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Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance Newsletter - May 2006

I. Pennsylvania Service-Learning Update

• Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance: What We Do
• National Service-Learning Conference in Philadelphia
• 2005-2006 PA  Learn and Serve Grants Announced
• National Service-Learning Exchange
• Save Learn and Serve America!

II. Upcoming Events

• May 18: Philadelphia Afterschool Peer Networking Meeting
• June 1: Youth Workforce Development Conference
• June 5-6: Scholars in Service to PA Leadership Development Institute
• June 14-16: Community Schools Conference
• August 10: Integrating Service-Learning with Civics and History
• August 14-15: Summer Service-Learning Institute

III. Service-Learning Resources

• Coalition for Community Schools Study: Engaging Students
• National Service-Learning Partnership
• Power Library

IV. Grant Resources

• Teacher Incentive Fund (June 15)
• Louis R. Cappelli Foundation Grants for At-Risk Youth (June 30)
• Back to School Grant from Dollar General (Aug 11)
• Red, White, and Green Climate Change Grant (Sept 1)

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I. Pennsylvania Service-Learning Update

1.  The Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance: What We Do
The Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance is the training and technical assistance provider for the Department of Education's Learn and Serve and 21st Century Community Learning Center programs in Pennsylvania. The PSLA helps teachers in Pennsylvania acquire the skills they need to successfully develop, implement, evaluate, and assess service-learning projects in the classroom. The PSLA training events emphasize the integration of service-learning with the curriculum and academic standards. With offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, the PSLA staff is able to meet the needs of public school teachers, administrators, and afterschool programs statewide.

Our website has many new resources, from grant listings to peer consultants to service-learning links. Check it out! http://www.paservicelearning.org
Submit to the newsletter! Let us know about the service-learning that’s going on in your Pennsylvania community. Email articles/updates/photos to: info@paservicelearning.org.
 
2.  National Service-Learning Conference
The 17th Annual National Service-Learning Conference  was a tremendous success! Nearly 2,800 people joined us in Philadelphia on March 22-25, 2006, coming from all 50 states and 11 other countries. This was the first year where service-learning in higher education was given a platform. Conference highlights included an evening with Bill Clinton at the National Constitution Center, and keynote speakers such as author Howard Zinn, human rights activist Hafsat Abiola, and historian Gerda Weismann-Klein.

The Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance was a local co-host, and took the opportunity to engage Pennsylvania youth in leadership roles as they helped to organize and run aspects of the conference.  

• A team of students across the state formed the Youth Committee, which was responsible for putting together a Youth Room for the conference.  Students from Hempfield High School, Abington High School and New Foundations Charter School, among others, planned activities for the room, ran workshops, organized a dance, and created an eye-catching ambiance that drew the crowd in. 
• The Digital Service Fellows Americorps program, comprised of recent graduates of Philadelphia high Schools, set up and staffed a working computer lab and mini-technology center in the youth room.
• The Urban Nutrition Initiative and PSLA sponsored an Oxfam Hunger Banquet in the youth room, led by students from Philadelphia's Sayre High School.
• PSLA Director Cynthia Belliveau worked with students from Hempfield High School and New Foundations Charter School to lead a pre-conference on Youth as Evaluators.  Participants had the opportunity to develop and utilize evaluation methods and activities for the entire NYLC conference.
• Students across Pennsylvania submitted beautiful artwork which was displayed throughout the Pennsylvania Convention Center during the conference.  This included art pieces from Lutheran Settlement House's Bilingual Domestic Violence Program, the Clay Studio's Claymobile Program, and beautiful murals from the Coatesville Area After School Program.  Additionally, conference participants had the pleasure of seeing performances by The Rays of H.O.P.E. Hip Hop Allstars and an Ukranian Dance by Independence Charter School.

The National Service-Learning Conference will be held in New Mexico, March 27-31, 2007.    We hope to see you there!

3.  2005-2006 Pennsylvania Learn and Serve Grants Announced
The “Learn and Serve” grants are federally funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service and administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Four types of awards are included in this year’s grants:

• New Student Service-Learning Center grants
• Continuing Student Service-Learning Center grants
• Civic Engagement grants
• Start-Up Service-Learning grants 

For a listing of the grantees, please go to: http://www.pde.state.pa.us/svcs_students/cwp/view.asp?a=175&pm=1&Q=117750
 
4.  National Service-Learning Exchange: A Peer Network for Technical Assistance
Please welcome Michelle Bogansky as the new Atlantic Region Program Coordinator! Led by the National Youth Leadership Council, the Levittown, PA-based Institute for Global Education and Service-Learning is the Atlantic Region Exchange Technical Assistance Center serving eleven states. 

The Exchange is a project of the Council for Service-Learning Excellence, supported by the State Farm Companies Foundation in partnership with the National Youth Leadership Council.  The National Service-Learning Exchange program supports service-learning programs in schools, colleges and universities, and community organizations across the country through peer-based training and technical assistance.  If you need assistance implementing service-learning programs, have questions, or simply want to speak with someone who has "been there", you can utilize the Exchange as a resource.

