Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse

Welcome to the first edition of Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse e-newsletter! You can get quick updates on resources, events, news, and project stories here. In particular, we are committed to supporting your efforts to make your service-learning programs more effective and more visible. Many of you are sending in materials, photos, and stories about your activities and strategies. Keep it up! Our role is to help promote the exchange of those good ideas across the nation. Learn and Serve America created this Clearinghouse to provide technical assistance and training to grow and improve service-learning practice as well as the knowledge base about quality and impacts on participants and communities. Here are a few interesting facts about how NSLC has grown over the past five years:

• We have seen a tenfold increase in monthly website page views.
• We have increased the number of email discussion lists we provide to facilitate communication and resource-sharing in the service-learning community from 7 lists to 21 lists.
• Our library collection has grown from 4,183 to 6,248 high-quality service-learning resources.
• We have created 103 original web-based resources (fact sheets, bibliographies, quick guides, and hot topics).

So that we can continue to grow and better serve your needs, we want to hear from you about your ideas, your strategies, and your questions about service-learning and civic engagement. We’re always inspired by the work you do and are delighted any time we’re able to be a part of it whether by answering your reference questions, helping you network with others in the field, or by showing off your great work. Thanks for helping Learn and Serve America’s National Service-Learning Clearinghouse be YOUR clearinghouse. Until next time, Barbara and Liberty Barbara Holland, National Service-Learning Clearinghouse Director Liberty Smith, National Service-Learning Clearinghouse Program Manager

Community Service by Colleges is Focus of 2nd Annual "President's Honor Roll"

Online applications for the 2007 Honor Roll will be available on the website beginning August 5. The due date for applications is October 5, 2007. Honorees and Presidential Award winners will be announced in early 2008. Here is more information on the President's Honor Roll. National Service-Learning PartnershipThe National Learn & Serve Challenge September 17-23, 2007 The National Learn & Serve Challenge is a weeklong series of local, state, and national events designed to raise awareness and public support for service-learning. It's an opportunity to:

• Celebrate service-learning in schools and communities across the country
• Build public support to achieve the federal benchmark to engage 5 million college students and 50 percent of America's K-12 schools in service-learning
• Spotlight past service-learning successes to inspire others to launch their own project

Spirit of Service Awards
The Honorees, from Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America, were selected because they exemplified the spirit of national service, demonstrated exceptional service or leadership, and served as role models for others. See the list of Honorees.

Faculty Toolkit for Service-Learning in Higher Education
The materials in the toolkit (4550K pdf) are divided into 10 units designed to aid faculty in every step of planning, designing, and implementing service-learning programs into their curriculum and institutions as well as program evaluation and assessment. Each unit includes tips and in-depth content information about the topic presented and most units include case studies providing ‘real life’ experiences for readers to learn from.

K-12 Service-Learning Project Planning Toolkit
The materials in this toolkit (4870K pdf) contain information about the three core components of a service-learning project: planning and preparation, the service activity, and the culminating event. Also included is information about two ongoing activities common to high quality service-learning projects: reflection and assessment. You can also download electronically fillable Word Documents of the worksheets (275K Doc) in this toolkit.

Research in Support of Youth Voice and Service-Learning
http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/fact_sheets/k-12_facts/support_youth-voice/index.php

Improving Outcomes for K-12 Service-Learning Participants
http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/fact_sheets/k-12_facts/improving_outcomes/index.php

If you're interested in bridging generations in your service-learning program, be sure to visit this new bibliography:

• Intergenerational Service-Learning: Useful Resources
  http://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/bibs/cb_bibs/intergenerational-sl/index.php

• How do you count service-learning hours? Do you tally credits, units, or something else? Do you take into account the amount of time and effort that goes into planning, preparation, and reflection? Read what others have written, and make your own comments here on the HE-SL email discussion list: http://lists.etr.org/read/messages?id=79849
• What catch-phrase do you use to describe your program? On the K-12 listserv there has been a discussion and sharing of catch-phrases to promote the idea of service-learning. Some of the great examples included:
  • “Learning to Serve and Serving to Learn”
  • "Learning drives the service"
  • "Service Learning allows us to take the walls off of our classrooms"
  • “Bring Learning to Life”
* You can add your own contributions on the K12-SL email discussion list at: http://lists.etr.org/read/messages?id=79817

Join email discussion lists to learn the latest on service-learning topics, and to contribute your knowledge to your colleagues. We have discussion lists targeted to K-12, tribal, CBO, and HE service-learning.

Honoring the Breath of Life: The Native American Journal of Service Learning
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=6944
The 'breath of life' is a gift to be nurtured for the benefit of earth, family, community and all living beings. This collection of writings covers the links between service and tribal communities, while remembering the deeper connections to ancestors and values.

