Service-Learning through Intergenerational Community Experiences (SLICE)

1. Service-Learning through Intergenerational Community Experiences (SLICE) MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY – SUMMER 2012

2. Overview of SLICE PROGRAM Service-Learning through Intergenerational Community Experiences (SLICE) will provide mini-grants to Manchester College students and North Manchester youth for side-by-side service-learning projects that involve community members of all ages. The College students and other adults involved will mentor youth to pursue higher education. A project coordinator and Youth Advisory Board will guide the program. • What is Service-Learning? • Relationship between SLICE Partners • Points of Entry • Steps to Program (Mini-grants, expectations)

3. What does S.L.I.C.E. look like?

4. Kiwanis • “Kiwanis” • coined from an Otchipew American Indian expression • "Nunc Kee-wanis” • Variously translated as "we trade," "we share our talents," "we make a noise," or "we meet." • The organization's founders translated it as "We build" • S.L.I.C.E. incorporates all of these phrases to mean “We build community”

5. The S.L.I.C.E. Program Building community through a youth advisory board that provides the North Manchester community with a hub for community service-learning initiatives. SLICE also advances leadership initiatives to further higher education learning and access.

6. What is service-learning? Definition, Expectations

7. What Is Service-Learning?

8. What Does It Look Like? • Cleaning up a river isservice. • Sitting in a science classroom, looking at water samples under a microscope islearning. • Students taking samples from local water sources, analyzing the samples, documenting the results and presenting scientific findings to a local pollution control agency is service-learning.

9. National Community Trust Act (1993) – Definition of Service-Learning • Under which young people learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences that meet actual community needs that are coordinated in collaboration with the school and community; • Is integrated with specific learning objectives and provides structured time for youth to think, talk, or write about what they did and saw during the actual service activity; • Provides young people with opportunities to use newly acquired skills and knowledge in real-life situations in their own communities; • Enhances what is taught in school by extending student learning beyond the classroom and into the community; and • Helps foster a sense of caring for others.

10. Aim for Quadrant IV:a good balance of learning and service Original Design: Hill, Service-Learning 2000 Center Modified: Geiger, “Service-Learning Toolbox,” NWREL

11. National service-learning standards National Youth Leadership Council – www.nylc.org

12. Standard 1 – Meaningful Service Service-learning actively engages participants in meaningful and personally relevant service activities. Indicators: • Appropriate to participant ages and developmental abilities. • Addresses issues that are personally relevant to the participants. • Interesting and engaging service activities. • Encourages participants to understand their service experiences in the context of the underlying societal issues being addressed. • Attainable and visible outcomes that are valued by those being served.

13. Standard 2 – Link to Curriculum Service-learning is intentionally used as an instructional strategy to meet learning goals and/or content standards. Indicators: • Clearly articulated learning goals and objectives. • Aligned with the academic/programmatic curriculum. • Helps participants learn how to transfer knowledge and skills from one setting to another. • Formally recognized in school board policies and student records (Public Law 221).

14. Standard 3 – Reflection Service-learning incorporates multiple challenging reflection activities that are ongoing and that prompt deep thinking and analysis about oneself and one’s relationship to society. Indicators: • Includes a variety of verbal, written, artistic, and nonverbal activities • Demonstrate understanding and changes in participants’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes. • Occurs before, during, and after the service experience. • Prompts participants to think deeply about complex community problems and alternative solutions. • Encourages participants to examine their preconceptions and assumptions in order to explore and understand their roles and responsibilities as citizens. • Encourages participants to examine a variety of social and civic issues related to their service-learning experience (connections to public policy and civic life).

15. Standard 4 – Diversity Service-learning promotes understanding of diversity and mutual respect among all participants. Indicators: • Identify and analyze different points of view to gain understanding of multiple perspectives. • Develop interpersonal skills in conflict resolution and group decision-making. • Actively seek to understand and value the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of those offering and receiving service. • Encourages participants to recognize and overcome stereotypes.

16. Standard 5 – Youth Voice Service-learning provides youth with a strong voice in planning, implementing, and evaluating service-learning experiences with guidance from adults. Indicators: • Engages youth in generating ideas during the planning, implementation, and evaluation processes. • Involves youth in the decision-making process throughout experiences. • Involves youth and adults in creating an environment that supports trust and open expression of ideas. • Promotes acquisition of knowledge and skills (enhance leadership and decision-making). • Involves youth in evaluating the quality and effectiveness of the service-learning experience.

