Mississippi
From Service-Learning Wiki
In recent years, Mississippi has faced the challenges presented by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Despite these difficulties, service-learning has helped the state recover and rebuild its education system and the state as a whole.
Contents |
History
Since the early 1990s, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has worked closely with the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service (MCVS), Mississippi State Office of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), and since 1999 with the Center for Civic and Community Engagement (CCCE) at the University of Southern Mississippi. The Mississippi Department of Education received the first round of Learn and Serve America Program school-based and community-based funding in 1992. The Mississippi Department of Education gave many relatively small grants (as many as 50 at one time) to school districts and community-based organizations for service-learning projects. In 1995, MCVS began to administer community-based Learn and Serve America Program grants. That same year, Frednia Perkins became coordinator of the Learn and Serve America Program. Currently, she is the Director of Student and Professional Services within the Office of Vocational Education and Workforce Development.
In 1999, MCVS convened a Steering Committee to strategize how to make service-learning a part of every student’s educational experience. The committee included staff from all three State agencies (MDE, MCVS, and State Office of CNCS), education foundations, the Governor's office, the Attorney General’s office, teachers, higher education faculty, and students. The committee’s strategic plan focused on expanding the extent and quality of service-learning, proposed staff development and improved collaboration, and established the Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE) at the University of Southern Mississippi. The Steering Committee itself evolved into the Mississippi Alliance for Community Service-Learning, which continues to serve as the CCCE Board.
The Mississippi Department of Education, Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service and Center for Community and Civic Engagement received national funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service in Washington, DC for Learn and Serve America Program grants supporting the Lighthouse Partnership Program at 20 sites, with a focus on after-school opportunities for service-learning. These 2000-2006 grants were for Community-based, Higher Education, School Partnership (CHESP) Learn and Serve America programs. At the same time, Mississippi’s Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning applied for AmeriCorps and VISTA positions to support capacity-building at each Lighthouse site. College and university students and foster grandparents also provide mentoring and tutoring to secondary school students. Also linked to the Lighthouse Partnerships, CCCE’s Reading Is Fundamental Program that served 25,000 students.
CCCE strengthens democratic ideals by fostering sustained partnerships that improve educational opportunities and achievement. CCCE builds on higher education programs and partnerships to strengthen school-based service-learning. CCCE certifies both higher education and K-12 curricula as meeting the requirements of an effective service-learning program based on current research and best practices. Certified curricula are promoted on CCCE's website. CCCE expects to launch a Mississippi Campus Compact to further its higher education work.
During 2000-2006 grants for Community-Based, Higher Education, and School Partnership Learn and Serve America programs supported the Lighthouse Partnership Program at 20 sites, with a focus on after-school opportunities for service-learning. At the same time, Mississippi’s Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning applied for AmeriCorps and VISTA positions to support capacity-building at each site.
Networks of Support
To strengthen school-based service-learning, the Mississippi Center for Community and Civic Engagement at the University of Southern Mississippi provides service-learning training and technical support to institutions of higher learning in conjunction with K-12 schools and community/faith-based organizations.
In addition to regular support for subgrantees, Mississippi organizes twice-annual statewide conferences that provide trainings to all national service programs. The state leadership uses CNCS professional development and training funds to target school-based educators as well as for cross-stream training among CNCS programs. The state partners also maintain websites, list-serves, and a quarterly newsletter to all national service programs.
The Mississippi Department of Education, along with its partner organizations, continues to lead the Mississippi Youth Service Summit annually in February. The Summit enriches academic learning by focusing on the issues of young people giving back through service-learning and community service.
Mississippi is in the process of developing a Campus Compact state office, through the University of Southern Mississippi.
Convening and Celebrating
The Mississippi Department of Education, Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service, Mississippi State Office of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Center for Civic and Community Engagement continue to collaborate. The state leadership team for service-learning meets at least quarterly, and communicates almost daily. The team coordinates efforts on a number of programs. Besides the regular training and technical support for subgrantees, Mississippi organizes September and April statewide conferences that provide trainings to all National service programs. The state leadership uses Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) professional development and training funds for training targeting school-based educators as well as for cross-stream training including Learn and Serve America, higher education, AmeriCorps, and Senior Corps. The state partners also maintain websites, list-serves, and a quarterly newsletter to all national service programs. The Mississippi Department of Education's Learn and Serve America Program currently provides 17 Learn and Serve America Program grants of $8,000 - $15,000 to school districts. School districts must integrate service-learning into the academic curriculum that assists students and schools in meeting academic goals.
