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FROM THE FRONT:
“These are students who are used to being extremely busy individuals, to having every spare moment of their day scheduled for them. So they don’t bat an eyelash about doing community service. And some even feel strange if they don’t.”
Kathy Smith, associate director of leadership and service-learning at Ball State University, Muncie, Ind., on the increasing popularity of service and service-learning among college students.
“Volunteering keeps a lot of us older folks feeling better about how we are getting along in our retirement.”
Seattle RSVP volunteer Christ Bell, a retired attorney, is now a full-time volunteer with the Washington Trails Association.
“The students loved it so much, they wanted to come back. They get a sense of giving back to their community, as well as a chance to hone their skills and develop careers,"
David Slatery, economic development director for YouthBuild USA, describing a recent YouthBuild AmeriCorps deployment to the Gulf. |
Spring Cleaning:
Student Volunteers Flock to Gulf
Tens of thousands of college students shunned the usual party hotspots and instead spent their Spring Breaks along the Gulf Coast gutting out homes devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The work was hard and dirty – long days removing 7-month old muck and debris -- but students were exhilarated by the experience and the chance to help out. Many were supervised by AmeriCorps members serving with NCCC, Hands on Network, Campus Compact and other groups. An estimated 15,000 students volunteered in the Gulf, an explosion of the “alternative spring break” movement that has been growing in recent years. To learn more, please click here.
Service-Learning Spotlight:
New Study Shows Benefits
A new Corporation study finds that that exposure to high quality service-learning has a strong and direct relationship to fostering positive attitudes and behaviors among youth, including students’ belief in their personal efficacy, their willingness to help out in their communities, and their interest in current events and politics. The report -- “Educating for Active Citizenship: Service-Learning, School-Based Service, and Civic Engagement,” was released at the 17th Annual National Service-Learning Conference in Philadelphia on March 23. Read more at http://www.learnandserve.gov.
Celebrating Service:
Peace Corps Turns 45
On March 1, 1961, President Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps. Since then, more than 180,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps Volunteers in 138 countries around the world. The number of volunteers in the field today is at a 30-year high with 7,810 volunteers serving overseas. Learn more about Peace Corps’ 45th anniversary at www.peacecorps.gov/45.
SERVICE HERO:
AmeriCorps*VISTA Team Leader Kathy Nolder
Former Girl Scout leader Kathy Nolder saw an opportunity when she signed on with the Greater Ozarks Chapter of the American Red Cross as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member. Now an AmeriCorps*VISTA leader, she had heard about another Red Cross chapter that had offered a presentation specifically geared to Girl Scouts, and decided to conduct a similar session. The result was a one-day session that attracted 310 Scouts, leaders and parents. Twelve classes offered during the day focused on topics ranging from baby-sitting skills to donating blood to CPR. Although her term of service will end before the next session, scheduled for September, Nolder is planning to participate in that. In addition, she’s helping to develop similar events for local Boy Scouts and for presentation in schools. Nolder first served as an AmeriCorps member in 2000, then signed on again, starting with the Red Cross chapter in February 2004. In addition to the Girl Scout program, she recruits and trains volunteers in disaster preparedness and response.
PROMISING PROGRAMS:
Albuquerque Foster Grandparents
The Program: Foster Grandparents in Albuquerque, NM, who serve with the elementary education program make sure that children in their care get plenty of individual attention. The 56 volunteers take part in class activities, but their main focus is the one-on-one time they spend with two children who are assigned to them. The children are selected by their teachers, on the basis of their need for help in five areas: reading, math, science, attendance, and emotional behavior. The Foster Grandparents serve in 16 of the elementary schools in the district, including seven that have not met the yearly progress required by the No Child Left Behind Act. The volunteers play a major role in meeting the needs of specific groups, including ethnic/racial groups, economically disadvantaged students, children with limited English proficiency, and students with disabilities.
The Results: Pre- and post-service evaluations reveal that 78 percent of the children in the last school year showed improvement in at least one area. One third grade student showed an increased reading proficiency from pre-K to the second grade level, and his attendance, which had been poor, improved markedly.
Why It Works: Renee Chavez, who runs the Foster Grandparent program, sites the good rapport the organization has with the 16 elementary schools it serves as a reason for its success. The program is so popular among teachers that they ask to take the Foster Grandparents with them when they are assigned to new schools or classrooms. Some of the volunteers have served as Foster Grandparents for more than 20 years, providing them with plenty of experience in helping children improve their academic skills.
Lessons: Both teachers and Foster Grandparents have to be comfortable with the arrangement. Teaching practices are often far different today than the volunteers have been used to; Chavez makes sure that they understand the current emphasis on “positive promotion” rather than telling children not to do something. For information, contact Renee Chavez, (505) 764-1612, or rchavez@cabq.gov. |
