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| From the Editors: |
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This month NSLC takes to road! We recently returned from inspiring trips to the California Service-Learning Leadership Institute and Gulf South Summit. We look forward to next week’s National Service-Learning Conference: Youth for a Change in Minneapolis (April 9-12); and the Continuums of Service Conference in Portland (April 17-19). Come visit our exhibits at these events to see a sneak preview of the new online tool we’ve created to make it easier to make a difference. Drop by and pick up new materials, share your stories, and let us know what you’re looking for in service-learning resources.
Or, come participate in NSLC-sponsored sessions at the National Service-Learning Conference:
- Liberty Smith and Heather Martin and others, “Shaping Service-Learning Futures: Conversations about Graduate School and Service-Learning,” (NYLC: Friday, April 11 4:15 pm)
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Eugene C. Roehlkepartain, Search Institute/NSLC Program Advisor and Kristin Johnstad, “Effective Service-Learning in Community-Based Organizations,” (Friday, April 11 4:15 pm)
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Shelley H. Billig, RMC Research Corporation/NSLC Program Advisor, “Making the Case for Service-Learning in K-12 Settings: Evidence of Outcomes and Impacts,” (Saturday, April 12 10:15am)
But you don’t have to wait for a conference to see what’s available at NSLC. Visit our website http://www.servicelearning.org/ or contact us with your service-learning reference questions at http://www.servicelearning.org/library/ref/. Or, check out our website for all of our resources, including our new six-page pamphlet, “What Is Service-Learning? A Guide for Parents,” written by Cathryn Berger Kaye, which will help you build parental support for your service-learning initiatives. Download or order it at: http://www.servicelearning.org/lsa/bring_learning/index.php#parents.
NSLC also has a new and improved way to learn about (and share) service-learning funding opportunities. Just subscribe to the new “Service-Learning Funding Opportunities” RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/SLFundingOps or visit the NSLC-sponsored Service-Learning Funding Opportunities blog: http://www.servicelearning.org/rss/funding.html.
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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Learn and Serve America Notices of Funding Available
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Apply for the Civic Mission of Schools Award
The California Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools is sponsoring an awards and recognition program for schools that support the Six Promising Approaches to Civic Education (30K doc). The intent is to have at least one awarded school for each of the Superintendent's 12 regions. The application and cover sheet is due April 18th (850K doc). See the "Civic Mission of Schools Report" (653K pdf) for background information. |
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| Program Advisor Spotlight: |
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Program Advisors to the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse provide sector-specific guidance and expertise to insure a responsive, contemporary, and vibrant NSLC. For information on all of our Program Advisors, visit: http://www.servicelearning.org/about_us/prog_advisors/index.php.
Featured Program Advisor: RMC Research Corporation, Program Advisor for K-12
Contact: Shelley Billig, Vice President
In the past several NSLC newsletters we have introduced you to our new Program Advisors in the Community-Based, Tribes and U.S. Territories, and Higher Ed sectors. This month we are delighted to focus our spotlight on long-time NSLC K-12 Program Advisor, RMC Research and it’s Vice President, Shelley Billig.
RMC Research Corporation provides a full range of research and evaluation, professional development, consulting, technical assistance, and product development services addressing all levels of education from early childhood through higher education, in schools, districts, universities, and communities. They provide consulting and professional services throughout the entire cycle of conducting research and program evaluation, from helping clients develop winning proposals, designing evaluations, constructing and piloting validated instruments, designing and executing scientifically based research studies on service-learning in K-12, analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, and disseminating findings and results through numerous channels.
Shelley Billig has been supporting the greater K-12 service-learning community through her years of excellent work as the NSLC K-12 Program Advisor. She heads several national and state research and evaluation projects to better understand the impacts of service-learning and to improve service-learning quality and practice. Shelley has also been the lead investigator in the development of the new national quality standards for service-learning.
Look for Shelley to be speaking about this work on the national standards at several sessions at the National Service-Learning Conference and at a soon-to-be announced free NSLC webinar and come by the NSLC booth to learn about ways this work is informing new NSLC products and services. |
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| New From NSLC: |
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Service-Learning and the Environment: Selected Resources
This bibliography presents a list of useful resources for all sectors relating to service-learning and the environment.
http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/bibs/cb_bibs/environment/index.php |
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Fact Sheets, Lite!
