New Learn and Serve America Grantee Produced Materials - December 1, 2008

K-12

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, Service Learning Curriculum: A Guidebook for Schools, Organizations, & Parents
California State University, Fullerton
Abstract: 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. This guide is provided in the following sections: Section I: HISTORICAL SKETCHES: DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.S LIFE, WORK AND LEGACY Section II: MLK LEARNING TOOLKIT: ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES Section III: MLK REFLECTION TOOLKIT: ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES Section IV: RESOURCES: BIBLIOGRPAHY FOR FURTHER INFORMATION (author)
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8266

Ohio Department of Education Training Resource Guide: Service-Learning Training Manual
Learn and Serve America Ohio
Abstract: This training manual contains modules on: what service-learning is (and is not); the benefits of service-learning; getting started; a service-learning planning model; developmental factors in designing service-learning programs; building support for your service-learning programs; building effective partnerships; reflection - learning from service; program evaluation; a character education/service-learning planning model; connecting service-learning to academic content standards; service-learning and student success; civic engagement and service-learning; as well as an annotated bibliography, a list of assorted service-learning websites, and service-learning Quick Sheets from Learn and Serve Ohio.
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8264

Service-Learning in Michigan: Survey Results and Analysis
Michigan Community Service Commission
Abstract: In May of 2002, Public Sector Consultants, on behalf of the Michigan Community Service Commission, conducted a mail survey of school principals in a sampling of Michigan public schools. Its purpose was to provide a descriptive baseline of the prevalence of service learning throughout Michigan. The survey also examines the use of community service activities in the schools (activities that are not curriculum-based) compared to service learning, which is structured within an academic course or curriculum with clearly defined learning objectives. The research shows that: community service is more prevalent than service-learning; schools view community service and service-learning in nearly identical ways; service-learning is largely an activity of individual teachers; schools provide financial and material support to individual teachers, but not additional planning time; elementary schools are least likely to involve students in either community service or service-learning, but not by much; service-learning is most often used in the social sciences or the physical/biological sciences; and a relatively small proportion of schools receive external funding for service-learning activities--the more common sources are philanthropy and federal or state funding.
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8265

CBO

Inspired to Serve: Year 2 Internal Evaluation Report
Search Institute
Abstract: Inspired to Serve: Youth-led Interfaith Action is a three-year pilot project to enhance the capacity of America's 350,000 churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other faith-based organizations to engage young people in effective service-learning that increases interfaith cooperation and contributes to young people's healthy development. The approach combines Interfaith Youth Core's (IFYC's) innovative model of interfaith service-learning with Search Institute's (SI's) framework of Developmental Assets and its asset-based approach to community and social change. The project focuses on building the will and capacity of faith-based organizations to strengthen their programs and impact in the following four critical-shift areas: toward effective service-learning, toward interfaith engagement, toward asset-building approaches with youth, and toward city-wide movements. The project includes both an internal evaluation and an external confirmatory evaluation, in order to track project activities and impact on young people, participating faith-based organizations, and the broader community. In terms of participating young people, the project is examining the relationship between service-learning practices and youth outcomes within a faith-based content. The four sites participating in this pilot project are St. Paul, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New Orleans. The project's major strength is also an interesting challenge: the uniqueness of each of the four pilot sites. Their individuality brings great richness to the team's endeavors, and requires a good measure of creativity from the leadership team to leverage the sites' strengths and help them achieve the project outcomes in their particular contexts. (authors)
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8281

Inspired to Serve: Year 2 External Evaluation Report
RMC Research Corporation
Abstract: Inspired to Serve is a 3-year pilot project of the Search Institute and IFYC that is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The goal of the project, which began in 2006, is to enhance the capacity of America's 350,000 churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other faith-based organizations to engage young people in effective service-learning that increases interfaith cooperation contributes to healthy development, and enriches community life. The project combines the Interfaith Youth Core's model of interfaith service-learning with the Search Institute's framework of Developmental Assets and its asset-based approach to community and social change. Four pilot cities are participating: Chicago, Illinois; New Orleans, Louisiana; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and St. Paul, Minnesota. RMC Research staff reviewed program materials, the evaluation design, and instruments used for data collection, and offered suggestions for revisions. They also conducted site visits in Philadelphia and Chicago where staff interviewed student and adult participants about their impressions of the program and its impacts. RMC Research reviewed the findings from an internal evaluation report from the Search Institute and IFYC and compared them to site visit findings. This report presents the external evaluation questions that were addressed and the methodologies used to collect external evaluation data. A description of the methodologies is presented first, followed by a decision of findings from the site visits, analysis of site implementation reports, and comparison of the internal and external evaluation findings. In the final section, conclusions and recommendations are provided. (authors)
http://www.servicelearning.org/library/lib_cat/index.php?library_id=8282