinghouse, America 's Resource for Service-Learning Information. |
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| Success Stories: |
| Success stories are a way for NSLC to highlight and show off what you have done and are doing in the realm of service-learning.
Submit your story. |
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Be Girl Scout Green (Learn and Serve America Grantee)
  Through its Project FLOW (Future Leaders of Watersheds) program, the West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service provided funding to the Girl Scouts of Shawnee Council for their "Be Girl Scout Green" service-learning initiative.
Troop 362 from Hardy County has been involved with the "Be Girl Scout Green" service-learning project from the very beginning. Several of the troop members began by participating as members of a youth focus group, which provided the leadership necessary to structure the service-learning program. As a result of the focus group, a wetland management program for the White Rock Girl Scout Camp in Capon Bridge was developed. This project taught the girls how wetlands are created, the habitat they provide for animals, and the propose wetlands serve for humans. The girls charted the growth of the wetlands by measuring the land and water. They also collected macro invertebrates and amphibians to serve as a measuring gauge for animal growth in the wetlands. Girls saw the need to remove invasive species at the wetlands and have held several service projects in removal.
 A Watershed Patch Program was also initiated as a result of the focus groups, including the design of a special patch for "Be Girl Scout Green" participants. Focus group participants also became the teachers of younger girls' stream monitoring, wetlands activities, and general watershed education at Girl Scout-sponsored events.
An Older Girl group from Hardy County, Troup 362 decided to learn about stream health in their community and began to monitor streams. The troop created a presentation on Save Our Streams monitoring program and contacted their Town Clerk to speak at a meeting with their Wardensville Town Council. From their presentation, the city granted permission for the troop to monitor the stream that flows through their community park. The troop also procured funding from the local Lions Club and Veterans of Foreign Wars to purchase a water testing kit and boots, due to Troop 362's dedication and recognition that watershed monitoring and sampling is an important need in the community.
For more information about this project, please contact Ms. Sherry Swint at West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service, 710 Central Ave., Charleston, WV 25302, sswint@mail.state.wv.us - http://www.volunteerwv.org. |
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View other success stories. |
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Spread the Good News! |
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NSLC is all about sharing, so please feel free to forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues and invite them to subscribe by sending a blank email to join_nslc-newsletter@lists.etr.org. You're also welcome to incorporate excerpts from the newsletter into your own newsletter (just be sure to cite Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse NSLC Newsletter and send us a copy). |
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