Many schools, elementary through senior high, are implementing service learning courses and even requirements to promote civic participation, increase connections between students and their communities, and raise awareness of larger societal issues. At LHCS we have engaged in Service Learning on several levels. Last year we started to focus specifically on the issue of lack of food for the people living in Haiti after the earthquake. One full day was dedicated to packing food.  This was facilitated by Kids Against Hunger. The results were overwhelmingly positive! There was a follow-up presentation and discussion for 4th graders, led by the American Refugee Committe, about the recent living conditions in Haiti. A resource list on reading about Haiti for all ages can be found in the document at the bottom of this page titled Haiti Resource List.

This year, the Diversity Committee is assisting the principals and the student council in preparing to integrate Service Learning across the K-8 curriculum. We will build on our work from last year and focus on the issue of HOUSING.  The American Refugee Committee will be at LHCS on November, 22nd, to assist the K-8 community in thinking about Haiti and housing in a new light. They will share recent work that they are doing to implement transitional and permanent shelters for those living in Haiti .

On a local level, the teachers at LHCS will be engaging their students in the topic of homelessness in Minneapolis - the numbers, the effects, and the causes of homelessness. Information regarding the housing situation for students living in Mpls and attending public schools, can be found at:  Lake Harriet Service Learning Quick Facts doc.  , a link that was provided by The Advocates for Human Rights in Minneapolis.

Please stay tuned as the Diversity Committee will need your feedback and help as we implement this important learning into Lake Harriet ! For more information on Service Learning please contact Kathy Seipp (parent) at kseipp@advrights.org or 612-341-3302.

1. Service-learning experiences are appropriate to participant ages and developmental abilities.
2. Service-learning addresses issues that are personally relevant to the participants.
3. Service-learning provides participants with interesting and engaging service activities.
4. Service-learning encourages participants to understand their service experiences in the context of the underlying societal issues being addressed.
5. Service-learning leads to attainable and visible outcomes that are valued by those being served.

• Indicators:

1. Service-learning has clearly articulated learning goals.
2. Service-learning is explicitly aligned with the academic and/or programmatic curriculum.
3. Service-learning helps participants learn how to transfer knowledge and skills from one setting to another.
4. Service-learning that takes place in schools is formally recognized in school board policies and in student records.

• Indicators:

1. Service-learning reflection includes a variety of verbal, written, artistic, and nonverbal activities to demonstrate understanding and changes in participants’ knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes.
2. Service-learning reflection occurs before, during, and after the service experience.
3. Service-learning reflection prompts participants to think deeply about complex community problems and alternative solutions.
4. Service-learning reflection encourages participants to examine their preconceptions and assumptions in order to explore and understand their roles and responsibilities as citizens.
5. Service-learning reflection encourages participants to examine a variety of social and civic issues related to their service-learning experience to understand connections to public policy and civic life.

• Indicators:

1. Service-learning helps participants identify and analyze different points of view to gain understanding of multiple perspectives.
2. Service-learning helps participants develop interpersonal skills in conflict resolution and group decision-making.
3. Service-learning helps participants actively seek to understand and value the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of those offering and receiving service.
4. Service-learning encourages participants to recognize and overcome stereotypes.

• Indicators:

1. Service-learning engages youth in generating ideas during the planning, implementation, and evaluation processes.
2. Service-learning involves youth in the decision-making process throughout the service-learning experiences.
3. Service-learning involves youth and adults in creating an environment that supports trust and open expression of ideas.
4. Service-learning promotes acquisition of knowledge and skills to enhance youth leadership and decision-making.
5. Service-learning involves youth in evaluating the quality and effectiveness of the service-learning experience.

• Indicators:

1. Service-learning involves a variety of partners, including youth, educators, families, community members, community-based organizations, and/or businesses.
2. Service-learning partnerships are characterized by frequent and regular communication to keep all partners well-informed about activities and progress.
3. Service-learning partners collaborate to establish a shared vision and set common goals to address community needs.
4. Service-learning partners collaboratively develop and implement action plans to meet specified goals.
5. Service-learning partners share knowledge and understanding of school and community assets and needs and view each other as valued resources.

• Indicators:

1. Service-learning participants collect evidence of progress toward meeting specific service goals and learning outcomes from multiple sources throughout the service-learning experience.
2. Service-learning participants collect evidence of the quality of service-learning implementation from multiple sources throughout the service-learning experience.
3. Service-learning participants use evidence to improve service-learning experiences.
4. Service-learning participants communicate evidence of progress toward goals and outcomes with the broader community, including policymakers and education leaders, to deepen service-learning understanding and ensure that high quality practices are sustained.

• Indicators:

1. Service-learning experiences include the processes of investigation of community needs, preparation for service, action, reflection, demonstration of learning and impacts, and celebration.
2. Service-learning is conducted during concentrated blocks of time across a period of several weeks or months.
3. Service-learning provides enough time to address identified community needs and achieve learning outcomes.

Service-Learning in Minneapolis Public Schools