Service Learning
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Click Here for the Non-Funded Service-Learning Project Report
Click Here for the North Adams Service-Learning Project Summaries
Service-Learning in the North Adams Public Schools
What is Service-Learning?
Service-Learning (S-L) is a method of teaching and a way of learning. Students use academic knowledge and skills to address real community needs and problems through service activities connected to their curriculum. Service-Learning projects address a wide variety of needs including education, the environment, public safety, and human needs such as poverty and hunger. Service-Learning is also known as Community Service-Learning. Service-Learning is experiential and highly engaging. Students learn through the application of knowledge and skills in purposeful, meaningful and real work.
Service-Learning is a ‘value-added’ teaching method. In addition to being an effective strategy for teaching core subjects, teachers are also able to integrate learning objectives for social and emotional learning, 21st Century skills, civic education, career exploration, and workplace readiness.
The History of Service-Learning in North Adams Public Schools
Steeped in a long tradition of community service in North Adams, grassroots organizing and leadership by Drury High School faculty in 1992 led to the development of a pre-K-12, district-wide service-learning program. Drury High School continues to lead the initiative to spread the practice of service-learning both within the other schools and programs in the North Adams system as well as in the wider region. The service-learning program has been cited as a shining star within the school district. The ethics and practice of S-L are well infused into the culture and curriculum of the schools. Some projects recur repeatedly such as the Drury Senior/Senior (Citizen) Prom that has been held annually since 1994; however many are responsive to changing and immediate needs such as supporting victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti, work with hunger in response to the economic recession and green energy projects.
Last year, over 70 projects were supported through the program with the participation of approximately 70% of district students and 40% of teachers. To see summaries of projects during 2008-2009, please access the link on service-learning page of the district website.
North Adams received its first grant for S-L from Learn and Serve America in 1993. The program grew rapidly and in 1999, the Corporation for National & Community Service named Drury High School a National Service-Learning Leader School. Representatives from Drury were hosted twice in Washington, DC for award ceremonies and leadership conferences. Such notables as Shirley Sagawa, Ted Sizer and Senators Ted Kennedy and Harris Woffard presented the awards.
The New England Association for School and Colleges recognized the excellence of the S-L program throughout its 2003 reaccredidation report on Drury High School. Citations included the program’s advancement of the school’s mission, its efficacy in teaching and learning, and as a central characteristic of positive school climate.
The National Commission for Service-Learning, chaired by Senator John Glenn referenced the North Adams program in its 2002 report Learning in Deed: The Power of Service-Learning for American Schools. The Kellogg Foundation produced a film to accompany the Commission’s report and North Adams was one of three school systems featured in the film along with Philadelphia and San Francisco. Spotlighted local projects included Roberta Sullivan’s kindergarten project with the North Adams Regional Hospital and Sue Chilson’s high school Spanish students teaching lessons to elementary children.
North Adams projects have been published in several books including Promising Practices; Kids Taking Action; and Lend A Hand: Exploring Service-Learning Through Children’s Literature as well as in numerous magazines, newspapers, etc.
North Adams won First Place at the “Best of the Atlantic” Regional Service-Learning Showcase at the 2006 National Service-Learning Conference in Philadelphia for the exhibition: Education to Eradicate Terrorism: Afghanistan School Aid Project.
Additionally, multiple individual teachers, school administrators and classrooms have been presented with awards recognizing exemplary projects and leadership in service-learning.
Community Partnerships
Collaboration with community partners is a key element of effective service-learning. Classroom projects partner with many local organizations including Northern Berkshire Community Action, Berkshire Food Project, Target: Hunger, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, the REACH Foundation for Community Health, and the Berkshire Humane Society.
The North Adams Public Schools, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Northern Berkshire Community Coalition began collaboration around service-learning in 1994 and formalized their partnership in 2000 through the award of a Community, Higher Education, School Partnership grant. Although the grant program has ended, the partnership continues to work to advance service-learning opportunities and civic involvement for youth and students of all ages. The partnership was one of eight in the country recruited to participate in the National P-16 Service-Learning Leadership Summit hosted by the University of Nebraska, Omaha in September, 2009.
Quality Service-Learning
The North Adams S-L program adheres to national and state models for best practices of high quality service-learning. Teachers develop and implement curriculum-based S-L units with learner outcomes that reflect the Learning Standards of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. The North Adams program echoes the models for quality put forth by national leaders in the field such as National Youth Leadership Council, the National Service-Learning Partnership, the Corporation for National and Community, Catherine Berger Kaye and Kids Consortium. Teachers are encouraged to lead students through a project process that includes investigation, preparation and planning, action, reflection and demonstration. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate the research-based, K-12 Service Learning Standards for Quality Practice released in 2008 by the National Youth Leadership. The standards address meaningful service, link to curriculum, reflection, diversity, youth voice and leadership, partnerships, progress monitoring and duration and intensity.
Services
The North Adams S-L Program provides a Service-Learning Coordinator to assist teachers with project development. In addition, a Service-Learning Advisory Board has been sustained since 1994 through which teacher representatives serve as liaisons and mentors to their colleagues. The program offers comprehensive services that include mentoring, technical assistance, professional development, transportation, and mini-grant opportunities.
For more information contact:
Anne French
Service-Learning Director
Drury School Adjustment Counselor
(413)662-3240 ext. 1104
afrench@napsk12.org
