Nebraska
From Service-Learning Wiki
The Nebraska Department of Education is expanding the reach of its service-learning programs in the western portion of the state. New projects serving rural areas constituted 30 percent of Learn and Serve grants that were issued in 2004-2005.
Contents |
History
Several organized initiatives started to expand and formalize service-learning strategies practices in the 1990s. The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) began providing Learn and Serve America (LSA) funds to school districts in 1992. Early projects often focused on School-to-Work themes but over time they gradually became more generalized in their curricular emphasis. The Annenberg Foundation also supported a number of service-learning projects that tried to involve youth in community betterment efforts through its School at the Center program during that era. In addition, with assistance from several sources, a number of schools engaged students in service activities through an Adopt-a-Stream project during the late 1990s and early 2000s; i.e. the Nebraska Wildlife Federation, Steinhart Foundation, Duncan Aviation, the Paul and Oscar Giger Foundation, and the Nebraska Environmental Trust. Students were engaged in monitoring water quality and improving steam beds through this program.
In 2005, five school districts were awarded planning grants. The projects allowed teachers to delve into service-learning literature and develop plans to integrate service-learning activities in their classes. The funds were used to increase voter participation during the 2004 elections and develop public health initiatives in schools serving Native American students. A demonstration grant for $4,000 supported a project that would encourage recycling efforts in a community. As an exemplary program, was used to showcase successful practices to be shared with educators. Six of the service-learning projects in the state were supported with grants of $5,000 that assisted schools in developing programs that engage students with severe developmental disabilities in community service activities, create an abstinence-based sex education program for Hispanic students, and provide tutoring services for young students.
Networks of Support
In a key partnership, the directors of the Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education and Nebraska’s Corpora- tion for National and Community Service office work together to share resources and target service project areas. By serving on the Nebraska Volunteer Service Commission, the Learn and Serve America coordinator is helping promote service-learning in various ways. The program typically hosts a session on service-learning at the Governor’s conference, and the coordinator is part of the grant review committee for the AmeriCorps program.
During 2007-8, project directors developed partnerships with people associated with the following entities as they involved students in service-learning: Nebraska Game and Park Commission, Natural Resources Districts, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 4H Extension Office, Keep Keith County Beautiful, Nebraska Wildlife Federation, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, Army Corp of Engineers, National Park Service, Keep Scottsbluff/Gering Beautiful, City of Scottsbluff, Scottsbluff Riverside Zoo, Scottsbluff YMCA, Scottsbluff National Monument, Lincoln YWCA, Montclair Nursing Home, Creighton University, Douglas County Historical Society, Bluebirds Across Nebraska and several Weed Control Boards.
The University of Nebraska and the Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education both receive higher education grants, totaling $469,903. The latter uses its funds to involve university students in service-learning at 26 member campuses in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Iowa.
Conference presentations at the annual Excellence in Education Conference in April 2008 introduced teachers to service-learning concepts and opportunities. The sessions focused on using service-learning as an instructional strategy. In March 2008, high school students shared information about their projects with one another at a leadership conference hosted by the Learn and Serve America program.
Professional Development
The Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education offers training programs for both teachers and students. The "Learn Serve Lead" program for students offers a "servant-leader institute." Project Learning Tree also has developed some service-learning curricula.
Convening and Celebrating
Conference presentations at the annual Excellence in Education Conference April 2008 introduced teachers to service-learning concepts and opportunities. The sessions focused on using service-learning as an instructional strategy. In March 2008, high school students shared information about their projects with one another at a leadership conference hosted by the Learn and Serve America program.
Policy Support
Currently, Nebraska has not passed any legislation related to service-learning and thus has no statewide funds to support service-learning activity, other than those provided LSA.
In order to link service-learning activities to academic standards in the state, the student assessment process is being revised to focus on writing. The Department of Education provides writing prompts that solicit student responses. Teachers will be able to access rubrics for evaluating writing samples that measure student involvement in the service-learning experience and assess the quality of the response.
Evaluating Progress
LSA project are evaluated by assessment techniques associated with the state’s academic writing standards. Student essay responses created during the 2007-08 school year were reviewed and rated by a team of teachers. Evaluation protocols and scoring matrixes that are typically used to measure a student’s writing performance govern the assessment procedures. Students participating in LSA projects were asked to create an essay response to writing prompts. Two of the prompts related their service activities and two other prompts dealt with the educational aspect of their experience. Data compiled from the review process indicated that the state met its predetermined LSA program objectives.
Learn and Serve
Nebraska currently receives a $92,976 school-based grant award, which is administered by the Nebraska Department of Education. The state has typically assigned the Learn and Serve America program to someone responsible for other initiatives. The current coordinator, Mike Kissler, is also involved with several programs: ESEA Title IIA, class-size reduction and professional development; ESEA Title IV, Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities; and ESEA Title V, Innovative Programs. As a result, there is an emphasis on developing projects that focus on service-learning areas that could be possibly financed by such programs in the future. Camp Fire USA Midlands Council also receives funding from a national community-based LSA grant.
In 2008, the state's grant funded service-learning activities for 852 students across 10 subgrantees. During the 2007-08 grant period, eleven projects received financial and technical support from the program. A majority of them were related to Science curricular issues in general and environmental concerns in particular. Given the rural settings of many communities, and the importance of agriculture to the economy of the state, future projects will tend to emphasize water quality issues or wildlife habitat development activities. LSA activities are also designed to help students meet academic standards by offering teachers viable instructional strategies that can replace existing classroom practices. So rather than being an add-on accessory, the programs are integrated into the curricular offerings of a school.
The Nebraska LSA program plans to continue its efforts to improve water quality and wildlife habitat in communities. The next phase will focus on linking project personnel who are located throughout the state with one another so they can share their technical expertise and resources. Vast distances separate projects so various computer-based options will be used to facilitate communication. This state intends to support high quality service-learning activities that can be embedded in the curricular structure of schools.
Youth Contributions
Nebraska involves youth voice in policy-making through the Governor's Youth Advisory Council, whose mission is to increase government attentiveness to youth voices and issues relevant to youth, as well as help refocus attention on youth as community assets.
Examples of Quality Service-Learning
References
- Cairn, Rich, Henning, Anna, and Neal, Marybeth. 2005. "State Profiles" in Growing to Greatness 2005. St. Paul: National Youth Leadership Council.
External Links
- Learn and Serve America in Nebraska
- National Service in Nebraska (Corporation for National and Community Service)
- Nebraska Volunteer Service Commission
- Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education (Previously the Nebraska Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education)
| 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 | |