To find out more about the Exchange, please check out http://www.igesl.org/NSLE.htm. 
 
5.  Save Learn and Serve America!
In his February 6th budget request to Congress, the President included $34.115 million for Learn and Serve America.  This represents a major cut from its traditional funding level of $43 million and even its recently-passed Fiscal Year 2006 appropriation of $37.125 million.
 
If enacted, the President’s proposed Fiscal Year 2007 budget request for Learn and Serve America would mean:

• A 20% funding cut of $8.5 million;
• More than 300,000 youth losing the opportunity to serve through Learn and Serve America;
• A loss of $34 million of leveraged resources to communities; and
• A loss of 7.3 million service hours to communities.

Although this is only the first step in the congressional appropriations process, it is important to act now to demonstrate the value of service-learning to members of Congress and to educate them about the potential consequences of such a severe cut. http://capwiz.com/ysa/issues/alert/?alertid=8593311

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II. Upcoming Events

1.  May 18: Philadelphia Afterschool Peer Networking Meeting
The next Peer Networking Meeting, sponsored by Philadelphia’s After School Youth Development Network (ASYD), will take place from 6:30 – 8:00 PM on Thursday, May 18, 2006. It will be held at The OSTRC, at 3815 Walnut Street in University City/West Philadelphia. This month’s topic will be “Interacting with Parents” and include a panel featuring Quibila Divine from the School District of Philadelphia and Dr. Rosa Lewis from. The panel will be followed by questions and answers, socializing, light refreshments, announcements, resource exchanges, and many NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES!

This and future Peer Networking Meetings are free and open to all Philadelphia-area OST staff (both administrative and direct-service). These gatherings provide a forum for meeting, conversing, collaborating, and problem-solving with professional peers. For more information or to register, please contact John Price III, OSTRC Communications Coordinator, at johnep@sp2.upenn.edu or 215-898-0793.
 
2.   June 1: Youth Workforce Development Conference - Pittsburgh
Urban Youth Action and Youth Works invite you to the 1st Annual Youth Workforce Development Conference, which will be held on Thursday, June 1, 2006 in Pittsburgh, PA. More than 300 nonprofit leaders, educators, youth, and private sector partners are expected to attend. Make your plans to join them right now. http://www.youthworksinc.org/EVENTS.HTML
 
3.  June 5-6: Scholars in Service to PA Leadership Development Institute
Date: June 5-6, 2006
Location: Messiah College, Grantham, PA
The Scholars in Service to PA Leadership Development Institute will bring together community service and service-learning professionals from across the state. The institute is designed to focus on building skills and techniques for volunteer training, group facilitation, and student development. 
For more information and registration information, visit:
http://www.upenn.edu/ccp/PHENND/initiatives/sispa.html#events
 
4.  June 14-16: Community Schools Conference: Creating the Conditions for Learning
The Coalition for Community Schools is pleased to announce our 5th National Forum, Community Schools: Creating the Conditions for Learning. This year's Forum will be held at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland June 14-16th, 2006.

It’s an exciting time for community schools, and this year’s Forum promises to continue building momentum. Community Schools: Creating the Conditions for Learning will focus on how community schools create an environment in which all children can learn and succeed at high levels. Participants will explore the conditions for learning through the lens of leadership, policy, systems and practice changes. For more information, read the Forum Overview. http://www.communityschools.org/Overview.htm#goals
 
5.  August 10: Integrating Service-Learning with Civics and History
KIDS Consortium announces a one-day Living Democracy Conference: Integrating Service-Learning with Civics and History. Join Service-Learning Colleagues for a special one-day conference at the Hyatt Regency, Cambridge, Massachusetts August 10, 2006. Please visit the KIDS Consortium website at:
http://www.kidsconsortium.org/livd_conf_information2006.html  to register and for more information on the conference agenda, lodging, parking, and directions.
 
6.  August 14-15: The Institute for Global Education & Service Learning's Summer Service Learning Institute: Preparing Communities through Service-Learning
August 14 & 15, 2006 -- East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA

Young people across the country have been learning academic skills, meeting standards, and finding meaningful opportunities to participate in projects designed to help their communities prepare for and respond to disasters through service learning. Join us on the campus of East Stroudsburg University, in the beautiful Pocono Mountains for this fun 2 day interactive institute. Participants will acquire knowledge and skills related to implementing high quality service learning, with an emphasis on school and community safety, disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Resources and examples from the Youth Organized for Disaster Action

Who should attend?
Teams of teachers, students, school administrators, community based staff, national service volunteers, and anyone interested in connecting disaster preparedness and response through service learning to their curriculum or program.

For a registration form and more information, contact us at:
Summer Service Learning Institute
Institute for Global Education and Service-Learning
2222 Trenton Road, Lower Left Suite
Levittown, PA 19056
Phone: 215-945-8118  Fax: 215-945-1818 E-mail: institute@igesl.org

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III. Service-Learning Resources

[For more resources and service-learning project ideas, check out http://www.paservicelearning.org/Directory/Resources.html]
 
1.  Coalition for Community Schools Study: Engaging Students
A new study by the Coalition for Community Schools, "Community-Based Learning: Engaging Students for Success and Citizenship," finds that community-based learning engages students and involves them in real-world problem solving that they find meaningful and relevant.

