Project Service Leadership

The CESNW Service Learning Network was created during the 2006-2007 school year and funded by a three-year grant from The Corporation for National and Community Service. The Network’s goals include:

• Implementing service learning across all of the core disciplines
• Developing formal partnerships with community groups to address real community needs
• Increasing the academic engagement all of students

The eight schools below were invited to join the Network because of their previous success creating strong community partnerships and/or their commitment to the CES Ten Common Principles.

• Centennial 7-12 Learning Center, Portland, OR
• Clover Park High School, Lakewood, WA
• Commodore Options K-12 School, Bainbridge, WA
• Nathan Hale High School, Seattle, WA
• Friday Harbor High School, Friday Harbor, WA
• Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA
• Riverdale High School, Portland, OR
• Windward High School, Ferndale, WA

Learn more about the network; read our 2007-08 newsletter and our 2006-07 newsletter.

What is service learning?

Service learning is a philosophy, a community development model, and a teaching and learning method.

• A philosophy: It embraces young people as community resources and assets;
• A community development model: It takes on real issues and community needs;
• A teaching and learning method: It is a form of active learning that values critical thinking and problem solving. It integrates service into academic courses and meets state academic standards.

For more information, see the National Youth Leadership Council’s website at www.nylc.orgTo see more examples of service learning in action, check out Serving to Learn, Learning to Serve, a video developed by the Small Schools Project which features two Washington State teachers who have successfully implemented service learning into their classrooms.

What the research says about service learning

Students who engage in service learning:

• exhibit higher GPAs and enhanced writing and critical thinking skills,
• are less likely to be absent from school and become more engaged in school work,
• and gain more self-confidence, resilience, sensitivity to multiple cultures and avoid “risky” behaviors.

Billig, Shelley, Support for K-12 Service-Learning Practice: A Brief Review of the Research, Summer 2002

Additional research on service learning can be found at www.rmcdenver.com.