Arkansas
From Service-Learning Wiki
Arkansas was an early leader in the field of service-learning, following the National and Community Service Act in the mid-1990s. One result was Act 648, legislation that requires school districts to award one elective credit for 75 hours of documented community service. Service sites are approved by the Arkansas Department of Volunteerism. Though school districts may apply for an exemption from the program, none have. Since 2005, the Department of Education has tracked how many students receive the credit.
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Networks of Support
The University of Arkansas’ Clinton School of Public Service continues to be an important partner for ADE in several areas. The University acts as an outside evaluator of the Learn and Serve program and has provided speakers for ADE workshops and trainings. The evaluations by the Clinton School are not made public but are used by the state Learn and Serve staff to improve the Arkansas program. According to Dr. Reginald Wilson, the ADE coordinator for Learn and Serve, recent evaluations have shown that the program needs to work on publicizing the available grants so that more schools can utilize the funding.
AmeriCorps is an important partner that works closely with Arkansas Learn and Serve. On January 30, 2007, ADE and AmeriCorps teamed up to host a legislative breakfast where issues related to service were discussed with local politicians. In particular, the link between the Learn and Serve program and participation in AmeriCorps was highlighted. Also, on October 22, 2007, Learn and Serve grantees were honored at the opening statewide ceremony for AmeriCorps.
Convening and Celebrating
The Arkansas Volunteer Service Commission ahs been a strong advocate for service-learning. They sponsor an annual two-and-a-half-day "Cross-Streams" conference with 350 participants, featuring all full- and part-time service programs in the state. The Learn and Serve coordinator collaborates with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission and is a member of the Governor's Faith-Based Initiative, and attends an participates in the quarterly meetings of the Commission. Close collaboration across stream also allows broad representation in the Arkansas Unified Plan for National and community Service.
Policy Support
Since 1996 Act 648 has given high school students in Arkansas the chance to earn one elective credit for 75 hours of documented community service. The service must involve preparation, action, and reflection components and be approved by the Arkansas Department of Education and the local school board. Every school is required to offer students the opportunity to receive service-learning credit; however, the elective credit is not incorporated under state academic standards. Educators who teach service-learning courses under Act 648 may only award one credit, preventing students from taking the class again. There is no statewide data available on how many students have received credit under Act 648.
Learn and Serve
The Arkansas Department of Education awards Learn and Serve grants annually for school-based service-learning projects with preference for programs that focus on literacy and math improvement and that address risky youth behavior. According to ADE, risky behavior “is defined as a behavior that is a risk to a person, school or community… [such as] low school attendance, drug abuse, low community participation, … health issues that are a risk to the body, negative environment issues, etc”.[1] The grants are aimed to target grades 5-8, although the application is open to all K-12 public schools. Each year 16 grants are awarded, ranging from $5,000 to $19,000. Grantees must secure a 50 percent match, $1 raised for every $1 granted, through cash or in-kind donations.
Though the position for state coordinator of Learn and Serve was vacant during 2006, new employees are working to make up for lost ground. ADE provides assistance and support through workshops for new grantees and mid-year trainings, which have included national Learn and Serve experts. Special attention is focused on identifying areas in projects that need improvement. ADE also hosts a statewide conference for coordinators and new grantee coordinators. In addition, Learn and Serve grantees are included in cross-stream training with AmeriCorps and Vista programs, which gives grant coordinators exposure to what other service sectors are doing.
Youth Contributions
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Examples of Quality Service-Learning
References
- ^ Arkansas Department of Education (2007). 2007-2008 Learn and Serve America Grant Proposal. Retrieved from http://arkedu.state.ar.us/commemos/attachments/LSRequest_for_Proposal_07-08.doc.
- Cairn, Rich, Henning, Anna, and Neal, Marybeth. 2005. "State Profiles" in Growing to Greatness 2005. St. Paul: National Youth Leadership Council.
- Schultz, Nate. 2008. "State Profiles" in Growing to Greatness 2008. St. Paul: National Youth Leadership Council.
External Links
- Learn and Serve America in Arkansas
- National Service in Arkansas (Corporation for National and Community Service)
- Arkansas Learn and Serve
- Arkansas Service Commission
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