Draft Suggestion for Community Service Learning

Draft Suggestion for

Community Service Learning

Executive Summary:

Community Service Learning would like to request the formation of a task force that will be able to represent Service Learning as it relates to Community Service Learning. 

The Work groups will be organized around key elements identified as necessary to institutionalize service learning in High School.

The groups defined engagement options, are to -

·         initiate an inventory of existing service courses,

·         developed a faculty survey,

·         documentation processes,

·         outline support systems,

·         assessed faculty development  and needs

·         student advocacy needs,

·         outlined a community networking system, 

Studies will be conducted to assess current capacity to support and expand student engagement. The task force aims to identify a number of long term developmental and sustainability issues.  

Definitions:

Most literature very narrowly defines “service‐learning.”  Learn and Serve America defines service‐learning (with specific inclusion of the “‐“connecting the words) as

“a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.”

Taking the below diagram, the focus groups would start the dialogue in developing a series of definitions to illustrate a more comprehensive service experience . 

Examination of institutional capacity:

The below was condensed from a format developed by Furco (UC Berkeley, 1999). 

It identifies five dimensions for institutionalizing student engagement:

1. Philosophy and Mission

adopting a campus wide definition of student engagement and incorporating it into institutional strategic planning

2. Faculty support and involvement

 recruiting faculty in implementation and advancement of student
 engagement

3. Student support and involvement

promoting concept of engagement to students and building awareness of opportunities for service and leadership

4. Community participation and partnership
             recruiting community partners to assist in implementing and advancing
              student engagement
   
5. Institutional support

Provision of substantial resources, support and effort on an institutional
basis to implement and advance student engagement

Furco’s self-assessment rubric, based on the Kecskes/ Muyllaert Continuums of Service Benchmarks, outlines three‐stages of institutionalization for each of these dimensions. 

These stages include:

(1) Critical mass building,

(2) Quality building, and

 (3) Sustained institutionalization.  

This work group will also identify stakeholders related to each element of the dimensional rubric. The assessment should identify areas of greatest need for development.  

The task force will work on the criteria to approve activities for students, including formal service‐learning classes to community service.

 The work group will outline ideas for satisfying a prospective community engagement requirement:

A work plan was recommended for all aspects of the initiative including, but not limited to:

• Policy and Procedures

Ø Formalize definitions of recognized student engagement options;

Ø Complete survey of extant service courses;

Ø Formalize service curriculum;

Ø Establish service curriculum review process;

Ø  Develop service policy statement for Bulletin; address risk management issues;

Ø Organize staffing and identify resources

• Pedagogy –

Compile and publish

•      service engagement resources;

•      initiate faculty and curriculum development programs, symposia, communities of practice

•      establish student service project program

•      develop series of central elective courses,

•      honours for outreach service

•      launch advocacy and communications campaign

•      establish development strategies supporting sustainable service engagement.

• Processes –

Establish

·    interactive web‐based service network for faculty, students, and community providers;

·          coordinate to be able to integrate service learning projects into a system;

·         establish review and approval process for recognition of community providers;

·         establish certification process for service projects;

·         coordinate validation of student service in permanent course records

·         afford co‐curricular transcription of student service activity

·         establish on-going assessment process