In an effort to make NSLC materials of even more use to you, we’re continuing the development of new mini versions of our Fact Sheets. While you’ll always be able to find the in depth research fact sheets on our website, we hope you’ll find these mini versions a great way to get a quick overview of important service-learning research. Below you’ll find links to some of these great new resources. And keep your eyes open in the newsletter and at NSLC’s booths at upcoming conferences for more:
Impacts of Service-Learning on Participating K-12 Students
Service-learning approaches used in K-12 schools have been found in many studies to have positive impacts on students' academic achievement, civic engagement, career aspirations, and social/personal development. This fact sheet provides an update and summary of research on K-12 service-learning impacts published since 1999.
http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/fact_sheets/k-12_facts/impacts/
Reflection in Higher Education Service-Learning
The process of reflection is a core component of service-learning. Service-learning practitioners and researchers alike have concluded that the most effective service-learning experiences are those that provide “structured opportunities” for learners to critically reflect upon their service experience. This fact sheet provides an overview of reflection in higher education service-learning and links to helpful resources.
http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/fact_sheets/he_facts/he_reflection/
Youth Voice in Service-Learning
Learn more about encouraging and increasing the input of young people in developing and implementing policies, plans and projects to guide service-learning efforts.
http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/fact_sheets/cb_facts/youth_voice/ |
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Service-Learning Funding Opportunities RSS Feed:
NSLC has a new (and improved) way to help you stay up-to-date on new service-learning funding opportunities!
Unlike a newsletter, email, or traditional webpage, an RSS feed offers you many more opportunities to use and reuse the information. You can subscribe so you'll always know what's new in service-learning funding instantly and you can incorporate the feed into your own webpage, iGoogle page, or blog so it will automatically add the newest content on your site. You just need a newsfeed reader or aggregator. To subscribe, click on (or copy and paste into an aggregator) the link below:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/SLFundingOps
If you have trouble using this feed, you can also get the updates by visiting. http://www.servicelearning.org/rss/funding.html
For more information on RSS feeds, see:
http://www.semiologic.com/resources/blogging/help-with-feeds/ |
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| People are Talking About... |
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One of the latest topics on the K-12 service-learning email discussion list has been research on service-learning and faith/religion/spirituality. Members have mentioned a survey done by the National Youth Leadership Council, with results posted in the 2006 edition of Growing to Greatness: The State of Service-Learning Project. (Available for download; see http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=6659).
The HE service-learning email discussion list has been the forum for an exchange on specific software or programs to track service-learning student data, particularly looking at retention in service-learning. Members weighed in with their suggestions, which you can view in the discussion list archives at http://lists.etr.org/read/messages?id=86270.
And, on the Indian Tribes and US Territories discussion list, keep an eye out for Program Advisor, John Guffey’s service-learning digest.
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: |
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Email Discussion Lists
Service-learning email discussion lists are electronic discussion forums that allow you to tap into a network of administrators, practitioners, researchers and students. Subscribing to email discussion lists is easy, convenient and free.
Commands
Almost everything that you might need to do on the server is most easily and effectively performed via Lyris's Web interface at http://lyris.etr.org
In case you do not have Web access or prefer to send commands and change settings via email, here are some key commands; in all cases, the commands should be sent to: lyris@lists.etr.org (not the address of the email discussion list). Note that commands may be placed in either the subject line or in the body of the message and are case sensitive. Multiple commands can be put in one message on separate lines. Here are just a few of the most useful ones:
SUBSCRIBING:
subscribe he-sl (or k12-sl or cbo-sl or tribal-sl) Firstname Lastname
ex: subscribe he-sl Jane Doe
UNSUBSCRIBING:
unsubscribe ysb-sl
TEMPORARILY SUSPENDING MAIL FROM THE LIST:
set he-sl nomail
RESUMING MAIL FROM THE LIST:
(command depends on your preferred mode) set he-sl mail set he-sl digest set he-sl index
If you have ANY problems related to the email discussion list please do not post them to the list. The email discussion list administrator is at your disposal for this very purpose and can be reached here:
Larry Hardison, larryh@etr.org or 866-245-SERV (7378), x195.
Searching
From the Lyris List Manager you can access email discussion list archives and search for past postings and conversations. Select a forum, either in My Forums or All Forums, select the Search tab and enter the word(s) you’d like to search for.
http://lists.etr.org/read/all_forums/
Tip:
- For greater accuracy try an advanced search which allows you to search the entire message, body, or header and also allows you to exclude messages containing particular words.
