Howtos of ServiceLearning

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How-tos of Service-Learning
in
Alcohol Use Prevention Model Programs
January 9, 2007 Atlanta, Georgia
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Introductions

• Meet the Panelists

Susie Richards South Whidbey School District
206, Langley, WA Denise Gaudette and Jocelyn
Andrade New Bedford Public Schools, New Bedford,
MA
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How Service-Learning Works

• Service-learning is a form of experiential
  education where learning occurs through a cycle
  of planning, action, and reflection. Working
  with others, students acquire knowledge and
  skills and apply what they learn in community
  settings as they try to meet community needs.
  They experience consequences, both literal and
  emotional.

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Evidence That Service -Learning Works

• - A meta-analysis showed that service-learning
  was the most promising strategy for reducing some
  risk behaviors such as preventing pregnancies
  (Kirby, 1999)
• - Studies in several states (Billig, 2000 2003)
  show that students who
• - engage in service-learning develop
• - stronger internal locus of control
• - take more responsibilities
• - develop more of a sense of right and wrong and
• - have stronger understanding of the
  consequences of their actions.

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Relationship to Learning (Eyler and Giles, 1999)

• Service-learning experiences
• Are typically positive, meaningful, and real
• Involve cooperative, rather than competitive
  processes, thus promoting skills associated with
  teamwork and interdependency
• Address complex problems in complex settings
  rather than simplified problems in isolation

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Service-learning experiences (continued)

• Offer opportunities to engage in problem solving
  by requiring students to gain knowledge in
  specific contexts rather than drawing upon
  generalized or abstract knowledge
• Promote deeper learning because results are
  immediate and are not contrived (no right
  answers in the back of the book)
• Are more likely to be personally meaningful and
  to generate emotional consequences

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Service-Learning Supports Academic Achievement
Youth Development

• Research shows that service-learning
• Increased students enjoyment in school and
  knowledge of subject matter
• Decreased behavioral problems
• Heightened care for community
• Improved relationships
• Increased students desire to learn (Source
  Billig, Heads, Hearts and Hands 2004)

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Learn Serve America Outcomes

• Evaluation of the program conducted in CA, HI, MI
  and TX found
• Significantly higher student engagement
• Increased attendance
• Improved course grades and GPAs
• Higher standardized test scores
• Reduced dropout rates

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Building on Existing Partnerships
Existing Municipal Partnerships CS2
N.B. P.S.
Alcohol Prevention Resources C.A.A.P.
Existing Community Partnerships Seven Hills
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Collaborative Relationships Effect Positive
Outcomes

• Increase school-community partnerships
• Increase youth leadership opportunities
• Enriches professional development opportunities
  for staff
• - Offer youth an opportunity to effect positive
  change on social issues impacting their community

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What Mrs. Texeiras Students Want to Know and DO

• I want to know more about
• How does alcohol advertising exploit women?
• What is the impact of 18 clubs on underage
  drinking?
• How are alcopops marketed to youth?
• How do drinking behaviors impact crime in our
  community?

• Things I want to do and change
• Report on alcohol advertising and produce PSAs
  with alcohol prevention messages
• Measure the density of alcohol outlets in
  high-crime and low-crime neighborhoods and work
  to limit alcohol licenses

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Interdisciplinary Unit CSL
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Encouraging Civic Responsibility

• - I hear, I forget.
• I see, I remember.
• I do, I understand.

• - National surveys of adult volunteers show a
  strong correlation between volunteer service as a
  young person and later volunteering as an
  adult.the Power of Service-Learning (2003),
  Carnegie Foundation and CIRCLE

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Volunteerism Among U.S. Youth

• - 36 of young people ages 15-25 volunteered in
  the past year 19 on a regular basis
• - Of these, 47 were high school students, 43
  were college students and 23 were not current
  students
• - Most wanted to help others only 13 expressed
• motivation to address a political or social
  issue (Source www.civicyouth.org)

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Involving Youth

• Tie service-learning into classroom learning
• Give youth choices and challenges
• Listen to youth and find opportunities for them
  to serve that align with their interests
• Empower youth with meaningful ways to serve

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Website www.icicp.org