# Presentation: 124141

##  How-to’s of Service-Learning

- January 9, 2007
- Atlanta, Georgia

**Alcohol Use Prevention Model Programs****_x0003__x0016_**

**in**

**Notes:**
This workshop focuses on how to keep the successes, the positive outcomes going.  There are 4 key talking points.
Each of the  grantee sites will respond to all 1 of the talking points.  They are welcome to bring any items, products, artifacts, photos, news articles, or examples to show, that correspond to their talking points.

## Introductions

** ****	****	****Meet the Panelists**

**Susie Richards**
*South Whidbey School District #206, Langley, WA*
**Denise Gaudette and **
**Jocelyn Andrade**
*New Bedford Public Schools, New Bedford, MA*

**Notes:**
The panelists for the four grantee sites will be introduced before proceeding.

## How Service-Learning Works

- Service-learning is a form of experiential education where learning occurs through a cycle of planning, action, and reflection.  Working with others, students acquire knowledge and skills and apply what they learn in community settings as they try to meet community needs.  They experience consequences, both literal and emotional.

**Notes:**
First let’s define service-learning.  (Read definition.)  

You’ll note...this isn’t defined as an “add on”...it’s defined as a methodology.  

Does anyone have any questions so far?  Anything to add about what CSL is?

## Evidence That Service -Learning Works

- -	A meta-analysis showed that service-learning was the most promising strategy for reducing some risk behaviors such as preventing pregnancies (Kirby, 1999)
- -	Studies in several states (Billig, 2000; 2003) show that students who
- 	-	engage in service-learning develop
- 	-	stronger internal locus of control
- 	-	take more responsibilities
- 	-	develop more of a sense of right and wrong and
- 	-	have stronger understanding of the consequences of their 	actions.

## Relationship to Learning (Eyler and Giles, 1999)

**  ****Service-learning experiences:**
- Are typically positive, meaningful, and real
- Involve cooperative, rather than competitive processes, thus promoting skills associated with teamwork and interdependency
- Address complex problems in complex settings rather than simplified problems in isolation

**Notes:**
OK, Let’s move on to how CSL is effective as a teaching strategy.
There are six key features of the service-learning experience that help to generate academic and other outcomes.  
First, the experiences are typically positive, meaningful, and real.  The experiences are authentic, not contrived, and students feel that they are making a difference since they can see what they are contributing to those being served.  
Second, service-learning is based on relationships.  In order to be successful, service-learning typically requires working with other students and/or others from a community agency.  The work promotes teaming, working with others to accomplish a task, and working on a team that does not include competition but rather cooperation to complete a task.  The experience tends to be positive since everyone has something to contribute, no matter what their skills are.  
Third, the service typically involves complex problems in complex settings – as such, students learn skills in real situations with real consequences.  Such skills tend to be more easily transferred to other situations and lead to a more complex view of the world and how society operates.

## Offer opportunities to engage in problem solving by requiring students to gain knowledge in specific contexts rather than drawing upon generalized or abstract knowledge

Promote deeper learning because results are immediate and are not contrived (no “right answers” in the back of the book)

Are more likely to be personally meaningful and to generate emotional consequences

- Promote deeper learning because results are immediate and are not contrived (no “right answers” in the back of the book)
- Are more likely to be personally meaningful and to generate emotional consequences

** ****Service-learning experiences ****(continued):**

**Notes:**
Fourth, service-learning is also contextualized in a place.  Students typically begin to understand the issues and challenges related to the context and the ways in which context plays a role in shaping behavior and attitudes.  Students learn how to contextualize their knowledge, which also helps them with transfer and ability to analyze and apply skills and knowledge more appropriately in the future.  

Fifth, typically deeper learning occurs because students experience results that are authentic.  They realize and like the idea that there is no single correct way to accomplish tasks and that they can build on their own strengths and strengths of the team.  

Finally, students tend to become more emotionally involved in the task because of the nature of the task and its relationship to society.  Students feel that the task is more meaningful because they are contributing to the greater good.  GIVE BARNSTABLE EXAMPLE...ask for others?

## Service-Learning Supports Academic Achievement & Youth Development

-     Research shows that service-learning
- Increased students’ enjoyment in school and knowledge of subject matter
- Decreased behavioral problems
- Heightened care for community
- Improved relationships
- Increased students’ desire to learn (Source: Billig, “Heads, Hearts and Hands” 2004)

## Learn & Serve America Outcomes    

- Evaluation of the program conducted in CA, HI, MI and TX found:
- Significantly higher student engagement
- Increased attendance
- Improved course grades and GPA’s
- Higher standardized test scores
- Reduced dropout rates

## Slide 9

## Building on Existing Partnerships

**Existing Municipal **
**Partnerships –CS****2**

**Alcohol Prevention **
**Resources – C.A.A.P.**

**Existing Community **
**Partnerships – Seven Hills**

- N.B.
- P.S.

## Collaborative Relationships Effect Positive Outcomes 

- Increase school-community partnerships
- Increase youth leadership opportunities
- Enriches professional development opportunities for staff
- -	Offer youth an opportunity to effect positive change on social issues impacting their community

## What Mrs. Texeira’s Students Want to Know and DO:

- I want to know more about:
- How does alcohol advertising exploit women?
- What is the impact of 18+ clubs on underage drinking?
- How are alcopops marketed to youth?
- How do drinking behaviors impact crime in our community?

- Things I want to do and change:
- Report on alcohol advertising and produce PSA’s with alcohol prevention messages
- Measure the density of alcohol outlets in high-crime and low-crime neighborhoods and work to limit alcohol licenses

## Interdisciplinary Unit & CSL

## Encouraging Civic Responsibility

**-**	“I hear, I forget.
-      I see, I remember.
- 	I do, I understand.”

**-** National surveys of adult volunteers show a strong correlation between volunteer service as a young person and later volunteering as an adult.—the Power of Service-Learning (2003), Carnegie Foundation and CIRCLE

## Volunteerism Among U.S. Youth

**-**	36% of young people ages 15-25 volunteered in the past year — 19% on a regular basis
**-**	Of these, 47% were high school students, 43% were college students and 23% were not current students
**-**	Most wanted to help others: only 13% expressed
- 	motivation to address a political or social issue (Source: www.civicyouth.org)

## Involving Youth

- Tie service-learning into classroom learning
- Give youth choices and challenges
- Listen to youth and find opportunities for them to serve that align with their interests
- Empower youth with meaningful ways to serve

##                     Website: www.icicp.org