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| Featured Library Resources: |
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March is National Red Cross Month – check out the homeland security and disaster preparedness resources available through NSLC!
Homeland Security Sample Programs and Resources for School-Based Programs (full text)
CNCS school-based programs involving youth in homeland security activities are described in this document around the four themes of disaster/emergency prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. A listing of resources and relevant websites for designing and planning homeland security programs for school-based programs are also included.
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=6451
 Montana Citizen Preparedness Through Youth Leadership (full text)
This guide highlights students' service projects for school and community safety and disaster preparedness from Montana. Many of the projects use technology for their projects, including various computer and internet technologies, global positioning systems (GPS), and geographic information systems (GIS)...
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7421
 Prepare Today -- Lead Tomorrow Teen Toolkit
This toolkit was created to support teen community preparedness service-learning experiences. It provides background information on community preparedness and service-learning and takes teens through the entire process of designing a service-learning project, assessment, and reflection. It also includes over a dozen worksheets and several project ideas.
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7309
Y.O.D.A. Best Practices 2006
This DVD details best practices from the Y.O.D.A: Youth Organized for Disaster Action project. The Y.O.D.A. initiative is to provide students with a structured learning experience that allows them to enhance academic achievement, develop workplace-readiness skills, demonstrate active citizenship, and give back to their communities through service-learning while planning for and responding to health, safety, and security concerns in their schools or communities, including natural disasters, school violence, medical emergencies, or terrorist acts. This DVD provides resources and activities for helping youth prepare for and respond to emergencies in their communities through service-learning.
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7165
**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
Getting Past Go: Successful Strategies and Tools for Institutionalizing Service-Learning in Higher Education, WRCCC (Western Region Campus Compact Consortium).
he Western Region Campus Compact Consortium (WRCCC) investigates the institutionalizing service-learning in higher education. Materials from the study include the following: WRCCC's Institutional self-assessment benchmark worksheet and background materials, initial analyses of institutional movement in WRCCC's 44 subgranting partners, summary of institutional type-specific tips for institutionalizing service-learning, and summary of institutional type-specific and developmental level-specific best practices, advice for the field and contributing factors for success.
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=2342 |
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| Order Publications from NSLC: |
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Now available from NSLC!
American Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver (DVD)
This documentary looks at the life and work of Sargent Shriver, a man who has arguably touched more lives than any American since Franklin Roosevelt. Television journalist and former LBJ aide Bill Moyers calls him “the best all-around politician I’ve ever seen.” Yet, Shriver remains unknown to most Americans today. During his tenure in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, Shriver created the Peace Corps, directed the War on Poverty, and served as U.S. ambassador to France. The programs he created — including the Peace Corps, Head Start, Legal Services for the Poor, VISTA, Job Corps, Foster Grandparents, and Special Olympics — have improved the lives of millions. Sarge’s story offers both a guiding paradigm and a source of inspiration for those who wish to serve.
Available for purchase from NSLC for $7
http://www.servicelearning.org/pubs/index.php#shriver
Did you know that NSLC offers copies of many of our most popular resources for free or low cost to both grantees and non-grantees? You can order copies of the Bring Learning to Life public service announcement DVD and companion materials (including the new “What Is Service-Learning? A Guide for Parents,”) or order NSLC promotional items for your next event. 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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The 19th Annual National Service-Learning Conference: Youth for a Change
April 9 – 12, 2008
Minneapolis, MN
Sponsor: NYLC (National Youth Leadership Council)
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=618
Eleventh Annual Continuums of Service Conference
April 17 – 19, 2008
Portland, OR
Sponsor: Western Region Campus Compact Consortium
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=596
20th Annual International & Global Youth Service Day
April 25 – 27, 2008
(multiple locations)
Youth Service America and The Global Youth Action Network
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=630
Accept the Challenge! 2008 DC Conference on Service and Leadership
May 14 - 16, 2008
Washington, DC
Serve DC and the Center for Nonprofit Advancement
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=754
2008 EPICS Conference
May 20 - 22, 2008
Lafayette, IN
National Science Foundation
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=751
International Institute on Student-centered Learning and Engagement
May 20 - 23, 2008
Portland, OR
Portland State University's Center for Academic Excellence
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=741
Community-Engaged Scholarship Faculty Development Charrette
May 28 - 30, 2008
Chapel Hill, NC
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=727 |
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| Learn and Serve America Grantee Materials Roundup: |
Learn and Serve America’s National Service-Learning Clearinghouse library seeks submissions from Learn and Serve America Grantees and others. If you have produced any materials as part of your program, send them to us at NSLC to be added to the library and/or website. Your contributions can be used by other programs in their work. 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.
