MLK Day of Service Project Yields Mutual Rewards
Minnesota -- Early Tuesday morning, Morganton Station (Old Nite Furniture complex) was invaded by a small army of more than 60 volunteers armed with shovels, rakes, drills, saws, hammers, cameras, laptops, paint brushes, cleaning supplies and more importantly, a unified purpose in honoring the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr through a day of selfless dedication in volunteerism and community service. See the complete story.
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MLK Day & Service-Learning: Resources to Enrich Your Programs
MLK Day & Service-Learning: Resources to Enrich Your Programs
Print Version (1130K pdf)
Source: National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, December 2008
ContentsIntroduction
Nationwide Service Projects
MLK Day Service-Learning Events and Programs
MLK Day Service-Learning Resources
MLK Day Grantees
Share Your Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Success Story!
The ideal story is about 300 words in length, includes a photo, and speaks to a diverse audience that includes: educators, community-based organizations, community leaders, funders, and the general public.
http://www.servicelearning.org/nslc/success_story_form/index.php
The ideal story is about 300 words in length, includes a photo, and speaks to a diverse audience that includes: educators, community-based organizations, community leaders, funders, and the general public.
http://www.servicelearning.org/nslc/success_story_form/index.php
"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve."
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Day of Service was
designated in 1994 to honor Dr. King's legacy by turning
community concerns into citizen action through community
service. This day, when we focus on Dr. King’s vision of a
just and free society comprised of actively engaged citizens,
provides an excellent kickoff or culmination point for
service-learning projects including Semester of Service.
This list of resources includes examples of MLK Day programs and events, nationwide organization models, and resources you can use to plan your own project.
Every program, participant, and organizer will find something useful in the MLK Challenge Toolkit to assist campuses in launching an MLK Challenge. The MLK (Martin Luther King, Jr.) Challenge is essentially a day of service projects, but with a different process from other such events. Many "service days" entail placing people in various group service projects which they are expected to complete. These days are excellent ways to spur motivation within participants and accomplish great things. The MLK Challenge takes this concept a step further by framing the service as a "challenge" to be completed; the result has been that participants are automatically in a different mindset and are prepared for a rigorous day.
www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8285
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Day of Service was
designated in 1994 to honor Dr. King's legacy by turning
community concerns into citizen action through community
service. This day, when we focus on Dr. King’s vision of a
just and free society comprised of actively engaged citizens,
provides an excellent kickoff or culmination point for
service-learning projects including Semester of Service. Nationwide Service Projects
There are already a number of nationwide service programs and organizations in place which incorporate or are easily adaptable to a service-learning model and may be perfect for your MLK Day program. Just a few of these are:
The Campus Kitchens Project
www.campuskitchens.org
Youth Service America
www.ysa.org
www.compact.org
Use this MLK Day to invigorate your own service-learning activities or to enhance your MLK Day volunteer events with service-learning strategies. The inheritance left to us by Dr. King is a dream of strong communities, empowered individuals, and the bridging of social and cultural barriers, all of which can lend depth and breadth to your service-learning endeavors. However you choose to use this opportunity, be sure to register your project at my.mlkday.gov and with the Presidential Inaugural Committee at usaservice.org/content/home/. Also check out YSA’s Semester of Service 2009 which kicks off with MLK day:
www.semesterofservice.org.
There are already a number of nationwide service programs and organizations in place which incorporate or are easily adaptable to a service-learning model and may be perfect for your MLK Day program. Just a few of these are:
The Campus Kitchens Project
www.campuskitchens.org
Youth Service America
www.ysa.org
Semester of Service
www.semesterofservice.org/
Starts on MLK Day of Service.
Campus CompactStarts on MLK Day of Service.
www.compact.org
This list of resources includes examples of MLK Day programs and events, nationwide organization models, and resources you can use to plan your own project.
