P-16 SERVICE LEARNING: CREATING
CITIZENS, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES AND
FUTURE STUDENTS
Paul Sather, Director
Julie Dierberger, P-16 Coordinator
Service Learning Academy,
University of Nebraska at Omaha
2012 Nebraska Campus Compact Symposium
Change in Motion
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA
• Comprehensive doctoral/research metropolitan
university in University of Nebraska system
• ~16,000 Undergraduate and graduate students
• Service Learning Academy began in 1999, grew
from 7 classes to over 120 in all colleges
• P-16 Initiative began 5 years ago
• Community Engagement Center: 2013
UNO, led by the faculty, in collaboration with staff
and students, strives for excellence at all levels of
teaching, learning, scholarship, research, and
creative activity consistent with its metropolitan
mission. Excellence is demonstrated in programs
and areas of distinction, high quality
undergraduate education, and strong graduate
research/professional programs.
 Sub-Goal B: Led by its faculty scholars/artists,
UNO will increase its commitment to building and
strengthening academic programs of excellence.
UNO will:
• Objective 2: Target specific outreach activities as a basis for
developing academic programs that stress service learning and
community outreach.
Service-learning is an experiential,
collaborative method of teaching
using projects that promote academic
learning and are tightly linked to
course content while meeting the
needs of the community. Reflection
activities before, during, and after the
experiences facilitate critical learning.
K-12 & After
School
Nonprofit
Agency
P-16 SERVICE LEARNING
UNO
SERVICE LEARNING SEMINAR
• Week-long training with K-12, after school, and
higher education instructors (March, July)
• Structured around K-12 Quality Service
Learning Standards (NYLC, 2008)
• Bring community partners on one day to identify
needs and make curriculum connections
SERVICE LEARNING SEMINAR
• P-16 teams co-develop academic service
learning experiences
• Projects collaborative, focus on experiential
teaching for K-12 and higher education
curriculum
• Leave with:
•
•
•
•
•
Project to be implemented within 18 months
Community partners
Plan for implementation
Support to implement quality projects
New relationships
SERVICE LEARNING SEMINAR GOALS
•
•
•
•
•
Participants increase awareness of the Omaha community,
their needs, personnel, and practice.
Participants understand the benefits of service learning and its
connections to other key frameworks such as: 40
Developmental Assets, 21st Century Skills, and standardsdriven curriculum.
Participants demonstrate understanding of the K-12 ServiceLearning Standards for Quality Practice
UNO, K-12, after school program faculty, and community nonprofit agencies build collaborative relationships and begin
service learning project planning.
Participants are prepared to create quality service-learning
experiences.
NYLC K-12 QUALITY SERVICE
LEARNING STANDARDS (2008)
• Meaningful Service
• Link to Curriculum
• Reflection
• Diversity
• Youth voice
• Partnerships
• Progress monitoring
• Duration and Intensity
IMPACT
 Increased awareness of service learning related
organizations and concepts from an average of 46%
pre-seminar to an average of 100% post-seminar
 Increased feelings of preparedness to plan and
implement a service learning projects from an average
of 45% pre-seminar to an average of 99% postseminar
IMPACT
• Seminars bi-annually (March, July) trained 176
P-12 and UNO instructors in service learning
pedagogy
• Each semester: ~48 P-16 projects
•
•
•
2010: 534 P-12 & UNO service learners
2011: 2741 P-12 & UNO service learners
2012: 1705 P-12 & UNO service learners (spring)
• Completed assessments (2011-12):
•
•
529 P-12
728 UNO
Impact of P-16 Service Learning Projects
College Students' Level of Agreement
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: I can make a difference in
my community.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: Community
participation helped me see everyday use of
course material.
LIFE SKILLS: This course…prepared me for work
in a culturally diverse world.
95%
87%
84%
UNO Landscape Plants + Ralston Honors Science Students
OAK PARK OUTDOOR CLASSROOM
LEVELS
Location
Phosphorous
OF
AND
pH PH, NITRATES,
Nitrates PHOSPHOROUS,
Potassium
POTASSIUM
IN OAK PARK
ON LOCATION.
West
7.0 Neutral
Medium BASED
to Low Medium
Medium
Entrance (1)
Gazebo (2)
7.5 Alkaline
Low
Low
Medium
3rd Cement Pad
From West
Entrance (3)
7.5 Alkaline
Medium to Low Low
Medium
First Bench on
East Side (4)
7.5 Alkaline
Low
Low
Medium
East Entrance
(5)
7.5 Alkaline
Low
Low
Medium
Along Side
Creak Bed (6)
7.0 Neutral
Medium to Low High to
Medium
High to
Medium
Questions?