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/grantee_submitted_mats.php.
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/mat_contrib/index.php.
Remember that Learn and Serve America grantees must send the Clearinghouse all program evaluations and other material developed through their funded activities. |
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 A Guide to Engaging Students in Service-Learning Projects Addressing Hometown Safety: Lessons from Florida SPaRC: Second Edition
Florida Learn and Serve
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7271
How to Make History: Using Oral History in Community Studies and Service Learning Projects
Florida Learn and Serve
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7427
My Art...My World: A Handbook on Integrating Service Learning into the Art Classroom, Second Edition
Florida Learn and Serve
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7442
SAFE Models of Civic Engagement: Sustaining Service Learning
Community College National Center for Community Engagement
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7444 |
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| Promote Your Program! |
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Did you know that as well as providing expert-created resources and the largest service-learning library in the world, NSLC also provides easy ways to get your program participants the attention they deserve?
One of the easiest and most rewarding is to send us high quality photos of your service-learning programs or projects and we’ll highlight them throughout the website. You might even see your photo wind up in our newest print publication. Each photo used on the site will include the name of the school, a link to the school/project, and a caption. This is a great way to drive folks to your site while making ours more eye-catching and inspiring to visit. It’s easy. Just visit the quick online form at:
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/mat_contrib/share_photo_form.php
For even more bang for your publicity buck, Learn and Serve America grantee submissions will also be shared with Learn and Serve America and the Corporation for National & Community Service for inclusion in their photo collection. |
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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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Leadership Students Reconnecting with Native Community (A Learn and Serve America Subgrantee)
Does service learning support and boost academic achievement? This is a question that educators and administrators seek to answer—intrinsically, those teachers who participate in service learning know that it does, but finding solid, black and white evidence to document that fact is sometimes difficult. But for Navajo students of the STAR School, service learning also reconnects them to their community, their elders, their culture and their language. Their efforts over the past few years prove that service learning and academic achievement go hand in hand. Where many schools undertake one project, STAR students took on five very demanding projects. And their efforts have paid off for them.
On March 2, ten STAR students entered seven divisions of the Navajo Nation Science Fair in Window Rock. STAR students placed in six of the seven. Kee Wilson took first place in the Botany division, Afton Solomon placed first in Computer Science, Kyle Begay took first place in Earth Science, Crystal Drake took third in Social and Behavioral Sciences, Brandon Montour took second in Physics, and Kennedy Slowtalker took second in Engineering. The following Monday, Mar. 5, the Learn and Serve project directors at the school received a phone call from Governor Janet Napolitano’s office, learning that their leadership students had won the Governor’s Award for Volunteerism in the youth division. Of the eight leaders, four placed in the science fair. Another science fair winner serves as a leadership co-pilot. The students who will be accepting the Governor’s Award are: Paris Dixon, Hunter Bruner, Crystal Drake, Burrell Jones, Brandon Montour, Afton Solomon, Kee Wilson and Keshia Yazzie.
Wilson said that he didn’t expect to place in the science fair, so taking first place was a real surprise. Wilson’s project measured the drought resistancy of traditional indigenous seeds as compared to commercial seeds found in popular seed catalogues, proving that the heirloom seeds were superior not only for their ability to sprout in the dry climate of the Navajo reservation. They are also healthier. “Sweet corn has a lot of sugar in it as compared to heirloom blue flour corn. Eating our traditional corn helps prevent diabetes,” Wilson explained. “Gardening also gives you the opportunity to exercise, which also prevents diabetes.” “I am excited that we won the Governor’s Award,” Wilson admitted. “That was another surprise. I like service learning because we get to go out and help our community. I feel that this improves my attitude towards school.”
http://www.servicelearning.org/nslc/success_stories/cbo.php#1
For more information about this project, please contact Sandra Wilson, Learn and Serve -- STAR School Elder Help Project, 145 Leupp Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86004, isnalamanij@yahoo.com - http://www.starschool.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 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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