BP 6142.4 (a)

Instruction

Learning Through Community Service

Service Learning

The Board of Education recognizes that preparing each generation to understand and support democratic principles is the responsibility of our institutions. High quality service learning experiences provide students with opportunities to apply a standards-based curriculum that addresses local school and community needs and shows students that they can make a positive contribution to a community through involved citizenship. Research demonstrates that service learning can help students develop transferable skills, increase career exploration, and improve confidence as well as strengthen academic outcomes and civic education. These opportunities help students recognize the relevance of what they are learning in school and can be designed to help develop cross-cultural relationships with the community.

The Board of Education affirms the importance of service learning as a vital part of the instructional program and supports service learning as an instructional strategy because it enables students to be confident, effective thinkers and problem solvers as well as ethical participants in society.

High quality service learning is defined as an innovative strategy in which students apply curriculum skills to community service and includes:

1)      Identifying and meeting a real community need

2)      Integrating into and enhancing the standards-based curriculum

3)      Coordinating with a community agency, another school or classroom, or the community at large

4)      Helping foster civic responsibility

5)      Providing structured time for reflection

The Board of Education encourages each student to participate in at least one age-appropriate service learning activity at each grade span (PreK-6, 7-8, 9-12) and thus support the integration of service learning into the curriculum and encourages staff and students to collaborate with local public and nonprofit agencies in order to develop service learning activities that meet educational objectives, address state adopted academic standards, and also fit the current community needs.

Parents/guardians shall receive information about the community service learning opportunities offered by schools and their benefits for both the community and the student.

The Board of Education recommends that the Superintendent or designee develop a long-term plan to implement service learning in the district as an instructional strategy.