Youth Can Extend Themselves at Extended School Day Programs: Community Engagement With Service Learning
“It’s not your father’s Oldsmobile” and “Orange juice, it’s not just for breakfast anymore.” You recognize those taglines from a couple of old ad campaigns, right? Just good old Madison Avenue suggesting that we should think about some old friends in a new way. That is just a little bit like what this post is doing, only I’m not a Madison Avenue ad exec, so I don’t have a snappy tagline. Plus, I know that this is not an entirely new way to think of “an old friend.” But if you come up with a snappy tagline, please, share it. I’ll give you all kinds of credit for it.
Just for breakfast?
More and more extend school day program (before school/after school/during school vacation programs) teachers are using service learning.
Why?
For the same reasons that other school teachers use it—the benefits are many.
The Afterschool Alliance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation, released an issue brief this month that discusses civic engagement and service learning in afterschool programs. The title of the brief is Providing Opportunities for Service Learning for Middle School Students. Even though the title isn’t all that catchy, it is a good one to download and read, especially if you have been looking for ideas and support for service learning outside of the school day. (more…)
21st Century Skills and Service Learning: Data Collection and Analysis Creating Critical Thinkers and Effective Citizens
Wanted: caring citizens who think critically, analyze information and make well-informed choices.
Last week I posted a list of seven ways service learning provides opportunities for students to demonstrate 21st Century Skills and gave examples of one of the skills being met through a real project.
Here again is the list:
1) Solve complex, multidisciplinary problems;
2) Think critically, analyze information and make well-informed choices;
3) Be creative and entrepreneurial;
4) Communicate effectively in person and in writing;
5) Collaborate and foster teamwork;
6) Participate in civic life and democratic decision-making; and
7) Cultivate an ongoing commitment to learning.
Let’s look at another project and see how students are developing these skills. (more…)
Catching Up on the Civic Mission of School with the Guardian of Democracy: Inspiration for Civic Education and Engagement
Guardian of Democracy. Doesn’t that sound as if it could be a movie? Who would you place in the lead roles of such a film? Who would direct it? Well, never mind. It is not a movie. It is a report on civic education and civic engagement. Fade cut to the next scene…
Admit it. You have watched your favorite movie at least five times, haven’t you? So don’t start thinking that I am in left field for suggesting that you go back a reread one of your favorite reports on civic education from the last decade…I know, it is not the same as watching the Wizard of Oz in its original format. But I don’t think that we are in Kansas anymore (apologies to those of you in Kansas). (more…)
Youth as Citizen Scientists: STEM and Civic Engagement
I continue to be energized by the broad base of educators using STEM topics to engage youth in learning about their world, their community and themselves.
At KIDS, we are working with teachers to apply the best practices in civic engagement through our model of service learning with the best practices in science instruction. The initiative started as a grant funded by Learn and Serve America called Youth as Citizen Scientists. Use the link to read more about it. I’m giving you the abbreviated version here.
In 2009-10, a “Design Team” of experienced middle level STEM service-learning practitioners collaborated with KIDS and the Maine Math and Science Alliance to use Curriculum Topic Studies to integrate innovative, research-based instructional strategies into their students service-learning projects. One focus was to explore how middle level students collect, analyze and apply data to authentic problems in their schools and communities. This focus really helped students with data!
In 2010-11 “Expansion Sites” were added, allowing more teachers and more students to build on the knowledge and experience of the “Design Team.” Check out the projects!
This year teachers are disseminating what they have learned by presenting at conferences and through a soon to be published STEM and service-learning supplement (STEM S-L Guide) to KIDS as Planners: a Guide to Strengthening Students, Schools and Communities through Service-Learning. More about the STEM S-L Guide in the coming weeks.
Love to hear about your STEM related efforts…
Service-Learning Summer Institutes: Choose Your Location
KIDS Consortium’s flagship professional development opportunity for K-12 educators is the four-day Service-Learning Summer Institute.
Last year, we held four incredibly successful four-day Summer Institutes. For the first time ever, a KIDS Consortium Summer Institute was held in Florida. This year, we’re adding another “first”: Minnesota.
Yes, whether you teach in Florida, Minnesota, New York, Massachusetts, or Maine—or near any one of those—there’s a KIDS Consortium Summer Institute near you.
The KIDS Consortium Summer Institute was the very best course I’ve taken in many years! I am totally prepared to lead a service-learning project in my classroom or school and I also have many tools that I can use every day.
—Middle School Educator, Maine
What’s special about this program?
The Institute was by far the best teacher conference I have ever been to. Transformative. KIDS facilitators are fantastic. Well worth the trip from Georgia!
