1. The Gardening Service-Learning Project

2. Characteristics of School
Mostly African American students
Low socio-economic status
About 10% lower scores on standardized tests

3. Project Structure 2 project coordinators 4 First grade teachers
Multiple community partnerships

4. History of Service-Learning Project
YSA Grants: Youth Service America
UnitedHealth
State Farm
Although community service and civic engagement have a long history on college campuses, there has been a resurgence of interest on campuses across the country in the last 25 years. The passage of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 authorized grants for schools to support service-learning and created the organization Serve America. Since then, Serve America along with AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs have been combined to form Learn and Serve America.
The service learning initiative took on new depth of meaning on Louisiana campuses after the fall of Universities within Louisiana experienced a renewed vigor in reaching out to local communities after the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The eight campuses within the University of Louisiana system created “ULS Serves” as a service learning initiative funded by a grant from the Corporation for National community Service’s Learn and Serve America Division. To date, over fifty service-learning projects have been implemented as a result of ULS Serves.

5. Current Funding Endowed Professorship
Louisiana Serve Commission in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor

6. Community Partners
City of Natchitoches
Mini grants
Sign
Fruit trees

7. Master Gardeners Association
Funds for improvement
Advice
Free plants and seeds

8. Louisiana Department of Wildlife
1st grade students felt a bobcat fur as they learned about the impact of Louisiana’s wildlife on the ecosystem

9. LSU’s AgCenter

10. Science Lesson Topics Living vs. nonliving things Weather and clouds
Characteristics of soil
Parts of plants

11. Service-Learning Activities
1st grade students started a small school garden last Global Youth Service Day

12. The Garden Today

13. Lettuce Crop

14. School Beautification

15. Helping the Environment

16. Assessment Activities for Service-Learning Project
Thank You Letters
Guided reflection
Thesis Research Project