Joining the dots-Making the Connections Community and Service

1. Joining the dots-Making the ConnectionsCommunity and Service Bright Futures Cluster Conference 28th March 2007 Maureen Cochram, Community Programs and Tertiary Liaison, DECS.

2. Curriculum for the 21st century CONNECTEDNESS TO THE WORLD PROJECT BASED CURRICULUM (Alan Luke 2006) Embedded within the SACSA Framework – Essential Learnings – Communication, Thinking, Futures, Identity and Interdependence. Opportunities within all Learning Areas R-12 and in particular Society and Environment. International Baccalaureate – personal values, guiding lives as thoughtful members of local communities and the larger world from the immediate family and school environment to the world at large. Interdependence, responsible citizenship, intercultural awareness.

3. COMMUNITY AND SERVICE • Living in relation to others • Contributing to the community • Helping others • Learning through participatory democracy • Learning about democracy • Learning together • Building community and sustainability

4. Sustainable Development • Engaging with community development through service involves seeing the interconnections of schools and communities and education through a different lens. • Sustainable development involves thinking beyond where we are now…individually and collectively we have the responsibility and the power to lead change for more sustainable futures • Central to education in the future is the notion of partnerships

5. United Nations “the human element is central – the rights and responsibilities, the roles and relationships of individuals, institutions, countries, regions and socio-political blocs are at the heart of determining the way forward towards sustainable development. It is as much the social relations …between people …which will facilitate or hamper, progress towards sustainable development.” (UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014)

6. VOLUNTEERING AND ‘SOCIAL CAPITAL’ Social Capital –civic engagement is the social capital generated by a wide range of voluntary activities. Social cohesiveness, interacting with others for common community purposes. “If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because of your liberation is bound up in mine, then let us work together” (Lily Watson, Aboriginal Activist Sister) Relationships central – from power over (control), to beyond power to (mutual gains) to power for (empowering).

7. Measure of Social Capital • Community organisational life • Participation in voluntary associations • Engagement in public affairs • Informal sociability and social trust (Putnam 2000)

8. Impact of social capital • Education-Higher levels of social capital are associated with higher levels of performance by students and higher school retentions rates (Putnam 2000) (Israel and Beaulieu) • Crime-strong inverse correlation between levels of voluntary membership and crime (Putnam 2000) (Kawachi 2000)

9. Social Capital - Impact • Health- high levels of civic engagement and voluntary activities lower mortality rates, density of civic activity correlated with increased health and reduced infant mortality (Kawachi 2000) • Civic trust- increased relative to increasing levels of civic engagement (Kawachi & Berkman 2000)

10. National Goals for Schooling in 21st Century Schooling should develop fully the talents and capacities of all students Goal 1.3 be active and informed citizens with an understanding and appreciation of Australia’s system of government and civic life

11. National Frameworks • National Statement Engaging Young Australians with Asia • National Environmental Education Statement • National Framework for Values Education • Family-School Partnerships Framework Presenting opportunities to strengthen civic engagement and volunteering through local and global connections.

12. Learning about democracy • School Governance and student voice • Active involvement in democracy projects with local government, state government and Australian government. • Wide range of resources and initiatives • National democracy week –student round tables • http://www.peo.gov.au/ • http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/templates.Home.aspx? • www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au/cce/

13. Volunteering and DECS • Significant range of volunteering activities in schoolcommunitiesincluding children and students as well as community members • South Australian State Plan target- T5.6 maintain the high level of volunteering in South Aust. At 50% participation rate or higher • Community Programs and Tertiary Liaison unit – genuinely working with other organisations and groups responding and facilitating • Volunteering policy • Brochure for Volunteers • DECS Volunteering – CarEd

14. Intergenerational service learning • Provides participants with opportunities to develop such qualities as initiative, flexibility, openness, empathy, creativity, and to gain a sense of social responsibility and an understanding of the value of learning throughout life (Goff 2004) Examples –oral history projects, arts projects, community mentoring programs, environment projects, e-mentoring programs Young and old together, mutual learning and sharing and negotiation (Community Building through Intergeneration Exchange Programs Report to the National Youth Affairs Research Scheme 2006)

15. Community and Service IB and SACSA strands across all bands • Awareness-How do we live in relation to each other? • Involvement and service-How can I contribute to the community? • Reflection –How can I help others? • Time, Continuity and Change-Australia’s place in the world, the past, present and future global context • Place, space and Environment-interdependence of people and natural and built environments • Societies and Cultures-identity, beliefs, interdependence • Social Systems-political and legal

16. Active citizenship through community service and volunteering Christies Beach High School Middle school vision, student voice, environment focus, Youth Environment activists, student initiated curriculum, energy savings, water and paper consumption, Indigenous garden – working with wide range of community stakeholders and volunteers, across curriculum arts, literacy, maths, society and environment. Units of work developed.

17. Active citizens developing skills for life long learning • Magill Primary School Whole school approach, values education, student voice, program Achieve, Literacy, Learning Technology, Active for Life. IB community service, Intra-net and global links, issues based and student led initiatives Focussed on teaching and learning, organisation and ethos, partnerships and community.

18. Cluster approach • Cowandilla, Richmond, Plympton Primary and Warriapendi Focus on climate change, student led environment audit in school and community, working with local government, Uni SA and ASMS and a range of organisations, accelerated literacy explicitly built into this initiative

19. Mentoring Programs • Community Mentoring program (Social Inclusion Initiative) Year 7-9 transition focus • Wide range of age groups involved as mentors, significant benefits for students and mentors • Smith Family Learning for Life –scholarship program including mentoring

20. Reflection ‘It is increasingly clear that parent and community reform must be closely linked to teacher and school reform.’ (Fullan). Volunteering by children and students within the school and the wider community and by the wider community with the school is a powerful means of building sustainable futures.

21. Websites and further resources • Values Education • www.decs.sa.gov.au/valueseducation • Community learning www/setup.ssabsa.sa.edu.au/ • NSW student volunteering http://vnsw.optin.com.au/a?1ell286-34988.01p.op> • Commonwealth History Project • http://www.hyperhistory.org/