Every program, participant, and organizer will find something useful in the MLK Challenge Toolkit to assist campuses in launching an MLK Challenge. The MLK (Martin Luther King, Jr.) Challenge is essentially a day of service projects, but with a different process from other such events. Many "service days" entail placing people in various group service projects which they are expected to complete. These days are excellent ways to spur motivation within participants and accomplish great things. The MLK Challenge takes this concept a step further by framing the service as a "challenge" to be completed; the result has been that participants are automatically in a different mindset and are prepared for a rigorous day.
www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8285
MLK Day Service-Learning Events and Programs
Every year students and youth from k-12 schools, institutions of higher education, and community-based organizations all around the country participate in service-learning activities to commemorate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Whether single day events, culminating projects, or a kick-off to a Semester of Service, linking learning, reflection, and service together for MLK Day is an effective way to motivate youth and students to make a difference in their community. Check out these inspiring model projects:
Cross-Sector
Semester of Service
Semester of Service encourages students, ages 5-25, to develop a semester-long service-learning project that launches on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 19, 2009) and culminates on Global Youth Service Day (April 24-26, 2009). Projects take place in classrooms as part of the academic curriculum; in schools as part of the extra-curricular activities; in congregations of faith; and in youth development groups in neighborhoods across the United States. During these 12 weeks, young people from elementary schools to graduate universities will identify a problem or unmet need that affects their community, the nation, or the world.
www.semesterofservice.org
California State University System
Past MLK Day projects from campuses across the California State University system included oral history projects on non-violence, mural and beautification projects, and cultural programs created and led by local youth. All of these projects effectively engaged higher education students to facilitate service-learning activities with K-12 students, particularly those in disadvantaged situations. These service-learning activities incorporate an event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, or otherwise emphasized the King Holiday.
www.calstate.edu/csl/initiatives/mlk.shtml#HighlightsCampus
www.cofc.edu/servicelearning/events/MLKchallenge/
Higher Education
North Carolina Campus Compact
The MLK Challenge is a day of service model designed to capitalize on the energy and enthusiasm of college students to make great things happen in local communities. The model, developed by Jenny Koehn at Appalachian State University, is a day of service with a "twist." Students are placed into groups randomly (thus encouraging people to step outside their box and meet new people), and the service projects or "challenges" are also chosen randomly. At the beginning of the day, teams are given basic instructions, ‘seed money’ to help accomplish their task, and a tangible, perhaps seemingly difficult final goal; the rest is up to them. Some examples of "seemingly difficult" or "slightly out of reach" challenges include: fundraising $800 in one day for a local women’s shelter, entirely refurbishing the living room of a homeless shelter, and throwing a birthday party for 50 retirement home residents. The student teams therefore must brainstorm, possibly fundraise or solicit donations, and problem-solve to accomplish their service challenge by the end of the day. The goal of each challenge/service project is to allow students some creativity and help them to truly feel ownership of the project, in turn empowering them to continue serving after the day is over. Reflecting on Dr. King's life and dream of a beloved community is also an essential part of the MLK Challenge model, with a goal that students will better understand Dr. King's dream of equality and true social justice. For more information, please head to www.mlkchallenge.wetpaint.com. A PDF toolkit can be found there, as well as lots of resources on implementing the MLK Challenge model.
College of Charleston
The College of Charleston’s MLK Challenge teams have developed creative solutions to a range of community needs, provided physical and intellectual help around the city, and collected nearly $22,000 worth of project-specific donations over the past 5 years. Past projects have ranged from renovating the playground of a daycare for underprivileged children, weatherizing local homes, helping families in need reduce their energy costs, and providing fire safety awareness outreach.
K-12
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools partners with Chicago Cares (www.chicagocares.org) to celebrate MLK Day of Service. Programs have included murals and landscaping projects, social justice discussions, and last year over 700 students participated in a morning rally and the day long event at 60 worksites throughout city.
servicelearning.cps.k12.il.us/
Stamford Public Schools
For MLK Day 2008, The Stamford Public Schools, Trailblazers Academy Charter Middle School, and Stamford Academy Charter High School launched the PeaceMaker curriculum developed by the nonprofit organization Service For Peace (www.serviceforpeace.org). The goal of this peace initiative is to boycott negative words and actions, encourage positive words and actions and to tie these into the values of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The curriculum includes 40 quotes, one for each day, by great peacemakers like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Maya Angelou, and Bono.
