One Book, One Community programs have been springing up across the country for the past five years or so, and have recently made some headway in Pittsburgh.  Sponsored by the Allegheny County Library Association, this program engages the community by encouraging members to read and discuss the classic and controversial To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee.  The mission is as follows: “Unifying a community, like reading a good book, requires an understanding of the entire cast of characters and the experiences they share. ‘One Book, One Community’ is designed to be a catalyst for broad-based civic dialog, bringing the community at large to common ground.”  This type of community dialogue helps diverse members exchange ideas and converse not only about the book, but also about present community concerns and needs that may be touched upon in the book.  To Kill a Mockingbird does just this by confronting different types of prejudice and injustice, providing a medium from which a community can begin to examine its own problems and needs.
 
While such community book programs are blossoming everywhere, programs that are approaching community issues through other creative means are becoming popular as well.  One such program, called Community Performance, Inc., helps communities examine the complexities of their problems and create theater performances that address and heal those rifts and troubles.  This theater project encourages community members to discuss problematic issues, write performance monologues and dialogues that explain and highlight those issues and perform the pieces for an audience. 
 
Utne Reader’s “A More Perfect Union: A troubled Southern community turns to theater for healing” highlights one community's struggle and success with such a project.  Their play, Turn the Washpot Down, has brought unity, economic uplift and pride to their region, and most importantly, has empowered the people of that community to create positive change.  Similar results from similar programs have been found in communities around the United States. 
 
An ambitious but rewarding service-learning project for your class would be to organize and implement such a book, theater or other art program for the community.  This may be a good project to start next fall, when students are energized and ready to get back to school activities.  
 
To create a such a book program, it’s best to work with the local school or community library and/or bookstore.  Students can research One Book, One Community programs across the US, figure out which issues are most vital to their community and pick a book that recognizes or addresses those issues.  From there, the class can create a proposal to pitch to the library or bookstore for a local version of the program and work with that organization to write mini-grant proposals to fund the marketing aspect of the project.  Once the preliminary work is done, students can help the sponsoring organization set up community discussion nights in the school and the surrounding region. 
 
In conjunction with the project, your class and the community together can further examine the issues with which the selected book deals.  From this research and examination, your students can create service-learning projects that address an aspect of that issue.  Moving the book project beyond simple discussion into an active response will make the project more meaningful and proactive. 
 
Similar strategies can be used for community theater or art projects.  Just remember to work directly and closely with community groups that specialize in those areas, such as community drama troupes or artist collectives.  College organizations are also a good place to start since they are full of young and active students.  Whatever route your class chooses, community projects that involve problem-solving and some type of creative expression, whether through community dialogues or artistic endeavors, fulfill a wide range of community members, while creating positive results.  Your students will be able to revitalize and energize the communities in which they live and the school in which they learn. 
 
For more information on Allegheny County’s One Book, One Community program, visit http://www.onebookonecommunity.org/.