—Kimberley Dessureault, Inner Harbour for Children and Families, Douglasville, Georgia
Check out the locations of KIDS Consortium’s Summer Institutes for 2011:
| Winter Haven, Florida: June 21-24 |
Cambridge, Massachusetts:
June 27-30 |
North Berwick, Maine: July 19-22 |
| Minneapolis, Minnesota: July 26-29 |
New York City, New York: August 16-19 |
Albany, New York (private program): July 12-15 |
Three graduate credits are also available at a very affordable rate, from Salem State College/Northeast Consortium.
Everything you need to learn more, register, and apply for a scholarship is here: http://www.kidsconsortium.org/institute_for_educators.php
We look forward to seeing you this summer!
Grants for Service-Learning Projects
We’re just passing this information along because we know many of you are working on environmental and hunger-related issues in your service-learning projects. Several grants related to service-learning have upcoming deadlines:
- Sodexo Youth Grants: YSA (Youth Service America) and Sodexo will award 100 grants of $500 each to young people, ages 5-25, who are working on projects that address the issue of childhood hunger on Global Youth Service Day (April 15-17, 2011). Deadline: March 14. http://www.YSA.org/grants/sodexoyouth
- Disney Friends for Change Grants: YSA (Youth Service America) and Disney provide grants for youth-led service projects that focus on making environmentally friendly changes and engage youth on Global Youth Service Day, April 15-17. Fifty $500 grants will be awarded. Applicants must be between the ages of 5-25 and be associated with a school or organization. Deadline: March 10. http://www.YSA.org/grants/disney-friends-change-grants
- Sodexo School Engagement Grants: Ten grants of $5,000 will be awarded to teachers to implement a service-learning “Semester of Service” focused on childhood hunger, starting in September 2011 (Hunger Action Month) and going through Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week (November 14-20, 2011). Deadline March 18. Learn more at http://www.YSA.org/grants/sodexoschool
There’s also a “Green Your School” Challenge from DoSomething.org that may dovetail nicely with service-learning projects that involve improving environmental sustainability at school: http://www.dosomething.org/green-your-school
Current Funding Opportunities for Youth-Led Projects
Now is the time to think about 2010-2011 school year service-learning projects! Here are a few current funding opportunities for youth-led projects:
- Strong Communities Competition: This competition seeks innovative projects and ideas that engage citizens to steer change and build strong communities. Three winners will receive $5,000, and eight finalists will get to attend the Community Matters 2010 Conference. Community Matters has a special interest in receiving submissions from young people. Apply by August 11. http://www.changemakers.com/node/83131
- UnitedHealth HEROES Program: This service-learning, health literacy initiative developed by UnitedHealth Group and Youth Service America awards grants of up to $1,000 to help young people create and implement local, hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity. Applications available August 2. http://www.YSA.org/grants
- WaysToHelp.org: Teens can apply for grants to fund their community service ideas by visiting www.waystohelp.org, selecting “See Ways To Help” for one of the 16 issue areas, then clicking “Apply for a Grant.” Rolling deadline. http://www.waystohelp.org
- KIDS Consortium Green Mini-Grants: We will again be offering mini-grants for environmental sustainability KIDS model service-learning projects in New England. Priority will be given to educators who have attended a KIDS Consortium Summer Institute for Educators. Apply by September 13. http://www.kidsconsortium.org/2010minigrnt.php
There are several email lists and websites that list current grant and competition opportunities regularly. One that has many opportunities applicable to K-12 service-learning is http://www.ysa.org/grants, and you can subscribe to their email list from that page.
Summer of Summer Institutes
It’s a hot summer for service-learning here at KIDS. Last year, we held two incredibly successful four-day service-learning institutes for educators. This year, there are four.
Last week, education consultants Barbara Fiore and Matt Robinson presented the first-ever KIDS Consortium Summer Institute to be held in sunny Florida. Learn and Serve Florida partnered with KIDS Consortium to provide scholarships for teachers, State Farm Insurance generously donated the meeting space, and a wonderful group of creative, engaged, energetic teachers dedicated four days to learning about service-learning.
The institute last week has really helped me understand the standards and the various formats I can use to implement service-learning in my classroom. It has also expanded my ability to promote the service-learning teaching strategy!
—Kristy, middle school teacher, Lithia, FL
If that piques your interest at all, you’re in luck! KIDS Consortium is offering three more institutes this summer.
- Albany, New York: July 13-16
- Portland, Maine: July 20-23
- Cambridge, Massachusetts: August 17-20
There are a few spaces left at the New York training, and registration for Massachusetts is still open.
Also, three graduate credits are available for an additional $200, from Salem State College/Northeast Consortium.
Everything you need to learn more, register, and apply for a scholarship is here: http://www.kidsconsortium.org/institute_for_educators.php
We look forward to seeing you there!
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