www.mlkday.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=884
Community Based Organizations
NJA3
AmeriCorps Members working with New Jersey After 3 (NJA3), a statewide network of afterschool programs, launched the Martin Luther King Jr. season of service, several NJA3 AmeriCorps members will engage in a group service project on January 16, 2008, when they volunteered with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, in Hillside, NJ. The AmeriCorps members then led service learning activities at over twenty NJA3 afterschool sites. Service-learning projects included: translating Dr. King’s "I Have a Dream" speech into different languages to provide greater access to his inspirational words; youth led cultural celebrations; and, city beautification projects using the Grow Involved service-learning curriculum from Children for Children.
www.njafter3.org
Every year students and youth from k-12 schools, institutions of higher education, and community-based organizations all around the country participate in service-learning activities to commemorate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Whether single day events, culminating projects, or a kick-off to a Semester of Service, linking learning, reflection, and service together for MLK Day is an effective way to motivate youth and students to make a difference in their community. Check out these inspiring model projects:
Cross-Sector
Semester of Service
Semester of Service encourages students, ages 5-25, to develop a semester-long service-learning project that launches on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 19, 2009) and culminates on Global Youth Service Day (April 24-26, 2009). Projects take place in classrooms as part of the academic curriculum; in schools as part of the extra-curricular activities; in congregations of faith; and in youth development groups in neighborhoods across the United States. During these 12 weeks, young people from elementary schools to graduate universities will identify a problem or unmet need that affects their community, the nation, or the world.
www.semesterofservice.org
California State University System
Past MLK Day projects from campuses across the California State University system included oral history projects on non-violence, mural and beautification projects, and cultural programs created and led by local youth. All of these projects effectively engaged higher education students to facilitate service-learning activities with K-12 students, particularly those in disadvantaged situations. These service-learning activities incorporate an event on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, or otherwise emphasized the King Holiday.
www.calstate.edu/csl/initiatives/mlk.shtml#HighlightsCampus
www.cofc.edu/servicelearning/events/MLKchallenge/
Higher Education
North Carolina Campus Compact
The MLK Challenge is a day of service model designed to capitalize on the energy and enthusiasm of college students to make great things happen in local communities. The model, developed by Jenny Koehn at Appalachian State University, is a day of service with a "twist." Students are placed into groups randomly (thus encouraging people to step outside their box and meet new people), and the service projects or "challenges" are also chosen randomly. At the beginning of the day, teams are given basic instructions, ‘seed money’ to help accomplish their task, and a tangible, perhaps seemingly difficult final goal; the rest is up to them. Some examples of "seemingly difficult" or "slightly out of reach" challenges include: fundraising $800 in one day for a local women’s shelter, entirely refurbishing the living room of a homeless shelter, and throwing a birthday party for 50 retirement home residents. The student teams therefore must brainstorm, possibly fundraise or solicit donations, and problem-solve to accomplish their service challenge by the end of the day. The goal of each challenge/service project is to allow students some creativity and help them to truly feel ownership of the project, in turn empowering them to continue serving after the day is over. Reflecting on Dr. King's life and dream of a beloved community is also an essential part of the MLK Challenge model, with a goal that students will better understand Dr. King's dream of equality and true social justice. For more information, please head to www.mlkchallenge.wetpaint.com. A PDF toolkit can be found there, as well as lots of resources on implementing the MLK Challenge model. College of Charleston
The College of Charleston’s MLK Challenge teams have developed creative solutions to a range of community needs, provided physical and intellectual help around the city, and collected nearly $22,000 worth of project-specific donations over the past 5 years. Past projects have ranged from renovating the playground of a daycare for underprivileged children, weatherizing local homes, helping families in need reduce their energy costs, and providing fire safety awareness outreach.
K-12 Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools partners with Chicago Cares (www.chicagocares.org) to celebrate MLK Day of Service. Programs have included murals and landscaping projects, social justice discussions, and last year over 700 students participated in a morning rally and the day long event at 60 worksites throughout city.
servicelearning.cps.k12.il.us/
Stamford Public Schools
For MLK Day 2008, The Stamford Public Schools, Trailblazers Academy Charter Middle School, and Stamford Academy Charter High School launched the PeaceMaker curriculum developed by the nonprofit organization Service For Peace (www.serviceforpeace.org). The goal of this peace initiative is to boycott negative words and actions, encourage positive words and actions and to tie these into the values of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The curriculum includes 40 quotes, one for each day, by great peacemakers like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Maya Angelou, and Bono.
