Building a program

Are you interested in building a service learning program at your school? No worries, you don't have to re-invent the wheel. Many resources exist to help. The following is adapted from the Corporation for National and Community Service's "Designing a service-learning program in 10 steps".

1. Set specific educational goals and curriculum
Determine what you expect the young people to learn. Even projects organized by community-based organizations or after-school programs should set specific educational goals. Establish the content objectives or standards that the program will address, and incorporate your service and learning objectives into lesson plans. Devise ways to measure and assess whether students meet those goals, including reflection and assessment activities. When evaluating student performance, assess their effort and mastery of the subject. Service outcomes may not reflect initial expectations - that's ok. SFUSD's VolunteerMatch site has included several reflection and assessment activities as part of the hours tracking in the tool. Other helpful resources include:
 

• California Department of Education's "Key Elements of Service Learning" descibes five components for which programs should strive.
   
• Youth Service California's "Seven elements of a high-quality service learning program" provides a couple extra components if the five above are not enough.
   
• National Youth Leadership Council's "Service Learning Toolbox" has how-to guides and curricular examples. Also, take a look at its K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice

   

• Learn & Serve America's "Service Learning Ideas and Curricular Examples (SLICE)" website is a searchable database with lots of teacher-generated classroom ideas.

   

• The LEAGUE's "Learning to give" lesson plans and tools, as well as curriculum-based events, provide more classroom ideas.

   

• Youth Service America's "service learning curricula" is another good collection of projects with a curricular component.

   

• The U.S. Peace Corps' "service learning action guide" includes important cultural considerations for volunteers.

2. Establish an environment conducive to community service
Environmental factors, such as parents' expectations, transportation availability, and school schedule may impact a student's ability to volunteer. Communicate requirements to parents and prepare to provide alternatives for families in which students are expected to work. Consider school schedules and transportation difficulties that may impede students' ability to get to a location. Remember that during the summer nonprofits get slammed with volunteers - consider setting up mechanisms that encourage students to do their service work during the school year.
 

3. Help students select projects
Assist students as necessary in picking projects that help them achieve desired goals: personal, educational, and career.
SFUSD's VolunteerMatch site has hundreds of opportunities from which students and teachers can pick. The site also features community partners especially known for working with young people.
 

4. Acquire necessary funding and resources
If your program requires additional funds, goods, or services, consider seeking assistance from local businesses, national corporations, parents, faith-based organizations, government programs (e.g., AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Learn and Serve America, your State Education Agency), and other community organizations. Some sources of funding include:

• Learn & Serve America grants.
• Environmental Service Learning Initiative (ESLI).

5. Organize reflection activities
Establish a mechanism that ensures regular student reflection about their service experience (e.g. journals, classroom assignments) before and after it happens. The U.S. Peace Corps' "service learning action guide" includes important cultural considerations for volunteers. Organize activities that allow students to analyze their service and observe how their ideas, knowledge and perceptions  change. Use such reflections to help assess and improve the program.

SFUSD's VolunteerMatch site has built in several reflection and assessment questions as part of the hours tracking of students' service activities.

6. Assess and Evaluate Your Service Program
Ensure that your evaluation assesses the outcomes of the service project for the youth, the community, and the organizations involved. Documentation and evaluation of the project will create a legacy for the individuals and organizations that participated in and benefited from your service activities. It will also point the way to the next project for your classroom, and may foster activities in other classrooms. Some resources to consider include:

• CHKS Service Learning Module - California Healthy Kids Survey. WestEd in collaboration with the CDE Counseling Student Support and Service-Learning Office have developed a new Module G specifically for schools that conduct Service-Learning.
• Service learning quadrant (Youth Service California).
• Seven elements of a high-quality service learning program (Youth Service California)
• Program evaluation questionnaire (Maryland's program evaluation rubric).

7. Celebrate Achievements  
Recognition of students can help build habits of service that lead to a lifetime of community involvement. Don't forget to recognize key community partners as well. Recognition may include: displays in school or online, celebratory events such as ribbon cuttings or groundbreakings, visits by local officials, and participation in local or national recognition programs.

Take a look at the awards and leadership programs page for more formal programs that recognize outstanding service. 

• Assess your program. Use Maryland's assessment rubric to identify areas to improve.
   
• Find new curriculum ideas.  Take a look at Youth Service America's (YSA) "Curriculum & Issues" modules. Also, look at The LEAGUE's "Learning to Give" lesson plans and tools, as well as its curriculum-based events.
   
• Check out other tools & resources from Youth Service America (YSA).
   
• Set up a "day of service". Some schools have an annual or bi-annual "day of service" campaign at the school to increase the awareness of the benefits of doing community service. Plan your own, or tap into national or global initiatives, such as the global youth service day. 

• Growing to Greatness is an ongoing study of k-12 service learning by the National Youth Leadership Council.  Also, look at their "getting started" page for more ideas.