Service-Learning in Allegany County

Sections:

2. Fact Sheet

3. Fellows

Contact the designated MSSA Regional Coordinator with questions, or to update information on this page.

1. Service-Learning Contact Information

2. Service-Learning Fact Sheet

Each middle school designs its own plan for ensuring that students complete the requirement. Some schools do curricular connected service-learning, some do independent projects, some do both. High schools offer an independent option for transfer students and students who did not complete the requirement in middle school. Lesson plans for service-learning units have been written in the following courses. Teachers may choose to do them and record the number of hours students acquire: English I-IV, Family Life, 9th Grade Government, Health, Home Economics, and Psychology.

Reporting: At the end of the 8th grade, if a student has finished the service-learning requirement, PASS appears on the report card. Number of hours is not reported. If the student doesn't finish by the end of the 8th grade, when he/she does finish in 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade, PASS is added.

Transfer Policy: 9th grade: 75 hours; 10th grade: 50 hours; 11th grade 1st semester: 40 hours; 11th grade 2nd semester: 30 hours; 12th grade 1st marking period: 15 hours; 12th grade 2nd marking period: 10 hours; 12th grade 2nd semester: 1-5 hours (at discretion of principal).

3. Teacher Fellows (see overview)

My students worked throughout the year making pillow cases and tote bags for the local shelter, as well as participating in fundraising drives for the shelter. We are replicating the Kids Sew For Kids model program. I am also infusing service into my grade 8 classes through a unit on aging.

W. D., 1998, Westmar High School (English), 301-463-5751

High school students tutor elementary school students:
Meet a recognized need in the community: About 30 high school students tutor elementary school students in two elementary schools. The students being tutored have learning difficulties or special learning needs. We have found placing ten to fifteen tutors in any one school to be the most efficient as any more creates an overcrowding problem.
Achieve curricular objectives through service-learning: Students are able to apply basic knowledge accumulated during their school experiences. Students reflect, synthesize and analyze while working on service-learning projects.
Reflection throughout service-learning experience: Students are required to keep a learning log for the children they tutor and this log is handed in at the end of each session. Two one hour sessions are provided each week for approximately thirty weeks of the school year.
Develop student responsibility: Tutors learn to communicate effectively with elementary students, ask for needed help from supervising elementary teachers, and to keep the high school advisor informed of any times they may need to be absent. Tutors are also responsible for remaining with the child until the parents arrive to take the child home.
Establish community partnerships: Parents of elementary students provide the school with information concerning their child's progress. P.T.A.s are most supportive of the tutors and of the tutoring program. There is excellent communication between teachers from the elementary school and the high school advisor to the tutors.
Plan ahead for service-learning: The tutoring advisor meets several times with the students interested in being tutors to inform each student of the importance of the task. An elementary student tends to become possessive of the tutor and can become upset if that tutor fails to attend a session without warning. Confidentiality is strongly stressed by the advisor and supervising teachers at the elementary schools.
Equip students with knowledge and skills needed for service: The supervising elementary teachers present two hour-long workshops for the student tutors before the actual tutoring begins. These teachers are also present at each session for support. The high school advisor for the tutors visits the elementary school during the tutoring sessions at least once every two weeks.

Bonnie Humbertson, 1998, Washington Middle School (Reading), 301-777-5360

I'm the service-learning coordinator at my school. Our 8th grade students adopt Friends Aware patients (mentally handicapped adults) who have no contact with family at all. Students make cards, tree ornaments, placemats and seasonal decorations for them and personalize them to let them know someone cares. Letters and thinking of you notes are also sent to them. The purpose of the program is to make students aware of differences in people and that differences are okay because everyone is special.

Michael Lewis, 1996, 301-777-2375, mlewis@miworld.net

"The Homeless Project." We spend one month in preparational action leading to "The Sleepout." We not only created a new awareness of homelessness and its poverty, but we raised over $20,000 in clothing, food, and cash. These items were distributed directly to the poor.

Barbara Rinehart, 1999, Fort Hill High (English I, Student Service), (301) 777-2570

As the service-learning coordinator at my school, I pair students with local and national organizations in order to help students find service opportunities suited to their individual needs.

Jeannette Rinehart, 1998, Flintstone School (PE/Health), 301-478-2434

I'm the service-learning coordinator at my school. In the past, we've organized a Health Fair for the community and a Senior Citizens Day for the school.

Daniel Whetzel, 1997, Allegany High School (World History, Economics), 301-777-8110

Students construct cardboard shelters in preparation for the "Homeless Project." They are also required to collect articles of clothing, food or cash donations to participate in the sleep out. All money and donated items are directly distributed to local residents.

Brian White, 2000, Allegany High School (Social Studies), 301-777-8110, Briantwhite@excite.com

In social studies seminar class, students wrote a book on the history of theaters in Allegany County. The intent of the project was to capture a moment of our local history before it is lost forever and to provide companionship for local senior citizens.

• Meet a recognized need in the community: The students were performing an invaluable service to the community by valuing the contributions of older citizens in Allegany County as they were interviewed for the book. The students were also doing a service to the community by compiling and publishing a history of the community.
• Achieve curricular objectives through service-learning: The students were involved in researching, writing, and constructing books on the history of theaters in Allegany County. The students also interviewed many of the senior citizens in Allegany County.
• Reflect throughout service-learning experience: The students reflected on their findings and discussed the importance and relevance of exploring history.
• Develop student responsibility: The students were responsible for gathering information by researching, interviewing, and networking.
• Establish community partnerships: Partnerships were created with members of the community who provided valuable information to the students. Many individuals have helped set up additional interviews and some have provided additional contacts to the students.A partnership was also created with Jan Alterton, editor of the Cumberland Times, who published several of the students' articles in the paper.
• Plan ahead for the service-learning: To prepare for the project students signed up for the seminar and met over the summer to develop a work plan. The students researched and developed a list of theaters in Allegany County. They also developed a list of people who could be interviewed for the project.
• Equip students with knowledge and skills need for service: The students learned effective researching, interviewing, and writing skills.