A Kids' Guide to Helping Others Read & Succeed: How to Take Action!
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=6957

Students as Colleagues: Expanding the Circle of Service-Learning Leadership
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=6754
Academic and community goals can be met simultaneously, while developing student leaders in the process. Student co-authors contribute to this volume on connecting studies with community change.

Fourth Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute
August 2 - 3, 2007 Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Sponsor: National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC)
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=603

CNCS/LEARNS Institute for Youth- and Education-Focused Volunteer Programs
September 18 - 19, 2007
Holiday Inn Portland - Downtown/Convention Center, Portland, OR
Sponsor: Corporation for National & Community Service, Northwest Regional Educational Library, Bank Street College of Education http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=617

Learn and Serve America Grantees' Training Conference
September 26 - 28, 2007 Arlington, VA
Sponsor: Learn and Serve America / Corporation for National & Community Service
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=616

September 27 - 29, 2007
University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE
Sponsor: Corporation for National & Community Service / University of Nebraska at Kearney
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=595

October 6 - 9, 2007
Tampa, FL Sponsor: Florida Campus Compact
http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/slconf_events/index.php?action=detailed&event=536

We are thrilled that in the last year Learn and Serve America grantees have submitted 42 materials to share with others. And this is just the tip of the iceberg! As a major source of funding for service-learning programs, over the years Learn and Serve America has supported the creation of hundreds of high-quality service-learning materials. 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 submit publications and other resources developed through their funded activities.

An American MosaicAn American Mosaic: Service Learning Stories
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7114

Artivism
Salt Lake Community College, Thayne Center for Service-Learning, Salt Lake City, UT
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=6909

My Art...My World: A Handbook on Integrating Service Learning into the Art Classroom
Florida Learn and Serve, Tallahassee, FL
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=6926

Playing in the PARC: Inclusive Service Learning Manual
New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC), Albany, NY
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7166

Washington Youth Voice Handbook: The What, Who, Why, Where, When, and How Youth Voice Happens
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=6972

Y.O.D.A. Best Practices 2006
Institute for Global Education & Service Learning, Levitown, PA
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=7165

We'd like to add your contribution! The 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! For more details, and to view the contribution form, visit: http://www.servicelearning.org/library/mat_contrib/index.php

NSLC needs your help! We are seeking high quality photos of your service-learning programs or projects to highlight on our sector pages, as well as on the rest of the site. Each photo used will include the name of the school, a link to the school/project, and a caption. We'd love to use this as a new way to drive folks to the great program models we know are out there. Please help us brag about you by submitting your photos today using this online form:

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. Although we will be happy to work with any photos submitted, the best photos will be between 150 and 200 pixel/inch and no larger than 5Mb. (Note: The submitter holds sole responsibility for obtaining appropriate legal permissions/releases from all stakeholders for submitted material.) Thank you for your contribution!

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.

Online Service Leaning Project Engaged Students to Service (A Learn and Serve America Grantee Project)
Sara Buttram, a Broad Ripple High School 10th grade student in Indianapolis Indiana, is the winner of the "Season of Service Images of Peace" Contest (107K pdf), sponsored by Service For Peace, Learn and Serve Indiana, Peace Learning Center, Indy Parks, and the Indiana Civil Rights Commission.

Her winning poster entitled "Holding Peace" was displayed at this year's Martin Luther King / Robert F. Kennedy Commemoration Event "Making the Dream A Reality: Our Commitment to Peace and Non-Violence" which was held on April 4th, 2007 in Kennedy King Park. Her entry was part of an expanding the Martin Luther King Day of Service to a Season of Service starting from January 15th to April 4th 2007, which advances Dr. King's dream for peaceful and just communities by building a movement of positive social change.

The Poster/ Multimedia Contest encouraged teachers to instruct students in a youth directed service-learning project rooted in Robert F. Kennedy's April 4, 1968 speech to the citizens of Indianapolis following Dr. King's assassination. Ms. Emily Davies, a 2D Art Teacher at Broad Ripple, presented the assignment to the students, concentrating on the idea of symbolism. She had the students draw images or symbols that they thought represented many different words, i.e. freedom, agony, family, etc. After they finished this task, she introduced the poster assignment. Discussing what peace meant to them, both as individuals, and as a society, the students then had free reign to produce their idea of an Image of Peace. "As for my thoughts on teaching about peace...I don't teach about peace as much as I do the practice of respect. After all, one cannot exist without the other." Ms. Davies said when asked about the service-learning project. When Ms. Buttram was asked about her experience she said, "I wanted to show that Peace may be hard to catch, but if you're careful enough, you just might catch it and be able to hold it in your hands." If you would like more information about the program, contact Bruce Smith at Service For Peace/Peace Learning Center at bsmith@serviceforpeace.org. View other success stories.

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).