Congratulations to the raffle winner for the 2009 Learn & Serve Challenge!

Congratulations to Mrs. Valerie Lomax's class at North Dorchester Middle School in Hurlock, MD. They are the raffle winners for the early registrants to the 2009 National Learn & Serve Challenge.

Remember, you can now register your group/school/organization here.

Also, become a Proud Partner of the National Learn & Serve Challenge. To register as a partner, go here.

New Information for Action Journal Now Available

The Partnership is pleased to announce the release of Information for Action: A Journal for Research on Service-Learning for Children and Youth, Volume I, Number 2.

The Journal is a peer-reviewed publication that features relevant, methodologically sound studies of service-learning impacts and examples of innovative instruction written by experts, scholars, practitioners, and youth. The Journal is filled with important reports from a variety of perspectives and includes information that contributes to the growing literature on service-learning research. In it, you will find studies from collegiate researchers, practitioners, and youth.

Volume I, Number 2 includes the following articles:

Introduction

ACADEMIC ARTICLES

• Service-Learning as Creative Productivity by Jane Newman and Larry Bailis


• Cultural-Based Service-Learning as a Transformative Learning Experience for Undergraduate Students and Community Recipients by Lori Simons, Elizabeth Williams, Nancy Hirshinger-Blank, Kimyette Willis, Cassandra Dry, Courtnery Floyd, and Brittany Russell
  

PRACTITIONER ARTICLES

• Service-Learning: What Motivates K-12 Teachers to Participate In and Sustain Service-Learning Projects by Marjori M. Krebs, Ed.D


• Nuestros Ninos: Preparing Pre-Service Teachers to Educate Latino Migrant Children and Youth through Service-Learning by Rubén P. Viramontez Anguiano, Ph.D., CFLE, José P. Salinas, Ed.D., and Walter Garcia Kawamoto, Ph.D.

YOUTH-LED ARTICLES

• Youth-Led Action Research, Planning & Evaluation (Youth REP): A Vehicle for Service-Learning and Community Change by Tee J. Tagor and Sergio Cuellar

BOOK REVIEW

• Youth Participatory Evaluation: Strategies for Engaging Young People reviewed by Robert Shumer

What's In a Name?: MN School Seeks to Honor Obamas and Service-Learning

5/19/09 - St. Paul, MN - According to the StarTribune, "Webster Magnet Elementary voted earlier this month to change the school's name to "Barack and Michelle Obama Service Learning Elementary." The change needs the board's stamp of approval."

The article goes on to say "Webster is in its first year of a service-learning program, and the school wanted a new name to reflect the shift in focus. The site council, made up of parents and community members, put the Obama name and "Webster Service Learning Elementary" on the ballot. Students, staff and St. Paul residents were invited to cast ballots."

Read the full article here.

Kennedy Serve America Listening Tour, May 13-28

The Corporation for National and Community Service is conducting a series of meetings to solicit ideas and input on the design and implementation of the Kennedy Serve America Act.

Let’s make sure service-learning supporters are SEEN AND HEARD

Step 1. Register to Attend. Below is the schedule of the upcoming meetings:

• May 13, 2009, Springfield, MO, 1:00 - 4:00pm (local)
• May 14, 2009, Columbia, SC, 1:00 - 4:00pm (local)
• May 20, 2009, Washington, DC*, 12:30 - 2:30pm (local)
• May 22, 2009, Boston, MA, 9:00am - 12:00pm (local)
• May 27, 2009, Salt Lake City, UT, 9:00am - 12:00pm (local)
• May 28, 2009, New Orleans, LA, 1:00 - 4:00pm (local)
• You can register here.

Step 2. Let Us Know You’re Attending. Once you register, let us know what session you plan to attend. We want to make sure service-learning supporters can connect to amplify our voice and collective priorities. We'll also make sure you have updated talking points and materials to help you communicate our message effectively. Connect to other service-learning spokespeople here.

Step 3. Prepare to Speak Up for Service-Learning. Here are tips to effectively speak up for service-learning at these sessions:

• Arrive on time, if not early.
• At the sessions you will sign up to speak on a "first come first served" basis.
• Each speaker gets 3 minutes and it goes until the 3 hours is up.
• The "flow" of the sessions corresponds to whoever signs up. With that in mind service-learning spokespeople in attendance should diverse themselves so service-learning issues are mentioned throughout.
• Use these suggested talking points to help communicate the collective priorities and concerns of the service-learning community.

Step 4. Spread the Word. Please spread the word to your networks and constituents, especially if you live or work in one of the communities hosting a listening tour session. Service-learning talking points and supporting materials for the Serve America Listening Tour will be available on http://www.servicelearningunited.org/

Service Agency Visited by First Lady Obama: Speaks Up for Service-Learning

Washington, DC - May 12, 2009 - First lady Michelle Obama says that community service changed her life.Mrs. Obama spoke Tuesday to about 250 employees of the federal agency that manages service programs, the Corporation for National and Community Service. She talked about her decision to leave corporate law and how she eventually helped to establish a Chicago chapter of an AmeriCorps program. Visit WJLA-ABC7 News for more information (and hopefully) video footage of the event (photo courtesy of WJLA-ABC 7 News).

Now I must admit, I am one Mrs. Obama's biggest fans (I know it's not cool to say that). But after reading these quotes, I'm almost certain that I will be a founding member of the Michelle Obama Fan Club in my hometown, assuming it has yet to be established (smile). Check out these quotes:

"And for parents in particular, now that I have my own children, service is a great way to demonstrate values and to teach children firsthand what it means to think outside of themselves. And we've relied on service so much as a tool of teaching and education for our kids. And when I talk to kids everywhere, I remind them that they're never too young to serve, that they're never too small to do something big, because that's the way that they learn what it means to make a lifelong commitment to service."

"The bill is going to invest in service-learning, a concept that now is a part of this culture, thanks to you. When I was coming up, no one knew what service-learning was. And now it's a part of educational experiences throughout this nation, so more kids are going to have the opportunity to serve, not just those who can afford it. And that goes back to my story."

I love it! You can read the full article by the Chicago Sun-Times.