1. Fostering Lifelong Volunteering -- Start 'em Young Kevin Days, Program Coordinator, Learn & Serve America Corporation for National and Community Service Debra Hart, M.S., Director, Education & Transition Institute for Community Inclusion University of Massachusetts Boston Debbie Gilmer, M.Ed Maine Support Network, Western Maine Partnership

2. Service Learning Options Why Bother? Provides students with the opportunity to apply what they are learning in the classroom to the real world ensuring acquisition of the skill(s) Can align with curriculum frameworks & state standards

3. Why? More engaging helping to decrease drop- out Shows students relevance of curriculum to their life

4. Special Educators & IDEA 2004 Need to conduct outreach to special educators Need to include Service Learning goals & objectives in a students IEP Need to work with special educators on how service learning can help enrich a students portfolio with evidence of skill acquisition to demonstrate competency /mastery of skill if in a ‘high stakes’ testing state

5. Community Service Sometimes considered a “punishment” & only for students who have misbehaved…

6. Universal Design: Strategies for Including Students

7. What have you learned recently? Name one thing that you learned last month (a new recipe, a yoga pose, how to change a flat tire, how to use PowerPoint, etc.)  What helped to learn it?  What made learning it more complicated?

8. Today’s Students Who are your students now? What are their goals? What are their primary learning styles? How is the diversity of students addressed?

9. What is Universal Design? Consider the needs of the broadest possible range of users from the beginning Proactive

10. Quick Inquiry Quick Inquiry Write, think of, or draw your responses quietly Who is number one user of captioning? Who uses curb cuts? Who uses international symbols?

11. What is Universal Design? Universal Design (UD) is the design of culturally responsive service learning opportunities including curriculum, instruction, assessment and the environment, to be usable by all students, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for accommodations.

12. Universal Design Emphasizes meeting individual needs of a broad range of students Provides alternative ways students can engage in the learning process Removes barriers to information access Provides flexibility without watering down the activity and curriculum

13. Varied presentation of content to accommodate all learning styles Provide multiple means for students to engage with the content/activity Provides multiple options that allow student to demonstrate competency / knowledge of material

14. Overall…. Levels the playing field Benefits all students

15. Favorites (often low cost) natural supports (e.g., assistance from classmates) reduce distractions whenever possible (e.g., provide space enclosures or a private area, allow students to leave & return to activity) provide notes and/or video clips for each activity (e.g., post on class website)

16. More…. provide clear map of the area institute use of unscented, non-toxic products & a no scent policy ensure that the environment is clutter free & that it is wheelchair accessible

17. Universally Designed Service Learning Example Blackstone Valley Watershed Reviewed major elements of the project Task analyzed key tasks & made available in text, pictures, video / podcast Braille, large print Low tech solutions on-hand

18. What are your next steps?

19. Inclusive Practice: An opportunity to count All students learning, growing and playing together in their local neighborhood schools All students have access to (and support) to achieve in a rigorous curriculum (in Maine, the Maine Learning Results, our state standards) All students are prepared to succeed in college and the work place upon graduation Personal learning plans guide each student’s individual learning Student led conferences showcase their work and actively engage parents in school

20. Inclusive Practice and Service Learning: An Opportunity to Make a Difference Most of these examples come from a leadership course at one of our GEAR UP districts (middle and high school) that has a strong service learning component (and a long history of exemplary inclusive practice).... A student with multiple disabilities uses a switch to read stories to children in a Montessori school A non verbal student uses her AAC device to socialize with elders in a nursing home

21. More examples The Leadership class has produced a “State Legislative Forum” for local candidates. The current class’ “CEO” is a student with physical and learning disabilities. Clean up and trash collection (and analysis is then shared with the DEP)

22. More examples Another student works in a soup kitchen rolling and passing silverware to guests A student began running a "gift cart" three afternoons a week at a nursing home---she and her support staff shops for items for the cart, visit residents, and makes sales. While this started as part of a school class, it became an ongoing volunteer opportunity after graduation and she is still the “cart lady.”

23. Baxter School for the Deaf http://www.maine.gov/education/lsa/stor ies.htm

24. For more information: Deb Hart: debra.hart@umb.edudebra.hart@umb.edu Debbie Gilmer: gilmer@maine.edugilmer@maine.edu www.gearupme.org http://www.maine.gov/education/lsa/stor ies.htmhttp://www.maine.gov/education/lsa/stor ies.htm