The Mississippi Department of Education continues to lead the Mississippi Youth Service Summit annually in February. The other state partners also collaborate for this effort. The Mississippi Youth Service Summit is a statewide youth driven conference that enriches academic learning by focusing on the issues of youth giving back through service-learning and community service. The Mississippi Youth Service Summit presents opportunities for well over 600 youths, along with 75 teachers and principals, to showcase their schools and service-learning projects. The Summit also affords the opportunity for youth and youth groups to facilitate and present workshops during the Summit.
Response to Hurricane Katrina
On August 29, 2005, Mississippi suffered the worst natural disaster in the nation’s history, impacting over 200,000 students, teachers, and families. That fall, more than 125,000 students were out of school and 226 schools were closed. Despite these challenges, MDE remained committed to accelerating student achievement.
The loss of matching funding from devastated businesses and organizations made seeking new funding sources a top priority to reinstate service-learning opportunities and a quality education for the students of Mississippi. Through a special initiative from the Corporation for National and Community Service, MDE received $111,000 for Hurricane Recovery Efforts. Five coastal school districts were awarded subgrants to engage approximately 5,850 K-12 students in disaster relief projects. As a result of this special funding initiative, MDE hosted the first Mississippi Gulf Coast Youth Service Summit for the Coastal students.
Following the hurricanes, MDE and MCVS provided a wide range of service-learning opportunities across the hurricane-ravaged Mississippi Gulf Coast. These programs combined resources with the experience of local educational agencies and community organizations to provide high-quality service-learning activities to approximately 15,000 youths representing a cross-section of the state’s ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. The program participants have benefited from student and community member collaborative decision making, more parental participation in school activities, less absenteeism, increased interest in school both by the student and community, students showing expanded civic responsibility, and increased development of self-assuredness.
Learn and Serve
MDE’s $358,714 school-based Learn and Serve grant currently provides 18 subgrants of $8,000-$15,000 to school districts that involve 7,738 participants. The program is managed by Frednia Perkins, who serves as SEA for the state. School districts must integrate service-learning into the academic curriculum that assists students and schools in meeting academic goals. In 1995, MCVS began to administer community-based Learn and Serve America grants. Their current grant, worth $49,000, supports nine subgrantees across the state and involves 391 participants. Additionally, the University of Southern Mississippi receives a $90,000 higher education grant that involves 4,151 participants at 5 subgrantee sites.
Youth Contributions
This section is in need of expansion. You can help by expanding it.
Examples of Quality Service-Learning
References
- Cairn, Rich and Neal, Marybeth. 2004. "State Profiles" in Growing to Greatness 2004. St. Paul: National Youth Leadership Council.
External Links
- Learn and Serve America in Mississippi
- National Service in Mississippi (Corporation for National and Community Service)
- Mississippi Learn and Serve
- Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service
| States and Territories of the United States | |
| States | Alabama - Alaska - Arizona - Arkansas - California - Colorado - Connecticut - Delaware - Florida - Georgia - Hawaii - Idaho - Illinois - Indiana - Iowa - Kansas - Kentucky - Louisiana - Maine - Maryland - Massachusetts - Michigan - Minnesota - Mississippi - Missouri - Montana - Nebraska - Nevada - New Hampshire - New Jersey - New Mexico - New York - North Carolina - North Dakota - Ohio - Oklahoma - Oregon - Pennsylvania - Rhode Island - South Carolina - South Dakota - Tennessee - Texas - Utah - Vermont - Virginia - Washington - West Virginia - Wisconsin - Wyoming |
| Federal District | District of Columbia |
| Territories | American Samoa - Guam - Northern Mariana Islands - Puerto Rico - Virgin Islands |
| view - edit | |
