“Service-learning is a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.”

-- From the National Commission on Service-Learning 2001

Students, teachers, educators, and community partners are invited to a day of sharing strategies to implement, improve, and institutionalize service-learning practice in Massachusetts’ schools. This year’s conference theme is “Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities.”  Workshops, the plenary, the showcase, and our service project will highlight, among other things, service-learning as a strategy for engaging young people in anti-bullying efforts and environmental sustainability.

AGENDA

You can download the full agenda here (.doc)
 

8:00am - 8:30am	Registration, Breakfast, Showcase and Service Project Set Up
8:30am - 9:00am	Welcome and Service-Learning Leader Award Presentations
9:00am - 10:00am	Student Presentations
	Waste Watchers! - South Shore Charter School
	Anti-Bullying - North Adams Public Schools
10:00am - 10:15am	Showcase Viewing Time
10:15am- 11:30am	Breakout Session A
11:30am - 11:45am	Showcase Viewing Time (snacks will be available)
11:45am - 1:00pm	Breakout Session B
1:00pm - 1:45pm	Lunch
1:45pm - 2:00pm	Showcase Viewing Time
2:00pm - 3:15pm	Breakout Session C
3:15pm - 3:30pm	Complete Evaluations and Showcase Breakdown

 

The costs associated with the Massachusetts Statewide Service-Learning Conference are generously supported by the Massachusetts Service Alliance through funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

In the spirit of service…

Letters to a Bullied Student

Students from Whitman-Hanson Regional High School's CSL Internship Program would like you to join them in an anti-bullying effort at this year's CSL Statewide Conference.  Through the "Letters to a Bullied Student" writing project, developed in the style of the book, Letters to a Bullied Girl: Messages of Healing and Hope, by Gardner, Buder, and Buder, we invite you to share messages of hope and inspiration to those who experience bullying.  To participate, you can bring letters and/or messages previously written from a class at your school or write letters and/or messages at the conference.  These submissions will be compiled by the CSL students at Whitman-Hanson in a book that will be distributed to all participating conference attendees.  Help us show bullied students that they are not alone, and to show bullies that they can change their actions and treat others with compassion!

More details about this project can be obtained at the "Letters to a Bullied Student" Anti-Bullying Writing Project table at the conference.

North Middlesex Regional High School Community Garden

Students at North Middlesex Regional High School are in their third year of a community garden program in their courtyard.  The program has been enhanced through Senior Project work and is tended through the spring, summer and fall by students in order to raise and harvest fresh produce for local shelters and food pantries.  Students in the fall built raised beds in order to be more effective in production and are working with the ideas of hydro- and aquaponics in order to work on creating sustainability.

This program is designed to educate people on food insecurity and provide fresh produce for those who are the least able to obtain it.  Join the “Fresh” movement in helping our program to be even more successful!  Please consider bringing soil, gardening tools, work gloves, seeds (vegetables), rose bushes (they are creating a program to attract bees to their garden), plant seedlings, or anything else that you can think of for our program. You may also want to consider donating financially (whether in money or Lowe’s/Home Depot Gift Cards) in any amount to help them sustain this program.  Please consider bringing your donation to this cause as your conference registration fee and help us create a more just and sustainable access to local, fresh food!

More details about this project can be obtained at the “Community Garden” Service Project table at the conference.  Join them on Facebook - NM Community Garden.

Many thanks to the students and teachers from Whitman-Hanson and North Middlesex for helping to organize our conference service projects.

Service-Learning Showcase

All attendees are invited to display service-learning success stories!  Project displays will be scattered around the conference center for viewing throughout the day.  Displays should reflect elements of high-quality service-learning including: academic connections, service that meets real community needs, youth voice and reflection.  We will have specially designated areas for displaying projects that relate to our conference themes, “Green” and Anti-bullying, but all project displays are welcome.  To sign up to display a showcase at the conference, please do so when you register online.  Thanks!

 

Service-Learning Leader Award Recipients 2011

 

Teacher Leader Awards

Jennifer Costa, Whitman Middle School, Whitman-Hanson

Gina Joyce, Sterling Middle School, Quincy

Ray Kane, North Middlesex Regional High School, North Middlesex

LeeAnn Nash, Burke-Memorial Schools, Medway

Sarah Roberts, South Shore Charter Public School

Tara Turner, South Shore Charter Public School

Superintendent Leader Awards

Dr. Maureen Marshall, North Middlesex Regional School District

Dr. Deborah Brady, Assistant Superintendent, North Middlesex Regional School District

Community Partner Leader Award

Jennifer Munoz, REACH for Community Health, North Adams Regional Hospital

Kim McMann, Target: Hunger North Berkshire, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts

Valerie Schwarz, The Berkshire Food Project

Robert Hogan, Whitman Food Pantry, Whitman-Hanson

 

Breakout Sessions

Descriptions of each session can be found here.

Session A: 10:15am - 11:30am	Session B: 11:45am - 1:00pm	Session C: 2:00pm - 3:15pm
A1. Student Service-Learning Action Councils - Calling Youth Leaders!	B1. Students Lead the Way - A Student Leadership Model of Introducing Service-Learning to Classrooms in Your School	C1. Service-Learning Coordinators - Surviving and Thriving
A2. Project Citizen	B2. Generation Citizen: Implementing, Supporting, and Assessing an Action-based Civic Education Program	C2. The Service-Learning Advisory Board: Offering Support and Structure to SL Programs
A3. Keys to Successful Service Learning: Team Building, Evaluation, and Reflection	B3. District-wide Service-Learning Start-Up Ideas	C3.-C5. Peer Exchange Sessions* *C3. Sustaining Service-Learning
A4. Roosevelt Goes Green	B4. Reid Environmental Debate Club and The Reid Recycling Initiative	*C4. Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice
A5. Creating Community Partnerships For Scientific Research & Service Learning	B5. Building A Community By Giving Back to One	*C5. Service-Learning and the Common Core Standards
A6. Leading to Learn: Students with Special Needs Lead through Teaching, Mentoring, and Community Awareness	B6. Service-Learning and Special Needs: Empowering ALL Students
A7. Utilizing Student Leaders to Promote Anti-Bullying Initiatives	B7. Service-Learning and Bullying Prevention: Sharing our Bullying Prevention Parent's Night Success	Note: Each Peer Exchange Session will be a facilitated discussion about the listed topic. These are meant to be an opportunity to network and share successes and challenges in these areas.