Service Learning at VUSD Impacts Students and the Community

Robert Crowell, like many teachers and school administrators, has set his sights beyond the four walls of the traditional classroom. This approach, he believes, will prepare his students for what comes after graduation. “Education, in general, has been very inward looking,” he says...Read more

Olive Elementary Receives Proclamation from the San Diego City Council

The fifth grade service learning project at Olive Elementary wins the 2016 Bright Ideas Society Award! They were given their proclamation by the San Diego City Council during San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering Week

What Service-Learning and Sustainability Will Mean for Your Students

  • Intellectual independence and risk-taking through inquiry, direct experience​ and collaboration in service-learning projects.
  • Personal values of respect, integrity, compassion and social justice.
  • Experience as active participants in a democratic society and global community.

Student engagement is about student-centered inquiry using the IPARD Framework:

  • Investigation
  • Planning and Preparation
  • Action
  • Reflection
  • Demonstration

All projects are aligned to the K-12 Service Learning Standards for Quality Practice:

MEANINGFUL SERVICE

Service-learning actively engages participants in meaningful and personally relevant service activities.

REFLECTION

Service-learning incorporates multiple challenging reflection activities that are ongoing and that prompt deep thinking and analysis about oneself and one’s relationship to society.

YOUTH VOICE

Service-learning provides youth with a strong voice in planning, implementing, and evaluating service-learning experiences with guidance from adults.

PROGRESS MONITORING

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.

LINK TO CURRICULUM

Service-learning is intentionally used as an instructional strategy to meet learning goals and/or content standards.

DIVERSITY

Service-learning promotes understanding of diversity and mutual respect among all participants.

PARTNERSHIPS

Service-learning partnerships are collaborative, mutually beneficial, and address community needs.

DURATION AND INTENSITY

Service-learning has sufficient duration and intensity to address community needs and meet specified outcomes.

See Some Examples