Semester of Service Act of 2008
The opportunity to serve one’s community can be just as influential in a young person’s education as exams, math problems, and book reports.  When community service is tied to what students are learning in school, young people make gains on achievement tests, increase their grade point average, and say that their feelings about high-school are more positive as a result of their service.  Community service activities are shared experiences that introduce adolescents to new people, and give them a new perspective on and commitment to their country. 

 

The Semester of Service Act will allow young adults to participate in these shared experiences by providing them the opportunity to spend more than a third of a semester outside of the classroom serving their communities.  By tying real-world service opportunities to the State academic content standards, this legislation offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to receive academic credit for participating in 70 or more hours of service-learning activities each semester.  Not only will this program empower young people to take better control of their own lives, avoid risky behavior, and become more engaged in their own education, but it will also provide valuable assistance to the communities served.  Research shows that for every dollar spent on a service-learning project, $4 worth of service is provided to the community involved.

 

Bill Summary

The Semester of Service Act would:

  • Create a competitive grant program that enables school districts, or nonprofits working in partnership with local school districts, to offer students a chance to participate in a semester of service in their junior or senior year for academic credit.
  • Employ service-learning models to teach civic participation skills and help young people see themselves as resources to their communities
  • Expand educational opportunities for students by linking real-world service opportunities to state academic content standards.
  • Ensure quality programming by requiring grantees to establish academic, social and behavioral benchmarks and to conduct evaluations to measure progress towards such benchmarks.
  • Require grantees to engage youth for a minimum of 70 hours of community service over 12 weeks. At least 24 of the 70 hours must be spent participating in field-based activities.
  • Provide tangible benefits to the communities in which projects are performed.
  • Engage both the public and private sector in working with youth to meet community needs.

 

Current Endorsements:

Youth Service America, Innovations in Civic Participation, Cesar E. Chavez Foundation, Georgia 4-H, Lawrence County Community Action Partnership, Anchorage’s Promise, Volunteer Northwest Mississippi, The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, Volunteer Services of Manatee County, Inc., The National Service-Learning Partnership at the Academy for Educational Development, The Points of Light Institute, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, FCCLA: The Ultimate Leadership Experience, New Jersey After 3, Hands On Charlotte

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( published in: National Service | Peace Corps )