www.mlkday.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=884
Community Based Organizations
NJA3
AmeriCorps Members working with New Jersey After 3 (NJA3), a statewide network of afterschool programs, launched the Martin Luther King Jr. season of service, several NJA3 AmeriCorps members will engage in a group service project on January 16, 2008, when they volunteered with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, in Hillside, NJ. The AmeriCorps members then led service learning activities at over twenty NJA3 afterschool sites. Service-learning projects included: translating Dr. King’s "I Have a Dream" speech into different languages to provide greater access to his inspirational words; youth led cultural celebrations; and, city beautification projects using the Grow Involved service-learning curriculum from Children for Children.
www.njafter3.org
MLK Day Grantees
National Alliance of Faith and Justice
nafj.org/programs/
jsbriefingpoints.php
The Corps Network (formerly National Association of Service & Conservation Corps)
www.corpsnetwork.org
North Carolina Campus Compact (Elon University)
org.elon.edu/nccc/mlk.html
Points of Light Foundation/Hands on Network
www.pointsoflight.org
Service For Peace
www.serviceforpeace.org
Youth Service America
www.ysa.org
Campus Compact
www.compact.org
MLK Day Service-Learning ResourcesNational Alliance of Faith and Justice
nafj.org/programs/
jsbriefingpoints.php
The Corps Network (formerly National Association of Service & Conservation Corps)
www.corpsnetwork.org
North Carolina Campus Compact (Elon University)
org.elon.edu/nccc/mlk.html
Points of Light Foundation/Hands on Network
www.pointsoflight.org
Service For Peace
www.serviceforpeace.org
Youth Service America
www.ysa.org
Campus Compact
www.compact.org
KJ Challenge Curriculum. Kindness and Justice Core Curriculum
The Kindness and Justice Challenge is a two-week event that makes up part of the national celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. All around the country, thousands of schools and millions of young people will perform Acts of Kindness and Justice towards friends, families, and neighbors in the two weeks following the King Day celebration. It is a friendly competition on the number of acts a classroom can accomplish. Students report their acts through a web site and compete with classes across the United States.
www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=1388
King Holiday Student Organizing Manual: A Handbook for College and University Students Organizing Community Service Activities for the MLK Federal Holiday
This resource contains community service ideas and examples for the Martin Luther King, Kr. national holiday. Projects include literacy, recycling, civic participation. Appendix includes examples from past King holidays around the nation, resource development, publicity guide, inspirational quotes, and national resource referrals.
www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=4615
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, Service Learning Curriculum: A Guidebook for Schools, Organizations, & Parents This guide is a tool that can be used by service leaders, educators, agency staff and parents to educate individuals serving the community on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. The goal of this curriculum is to provide a snapshot of the life and work of Dr. King as a vehicle for enhancing the service experience for people of all ages.
www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8266
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Toolkit
This toolkit is intended to provide ideas for projects for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, help individuals/organizations plan and run a successful service event, connect with partners, promote their project to the media and the public, and manage volunteers effectively.
www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7298
MLK Day Service-Learning Project Ideas
This guide contains project ideas for Martin Luther King Day for K-12 students. It includes project ideas that embody the spirit of Dr. King's message, as well as examples of previous projects and links to other resources.
www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8267
MLK Jr. Service-Learning Project from Youth Health Service Corps
This presentation, created by the Youth Health Service Corps, contains information on Martin Luther King and his legacy of service. During the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service 2007, the CT Youth Health Service Corps in conjunction with Learn and Serve America conducted an education and awareness outreach to children of all ages on critical issues facing the homeless population. Teaching tips are provided for teachers of students from K-12.
www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8268
Now is the Time...: Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Booklet
Short booklet published by the Corporation for National and Community Service promoting Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7087
Semester of Service Strategy Guide 2009This resource is a guide to creating a high-impact, strategic service-learning curriculum designed to link Martin Luther King Day of Service with Global Youth Service Day (GYSD). In this text, you will find information to help you take a community service lesson plan or volunteer effort and create a semester-long service-learning curriculum. This curriculum guide includes information about the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice, connecting to academic standards, and sections on planning, action, reflection and evaluation, and celebration and demonstration.
www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8318