Service learning, civic education, work-based learning, and academically-based community service are all methods that contribute to improved academic outcomes, test scores and attendance rates as well as to positive civic, personal and social outcomes.  The study notes that such programs are necessary, as 60 percent of students are bored with and disengaged from their studies. Funded by the Gates Foundation, the study is available at www.communityschools.org/index.php?option=content&task
=view&id=44&Itemid=49.
 
2.  National Service-Learning Partnership
A fellow Pennsylvanian, Heather Margolis, was recently hired as the Director of District Initiatives at the National Service-Learning Partnership!
 
The Partnership is a national network of members dedicated to advancing service-learning as a core part of every young person’s education.
The Partnership provides:

• A national network of like-minded service-learning supporters
• Service-learning tools, resources, and best practices
• A "service-learning marketplace" to offer or seek professional services
• Monthly updates with news, resources, and opportunities to take action
• Federal advocacy representation

For further information, please go to http://www.service-learningpartnership.org/
 
3.  POWER Library – Free Online Resources
POWER Library is the Pennsylvania Online World of Electronic Resources, a service provided by the State of Pennsylvania through Commonwealth Libraries for the citizens of Pennsylvania. A resource for all ages, POWER Library provides databases and periodicals via the Internet for primary, middle, and high school students, as well as adults.

Visit POWER Library to find more than 2,000 full text magazines, journals, and newspapers. There are specialized databases for art and music, medical resources, historic photographs, and encyclopedias. If you have a library card from your local Public Library, you must go to that library's website to log into Power Library. Find your local library at PA Libraries on the Web - Public Libraries.
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/libraries/cwp/view.asp?a=11&q=
37628&librariesNavPage=%7C2511%7C

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IV. Grant Opportunities

[For grantwriting tips and more grant opportunities, check out http://www.paservicelearning.org/Resources/Grants/index.htm]
 
1.  Teacher Incentive Fund (Intent to Apply due June 15)
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Teacher Incentive Fund, authorized as part of the FY 2006 Department of Education Appropriations Act, Public Law 109-149, is to support programs that develop and implement performance-based teacher and principal compensation systems in high-need schools. 

The specific goals of the Teacher Incentive Fund include: Improving student achievement by increasing teacher and principal effectiveness; reforming  teacher and principal compensation systems so that teachers and  principals are rewarded for increases in student achievement; increasing the number of effective teachers teaching poor, minority, and disadvantaged students in hard-to-staff subjects; and creating sustainable performance-based compensation systems.

• Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: June 15, 2006.
• Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: July 31, 2006.

Eligible Applicants: Local educational agencies (LEAs),
including charter schools that are LEAs in their State; State
educational agencies (SEAs); or partnerships of (a) an LEA, an SEA,
or both, and (at least one non-profit organization.

• Estimated Range of Awards: $300,000-$12,000,000.
• Estimated Average Size of Awards: $8,000,000.
• Estimated Number of Awards: 10-15.

Additional Information: Applicable regulations, priorities, and  other information are available in the Federal Register notice.  Additional information is available online at:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2006-2/050106e.html

2.  Louis R. Cappelli Foundation Grants for At-Risk Youth (June 30)
The Louis R. Cappelli Foundation is accepting applications for grants
that would support projects involving arts, education, health and
fitness that benefit at-risk children and youth.  Grants of up to $25,000 are
available.  The deadline for applications is June 30.  For information,
visit www.cappelli-inc.com/lrc.shtml or contact Denise Groneman at
914/769-6500, ext. 117, dgroneman@cappelli-inc.com.
 
3.  Back to School Grant from Dollar General (Aug 11)
In 2006, the Dollar General Back-to-School grant program will award two $5,000 Back-to-School grants per state of operation to assist schools in meeting some of the financial challenges they face in implementing new programs or purchasing new equipment, materials or software for their school library or literacy program.
http://www.dollargeneral.com/community/Back-To-School%20Grants%20app2006..doc
 
4.  Red, White, and Green Climate Change Grant (Sept 1)
Youth Service America and the Civil Society Institute are excited to announce the Red, White, and Green Climate Change Grant. This opportunity offers $500 to youth between the ages of 15-25 or to organizations that serve engage youth ages 15-25.  Successful applicants will design a service-learning project that promotes awareness about climate change and possible solutions. 

The Red, White, and Green Climate Change Grant is open to all young people in the United States between the ages of 15-25 and to organizations that serve youth ages 15-25.

Applicants will be expected to develop and implement a service project about climate change that engages their community and candidates running for election in November 2006. We welcome projects where youth work in partnership with adults (parents, coaches, teachers, youth leaders, etc.), but remember this is an opportunity for youth to shine. Projects should be youth-led, and the service must take place between October 1 and November 30, 2006.

Completed applications must be postmarked no later than Thursday, September 1, 2006. Application materials are available online at www.YSA.org.  Please download and review both the application and application guidelines. Email redwhiteandgreen@ysa.org   if you have questions after reviewing the materials.