17. Standard 6 – Partnerships Service-learning partnerships are collaborative, mutually beneficial, and address community needs. Indicators: • Service-learning involves a variety of partners, including youth, educators, families, community members, community-based organizations, and/or businesses. • Service-learning partnerships are characterized by frequent and regular communication to keep all partners well-informed about activities and progress. • Service-learning partners collaborate to establish a shared vision and set common goals to address community needs. • Service-learning partners collaboratively develop and implement action plans to meet specified goals. • Service-learning partners share knowledge and understanding of school and community assets and needs, and view each other as valued resources.

18. Standard 7 – Progress Monitoring (Evaluation) Service-learning engages participants in an ongoing process to assess the quality of implementation and progress toward meeting specified goals, and uses results for improvement and sustainability. Indicators: • Collect evidence of progress toward meeting specific service goals and learning outcomes from multiple sources • Collect evidence of the quality of service-learning implementation from multiple sources • Use evidence to improve service-learning experiences. • Communicate evidence of progress toward goals and outcomes with the broader community, including policy-makers and education leaders, to deepen service-learning understanding and ensure that high quality practices are sustained.

19. Standard 8 – Duration and Intensity Service-learning has sufficient duration and intensity to address community needs and meet specified outcomes. Indicators: • Include the processes of investigating community needs, preparing for service, action, reflection, demonstration of learning and impacts, and celebration. • Conducted during concentrated blocks of time across a period of several weeks or months. • Provide enough time to address identified community needs and achieve learning outcomes.

20. Points of entry: how to begin service-learning Service-Learning Clearinghouse – www.service-learning.org

21. Entry 1 – Transform Service into Service-Learning

22. Entry 2 – Start with Curriculum

23. Entry 3 – Start with Theme/Unit

24. Entry 4 – Start with Students

25. Entry 5 – Partner With Community

26. Points of Entry: The Process

27. Authentic versus inauthentic work: Youth Voice

28. Genuine Community Need It is important that the service-learning project meet a need that is genuine, significant, and recognized as important by both the participants and community at large. Needs (things that need to be improved, changed, developed) Assets (positive things in the community)

29. To prepare for service-learning, students must: • Identify a community need • Research and/or analyze the problem • Explore possible solutions • Recognize potential partners • Select a course of action (the project) • Set goals • Develop a plan

30. Youth Voice addresses three factors: Eric Jensen, Teaching With the Brain In Mind

31. Youth Voice Strategies

32. What does high quality academic service-learning look like? “Keeping It REAL”

33. High Quality Service-Learning • The NYLC defines high quality service-learning as: • Meets academic standards and curricular needs • Promotes critical thinking and problem solving • Engages community partners • Provides opportunities for youth voice throughout the project • Occurs throughout the term or academic year.

34. Example Project: Intergenerational • Think about the classic example of students working with an assisted living community: • Reading the newspaper • Painting their fingernails • Watching birds, going for walks around the center • Playing games (BINGO, singing songs, cards) • Doing art projects • Primary need of elderly – elderly want to feel more connected to the community • Primary need of students – students need to have interaction with other generations to learn morals, values, citizenship

35. Example Project Re-Thought

36. Thinking About Powerful Outcomes: Another Example to Consider

37. Expectations from State farm youth advisory board grant Funding, Mini-Grants, Schedules

38. Training • You are trained!! • Continue to seek out information, materials, matching grant funds, and professional development • Service-Learning Technical Advisor (SLTA) – Stefonie Sebastian or • Service-Learning Coordinator (SLC)? – ????? • Training – SLTA (Stefonie, Michael) • District Issues – SLC • Examples, Strategies, Concerns – SLC or SLTA

39. Mini-Grants • Check with district/corporation on deadlines • Must be reviewed by Service-Learning Advisory Board (S.L.A.B. – comprised of students, teachers, community partners, administrators, community partners) • Depending on total funding for corporation, should be $500 - $1,000 (sometimes larger with multiple teachers) • Issues: • How will you ensure matching funds? • How will standards align? • What outcome will be evidenced at the end of the program?

40. What Can It Buy