2. Authentic service-learning experiences, while almost endlessly diverse, have some common characteristics: Positive, meaningful and real to the participants Involve cooperative rather than competitive experiences Address complex problems in complex settings Offer opportunities to engage in problem-solving Offer powerful opportunities to acquire the habits of critical thinking Promote deeper learning As a consequence of such experiences, service-learning is more likely to be personally meaningful to participants and generate emotional consequences, to challenge values as well as ideas, and to support social, emotional and cognitive learning and development. Positive, meaningful and real to the participants Involve cooperative rather than competitive experiences Address complex problems in complex settings Offer opportunities to engage in problem-solving Offer powerful opportunities to acquire the habits of critical thinking Promote deeper learning As a consequence of such experiences, service-learning is more likely to be personally meaningful to participants and generate emotional consequences, to challenge values as well as ideas, and to support social, emotional and cognitive learning and development.

3. Service-learning is not: An episodic volunteer program An add-on to an existing school or college curriculum Logging a set number of community service hours in order to graduate Compensatory service assigned as a form of punishment by the courts or by school administrators Only for high school or college students One-sided: benefiting only students or only the community An episodic volunteer program An add-on to an existing school or college curriculum Logging a set number of community service hours in order to graduate Compensatory service assigned as a form of punishment by the courts or by school administrators Only for high school or college students One-sided: benefiting only students or only the community

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

5. Standard: Service-learning is intentionally used as an instructional strategy to meet learning goals and/or content standards. has clearly articulated learning goals is explicitly aligned with the academic and/or programmatic curriculum helps participants learn how to transfer knowledge and skills from one setting to another takes place in schools and is formally recognized in school board policies and in student records has clearly articulated learning goals is explicitly aligned with the academic and/or programmatic curriculum helps participants learn how to transfer knowledge and skills from one setting to another takes place in schools and is formally recognized in school board policies and in student records Link to Curriculum

6. Service-learning incorporates challenging reflection activities that are ongoing and that prompt deep thinking and analysis about oneself and one’s relationship to society. includes a variety of verbal, written, artistic, and nonverbal activities to demonstrate understanding occurs before, during, and after the service experience prompts participants to think deeply about complex community problems and alternative solutions encourages participants to examine their preconceptions and assumptions encourages participants to examine a variety of social and civic issues includes a variety of verbal, written, artistic, and nonverbal activities to demonstrate understanding occurs before, during, and after the service experience prompts participants to think deeply about complex community problems and alternative solutions encourages participants to examine their preconceptions and assumptions encourages participants to examine a variety of social and civic issues

7. Diversity Service-learning promotes understanding of diversity and mutual respect among all participants. helps participants identify and analyze different points of view helps participants develop interpersonal skills in conflict resolution and group decision-making helps participants actively seek to understand and value the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of others encourages participants to recognize and overcome stereotypes helps participants identify and analyze different points of view helps participants develop interpersonal skills in conflict resolution and group decision-making helps participants actively seek to understand and value the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of others encourages participants to recognize and overcome stereotypes

8. Youth Voice Service-learning provides youth with a strong voice in planning, implementing, and evaluating projects with guidance from adults. engages youth in generating ideas during the planning, implementation, and evaluation processes involves youth in the decision-making process involves youth and adults in creating an environment that supports trust and open expression of ideas promotes acquisition of knowledge and skills to enhance youth leadership involves youth in evaluating the quality and effectiveness of the service-learning experience engages youth in generating ideas during the planning, implementation, and evaluation processes involves youth in the decision-making process involves youth and adults in creating an environment that supports trust and open expression of ideas promotes acquisition of knowledge and skills to enhance youth leadership involves youth in evaluating the quality and effectiveness of the service-learning experience

9. Partnerships Service-learning partnerships are collaborative, mutually beneficial, and address community needs. involve a variety of partners, including youth, educators, families, community members, community-based organizations, and businesses partnerships characterized by frequent and regular communication partners collaborate to establish a shared vision and set common goals to address community needs partners collaboratively develop and implement action plans to meet specified goals partners share knowledge and understanding of school and community assets and needs, and view each other as valued resources involve a variety of partners, including youth, educators, families, community members, community-based organizations, and businesses partnerships characterized by frequent and regular communication partners collaborate to establish a shared vision and set common goals to address community needs partners collaboratively develop and implement action plans to meet specified goals partners share knowledge and understanding of school and community assets and needs, and view each other as valued resources

10. Service-learning engages participants in an ongoing process to assess the quality of implementation and progress toward meeting specified goals, and uses results for improvement and sustainability. It is recommended that participants: Service-learning engages participants in an ongoing process to assess the quality of implementation and progress toward meeting specified goals, and uses results for improvement and sustainability. It is recommended that participants: Progress Monitoring Collect evidence of progress toward meeting specific service goals and learning outcomes Collect evidence of the quality of service-learning implementation from multiple sources Use evidence to improve service-learning experiences Communicate evidence of progress toward goals and outcomes with the broader community Collect evidence of progress toward meeting specific service goals and learning outcomes Collect evidence of the quality of service-learning implementation from multiple sources Use evidence to improve service-learning experiences Communicate evidence of progress toward goals and outcomes with the broader community

11. Experiences include processes of investigation of community needs, preparation for service, action, reflection, demonstration of learning and impact, and celebration Conducted during concentrated blocks of time across a period of several weeks or months Provide enough time to address identified community needs and achieve learning outcomes Experiences include processes of investigation of community needs, preparation for service, action, reflection, demonstration of learning and impact, and celebration Conducted during concentrated blocks of time across a period of several weeks or months Provide enough time to address identified community needs and achieve learning outcomes Service-learning must have sufficient duration and intensity to address community needs and meet specified outcomes. Duration and Intensity

12. Community Garden in Shannon Hills, AR Click Picture To Watch Video of Garden

13. Guiding principles that drive the development of a strategic work plan: 1.We value our youth. 2.We cannot arrest our way out of this problem. 3.We will address this community challenge with a community response. 4.We will hold our youth accountable for their actions and assist them to get back on the right path. 5.We will not give up on any young person and are committed to facilitating individual transformation to the degree a person is willing to accept the challenge. Guiding principles that drive the development of a strategic work plan: 1.We value our youth. 2.We cannot arrest our way out of this problem. 3.We will address this community challenge with a community response. 4.We will hold our youth accountable for their actions and assist them to get back on the right path. 5.We will not give up on any young person and are committed to facilitating individual transformation to the degree a person is willing to accept the challenge.

14. Questions? Robert Holt 501-516-1602 r-kholt@att.net www.letourviolenceend.com