Welcome to the RSU No. 67 Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Page

Service Learning

THIS SITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
Links will be added and information changed to reflect ongoing work occurring in R.S.U. No. 67. Questions about information posted here should be directed to Donna J. Vigue at dvigue@rsu67.org.

 

R.S.U. No. 67

serving Chester, Lincoln, and Mattawamkeag


Service Learning

SL LOGO

(logo designed by Holly Leighton using SMART software and clipart)

“Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.” 

(Learn and Serve America:  http://www.servicelearning.org/what-service-learning)

Service learning is more than community-based learning or community service.  In addition to bringing community members into the classroom or taking students into the community to learn, service learning asks students and community members to form a partnership in order to learn with and from one another.  More than simply providing a service for a community, service learning allows students to apply concepts and skills acquired in school to meet real needs in their communit(ies)—needs which students themselves identify, develop and implement a plan to meet, and evaluate in terms of impact or effectiveness.  Service learning is more than a project that students complete to satisfy a class or course requirement.  It is a way to teach and learn that is engaging, authentic, and meaningful, a way to help young people see value in what they are learning and to believe that they are capable of making a positive difference in their schools and communities. 

In May 1934, Eleanor Roosevelt told a reporter for the New York Times, "I have moments of real terror when I think we might be losing this generation. We have got to bring these young people into the active life of the community and make them feel that they are necessary." At the time, Mrs. Roosevelt was speaking of the effects of the Great Depression, but her words ring as true today as they did in the 30's. Young people of any generation need to feel that they can and do make a difference by contributing to their communities.

 

R.S.U. No. 67 Awarded
Three-Year Learn and Serve America Grant, 2009-2012

R.S.U. No. 67 will receive $15,000. each year for three years beginning 2009-10 as a result of a competitive Learn and Serve America (LSA) grant awarded by the Maine Department of Education.  Only three sites were selected for this grant: Arthur R. Gould School in South Portland, R.S.U. No. 34 (Old Town region), and R.S.U. No. 67.

R.S.U. #67 has been striving to implement service learning in all of its schools since March of 2003 when KIDS Consortium, Maine’s leading service-learning organization, provided a full-day inservice for the district. In the fall of 2003, the district began offering teachers small sums of money to design and implement service-learning projects.  The number of those projects has increased steadily since then, but more can be done to improve the quality of the projects and to develop structures/strategies to sustain service learning beyond the life of the grant. 

The district’s mission is “to provide a safe, caring, supportive educational environment which empowers all individuals to fulfill their unique potential as lifelong learners and to become responsible, contributing citizens in an ever-changing global society.” Maine’s LEARNING RESULTS: PARAMETERS FOR ESSENTIAL INSTRUCTION (2007) includes an expectation that students will engage in a civic action or service learning project. Fulfilling the mission and implementing LEARNING RESULTS are the primary goals of the district.  Both are clearly connected with service learning. 

 

Text Box: R.S.U. No. 67 uses the KIDS (Kids Involved Doing Service) Consortium model of service learning. That model includes three main components characterized as equally important legs of a three-legged stool--if one leg is missing or weak, the stool does not function as well as it could:

 

  • Academic Integrity—service learning that is aligned to clear academic learning goals that are relevant and motivating for students and that provides opportunities for all students to apply concepts and skills learned in authentic, meaningful ways.

  • Student Ownership—service learning that involves students in identifying a need, developing and implementing a plan to meet the need, and evaluating the impact of their work so that they learn that they have the power to make a positive difference.

  • Apprentice Citizenship—service learning that connects students with adults in their school and community in ways that allow students to learn with and from those adult partners and to feel valued for the work that they do (the key to helping students become responsible, contributing citizens).

The following links provide information about the service-learning work going on in the district:


2009-10 LSA Service Learning Leadership Team and Minutes

2010-11 LSA Service Learning Leadership Team

R.S.U. No. 67 Vision for Service Learning

R.S.U. No 67 Action Plan, 2009-10

R.S.U. No. 67 Action Plan, 2010-11

R.S.U. No. 67 Service Learning Policy (File JN)

Service-Learning Mini-grant Application Form

K-12 Service-Learning Projects, 2009-10

K-12 Service-Learning Projects, 2010-11

Pictures Related to Service-Learning Projects

Resources

Donna J. Vigue
Director of Curriculum and Academic Achievement

RSU No. 67 District Office
57 Main Street Lincoln, ME 04457
PHONE: (207) 794-6500
FAX: (207) 794-2600
E-MAIL: dvigue@rsu67.org