Meaningful
Service-Learning
Evaluation Exercise
1. Each group will be assigned to one of the following service-learning
scenarios.
2. Evaluation the assigned scenario using the Meaningful Service-Learning
Checklist.
3. Identify strengths and weakness of the service-learning scenarios.
4. Identify ways to enhance the service-learning project.
5. Share the results.
Head Group - Queen Bee Schools Description:
Service Learning is integrated with an environmental science curriculum at the
Middle School and includes both content and process skills from the subject
areas. Students are encouraged to brainstorm ideas for potential projects and
investigate such issues as hunger and poverty that can be related to their
academic curriculum. Projects focus on one of the three types of service: 1)
direct service that is related to helping people of improving the environment; 2)
indirect service based on organizing and carrying out awareness or fund raising
functions for community cause; or 3) advocacy service to raise awareness of
issues as solid waste management and environmental problems. Among the
community partners are the Forest Preserve District, the Conservation
foundation, S.C.R.A.P. (School Recycling Assistance Program), the Village of
Glendale Heights, Bethlam Food Bank and Alden Village. Training is provided by
community and focus on issues that arise at the service sites.
Heart Group - Peacefully Reaching Out Description:
Peacefully Reaching Out (PRO) is a Big Brothers, Big Sisters designed to
provide and opportunity for at-risk students to learn conflict mediation / resolution
strategies and share these strategies with other community youth. Students who
are involved in conflict miss time from class. This project increases on-task
behaviors so that students receive the instructional time. Students learn critical
thinking skills and how to make better decisions. 83 students in the Students-AtRisk Program participate in instruction which focuses on areas such as conflict
mediation / resolution, self-esteem, and career exploration. Students enhance
their technology skills by working on computers and staff and parents are
involved in in-service training. As a result, the students' newly learned skills are
transferred from acquisition to instruction, and the PRO students provide
mediation / resolution strategies to approximately 350 fifth grade students from
four feeder elementary schools. This instruction with elementary students
involves group sessions, classroom instruction, role playing, etc. Acquisition of
the skills is only half the task; modeling the skill within the community helps these
students make the first-step in violence prevention.
Hands - Clover Parish 4-H Livestock Club Description: A parish-wide project
involving over 300 elementary students and several activities serves the
Aberdeen Humane Society by raising money and collecting materials for muchneeded supplies for the animals. Their activities develop citizenship skills and
promote public awareness of the non-profit organization and its work among
students and their parents. The project and activities were selected, organized,
and promoted by the students on council and involved all classes in the school.
They began with an assembly at which the director of the Humane Society spoke
with the students about the shelter and the issues of animal neglect and care.
Among their activities, students incorporated other concerned, such as the
environment in recycling cans and shredding newspapers for lining cages and
making beds for the animals. The project culminated in the school Spring
Program with the theme of animals, coinciding with a highly successful bake sale
the day parents attended the program. The school sees the value and
educational possibilities of such projects for its students and is planning more
lead-time and for project in coming year and a faculty in service to increase
curriculum connection to the service project.
Health - 4-H KWIC (Kids Working to Improve our Community: Inside and
Out) Description:
This program provides students with information on music, feelings and health.
The students are conducting a library search to explore how music affects one's
feelings and health. Students are learning several psychology terms as well as
gaining a better understanding of the elderly. They are preparing a 20-30 minute
musical presentation for performance at a local nursing home. They are
composing a simple pre- and post-test to compare residents' feelings and
reactions.