Service-Learning Institute: Home

Through the Service-Learning Institute, teachers will implement the five stages of service-learning in their classroom from October 2019 through March 2020. For participating teachers, this looks like:   

• implementing a variety of strategies and activities introduced in professional learning sessions and program materials; 
• developing a unit of study that connects service to their curriculum;
• curating media and other resources for students’ investigation; 
• reaching out to administration, colleagues, and community stakeholders to arrange for logistics of service activities; and
• communicating progress to the SIS team through site visits and email/phone communications.

• Teachers selected to participate are required to attend all four full-day professional learning sessions: Wednesday, October 16; Friday, December 6; Thursday, January 9; and Wednesday, March 18 [cancelled/postponed] from 8:30am-3:00pm.
   
• Over the course of the Institute, teachers will share their service-learning activities, successes, and challenges with fellow participants and will receive free resources and tools for implementing a service-learning curriculum, including Cathryn Berger Kaye’s book, The Complete Guide to Service Learning.
   
• Participating teachers will collaborate regularly with the SIS team through site visits and email communications to create successful partnerships and develop a service-learning project for implementation with students in an academic class during the 2019-20 school year. 

and are also eligible to earn up to 10 hours of per session for time spent outside of regular school hours planning for and/or facilitating Students Taking Action Today sessions.

How will the Service-Learning Institute benefit my school?
This professional learning series is a unique opportunity to support teachers in developing a culture of service at your school. The series will provide teachers with resources and tools to engage students in service-learning activities that explore the root causes of community needs around homelessness, hunger, and the environment. Through activities such as community mapping and interviewing experts, students will enhance their leadership, problem-solving, critical-thinking skills, and more. Past participants in the Service-Learning Institute have developed a grade 5 curriculum on refugees that culminated in students supporting a local non-profit that provides job training to recent immigrants and have led District 75 high school students in community mapping and advocating for increased and improved waste management in their community. By carrying out a service-learning unit as part of the 2019-20 Service-Learning Institute, participating teachers will enhance the overall capacity and sustainability of community service and service-learning programming at your school.

What is the time commitment for a teacher participating in the Service-Learning Institute?
Participating teachers will be expected to attend all four full-days of the Service-Learning Institute on Tuesday, October 23; Wednesday, December 5; Wednesday, January 9; and Tuesday, March 12.

Additionally, teachers will schedule a site visit from the SIS team for on-the-ground support in between sessions. A typical site visit consists of a 45-minute classroom visit with a 15-minute debrief with the teacher and SIS team member(s).

Finally, participating teachers will be expected to develop a service-learning project as part of an academic unit during the 2019-20 school year. While much of this planning may occur during normal prep periods, teachers can expect to spend additional time planning and facilitating the service-learning project. This may include time spent calling partner organizations, facilitating a service activity outside of regular school hours, documenting students’ work, etc.