Fall 2011
National Service Training Roundup
AmeriCorps State Programs Update
Service Learning
Elementary Students Organize Farmer’s Market for Ames Community
As part of Kate Mitchell Elementary School’s Community Garden program, school staff and students hosted the first Kate Mitchell Farmers’ Market on September 29. At the market, 4th and 5th grade students ran a student produce stand, offering an outstanding opportunity for student engagement and hands-on experiential learning. Students from all grades harvested squash, watermelons, potatoes, carrots and pumpkins in the weeks leading up to the farmers’ market during school, learning about how these vegetables are grown. The students then prepared for the market, designing their stand’s signs to attract customers and practicing how to weigh produce, calculate prices and make change with their classmates.
The event was a great success, with an estimated 500 attendees (despite 40 mph winds!), and rave reviews by those in attendance. The students carried out their market stand skillfully and responsibly, and their teachers noted their dedication to the project, as well as improved math skills from the experience. The students sold $670 worth of produce harvested from their garden, money that will go to fund next year’s garden program. The first Kate Mitchell Farmers’ Market served as an outstanding opportunity to bring the school curriculum to life for the students, and engage them in growing, harvesting and selling healthy, fresh food to their community.
ICVS Partners with Department of Education for Service-Learning Professional Development
ICVS has entered into a cooperative agreement with the Department of Education to utilize over $52,000 of the DE’s remaining Learn & Serve grant on professional development and sustainability initiatives around the state over the next academic year. DE and ICVS will together sponsor a youth track of leadership and service sessions at the Iowa Nonprofit Summit, regional trainings and a statewide service-learning conference next spring/summer, and the development of a digital databank of resources for current and aspiring service-learning practitioners. ICVS is excited to work with the Department of Education on these initiatives to ensure the sustainability of service-learning as a teaching and learning tool in Iowa for many years to come.
Story County Youth Philanthropists 2011
The Story County Youth Philanthropists (SCYP) began their third year this fall. Out of 18 high school members, 14 are new to the group. SCYP’s mission statement is “youth providing support to our community through grants and service while learning lifelong philanthropic skills and attitudes.” They are working on understanding community needs while granting $5,000 to Story County nonprofit organizations.
The group meets twice a month and student members create the meeting’s agenda as well as facilitate the meetings. The group has been busy creating their community betterment objectives and updating their grant application. For this fall, the group is organizing their own canned-food drive for a local shelter and their own fundraiser. Grant applications are due December 2, and members will review the grants and come to a consensus on grant awards by March 2012. SCYP is advised by the Story County Community Foundation and the Volunteer Center of Story County. For more information contact Stephanie Corbett, Volunteer Center of Story County at stephanie.corbett@vcstory.org
Evaluation Shows Positive Results for Reach Out Iowa
The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service operates a three-year Learn & Serve grant, which it subgrants to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. ISUE funds the Reach Out Iowa program, which engages young people ages 10-17 in meaningful community projects through service learning experiences. Recently, ISU sponsored an external evaluation for the ROI program, and their report generated some positive results. ISU Extension conducted youth development volunteer training in all 99 counties in Iowa. Those trainings helped over 2,000 youth implement service-learning projects with their community organizations.
After projects were completed, youth reported increases in civic knowledge, leadership, community attachment, community responsibility and perceptions of personal skills. Advisors found that youth learned a great deal about themselves and their communities because of the intensive planning, implementation, and reflection model employed by Reach Out Iowa. Partner organizations were positive about the planning and implementation process. They indicated the service-learning projects were beneficial to their organizations and that they are interested in working with youth in the future.
Reach Out Iowa will continue to offer grants to community partners through July 2012. For more information about Reach Out Iowa, contact Judy Levings at jlevings@iastate.edu.