Service-Learning in Howard 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

In Howard County, each middle school decides where to put service-learning. It may be part of the exploratory period, it may be infused into a class, or the entire school may do a service-learning project. Students do service-learning in grades 6, 7, and 8. The program is roughly equivalent to 75 hours.

Breakdown: 6th,7th,8th grades

Reporting: service-learning is recorded on the high school report card as complete/incomplete. It is recorded on the middle school report card.

Transfer Policy: Students do a pro-rated number of hours, depending on when they transfer into the system. 9th grade: 75 hours; 10th grade: 50 hours; 11th grade (first semester): 40 hours; 11th grade (second semester): 30 hours; 12th grade (first semester): 15 hours; 12th grade (second semester): 10 hours. Students transferring out of Howard County have a validation form that indicates what percentage of their service-learning requirement they have fulfilled.

3. Teacher Fellows (see overview)

The most memorable service-learning experience that I coordinated was the three-year partnership that Patapsco Middle School had with Patapsco State park. Students were concerned that the park was experiencing cut backs in seasonal staff and that the appearance of certain park facilities was unsatisfactory to them. The park was more than eager to support efforts to formalize a partnership with our school. Students and I immediately connected the partnership to our science, social studies and English curriculum. We began to study about plant species, saving the environment and writing action plans about ways that we could assist the park. Park Rangers began to come into our school and teach students about the park, career opportunities and what exactly we would be doing when we made our visits. During these discussions, I realized that the school did not own the necessary equipment (rakes, pliers, gloves) that would be needed to accomplish our work. I called a local hardware store and asked for donations. They were more than happy to assist us and we created a formal partnership between Sewells Ace Hardware and our school that continues to exist. Many visitations went on throughout the school year. Small groups of students would go to the park and spend most of the day working and learning about the environment. When students would return to the school, students would spend time reflecting about the experience by writing journal entries. Pictures and written stories were created for the school bulletin boards. After the first year of the project, many teachers began to get involved with the partnership. Patapsco State Park eventually placed a beautiful plaque at the entrance to the park recognizing the work of our students.

RoseMarie Deming, 1997, Dunloggin Middle School (Special Education), 410-313-2831, rdeming1@home.com

DisAbility Awareness in the 7th grade at Dunloggin Middle School creates an atmosphere of understanding and acceptance within the student community. These goals are achieved through curricular infused lessons, school-wide collection activities, and a partnership with the middle school students in our county's school for the profoundly disabled. Through a school-wide penny drive, evening school-wide talent show, and the partnership activities and field trips, the entire community is made aware of the need for understanding and acceptance of those who are disAbled. Lessons infused into the 7th grade curriculum in all subject areas allow for discussion of many topics and all aspects of disAbility Awareness. Small group discussions, artwork in small groups, and individual written reflections allow the children to share in a variety of venues. A core focus group plans and executes activities with our partnership school. A school-wide penny drive and talent show offer opportunities for all 7th graders to plan and facilitate large group activities. We contacted the community school that fit our need to see how we could best support them with our resources and services. Together, with the administration and staff, we created a list of needs for each year of the partnership. Every summer the program is revised to meet the changing needs of the community and the curriculum. Students participate in a variety of simulations to experience the needs of those who are less able. Through infused lessons, speakers who share their experiences as disAbled, partnership activities with the middle school children who are profoundly disAbled, and participating in dAp Day (a Howard County program crated by teacher, Anne Wade, that provides a variety of speakers who have disAblilties and are willing to share their experiences with the students) our students have the experiences to equip them in the real world as a sensitive, caring, understanding community member.

David Patterson, 1993, Faulkner Ridge Center (Special Education), 410-313-6837, dpatterson@mail.howard.k12.md.us

Teaching young people to mentor and serve others as a gateway to accelerated academic achievement! The following project was piloted during the spring semester of 2000. The purpose was to accelerate the achievement of two distinct groups of students through mentoring service-learning. An older student with poor academic performance and severe behavior, discipline referrals and academic difficulties was one partner in this effort. He was taught to mentor/tutor a second grader with a similar profile. Preparation, Action and Reflection activities included the skills necessary for tutoring and reinforcement as an instructional strategy. Activity-based tutoring was also implemented for both students. This afforded the older student with the skills necessary to teach the younger child. Discussions also occurred as reflection activities. This work is supported by the Brandeis Report which calls for frequent and continued service-learning opportunities. Recommendation: it is crucial for this type of effort to include a collaborative problem solving approach with the grade level team. Best practices:

• This project meets many needs of the community. First, it meets the needs of the child who is being mentored/tutored. The results are skill acceleration and improved self-concept of the student being mentored. The same thing occurs for the student completing their service-learning hours as a mentor. Very often, the older child with an academic deficiency can accelerate their own skills by teaching the very same skills to another person (Learning Pyramid Theory, 90% retention rate).
• Mentoring also clearly promotes the achievement of curricular objectives through the reflection activities that are designed to counsel the students as to the best strategies for keeping up with their schoolwork.
• Reflection occurs after each activity of mentoring. Time was built into the tutoring time (implemented during the older student's tutorial class period). During reflection, discussions centered on the events of the day and how to improve subsequent tutoring sessions.
• Student responsibility was very much a part of the data measure for documentation of the decrease in discipline referrals. Students seem to develop a "conscious" through this project.
• Community partnerships fill a wide range of needs. There was a partnership established between the two schools. Relationships were also established with the families of the children involved. Grants are awarded to quality programs by a variety of agencies. Highly functioning teams employ collaborative strategies that enhance the success of all. Teaching service-learning in this method can lead to other service projects within the school community.
• Planning ahead is a must. Working with the administrators of both schools is a proactive strategy that is helpful. Advanced planning needed to occur with the following people/staff: students, teachers, parents, and administrators.
• This project equipped both students (mentor/tutor and mentee/tutee) with the knowledge and skills needed for service. Ultimately, the younger student became a "helper" in a kindergarten class to work on letter recognition activities with the kindergartners. The older student engaged his own ideas about possible reinforcers to use with his younger schoolmate. He asked if he could bring game cards to give to his friend when he "was a good boy". Each time he worked with the student, he demonstrated increased independence at his job.

Katherine Potocki, 1994, Patapsco Middle School, 410-313-2848

The restoration of Historic St. Paul's Cemetery is a school-based service-learning model which enables 8th graders to perform service and enjoy educational experiences that are mutually related. It has been an on-going project at PMS since 1990 in which students research the lives of people buried in a historic mill town cemetery dating from 1841. Students have worked in the legislative process at both county and state levels to gain legal protection for historic cemeteries. Students are plotting pathways, planting historically correct ground cover, and working with Water Resources Department to gain access to the site over an adjacent creek.

Toni Richardson, 1995, Ellicott Mills Middle School, 410-313-2839

My students support the Domestic Violence Center of Howard Co. They devise and execute activities that they feel will help the children of domestic violence, ie. birthday boxes, school and art supplies, holiday toy drives. They accomplish this by having fundraisers, soliciting donations from the community, and setting up a "spare change" jar during the lunch periods. Students also interact with senior citizens at the Ellicott City Senior Center.

Rachel Saidi, 1996, Howard High School, 410-313-2867, matv07@toe.towson.edu

As part of my math class, students raise money through fundraisers. These fundraisers are incorporated into my curriculum as lessons on small business and bookkeeping. The money is used to buy food to donate to shelters. The students meet the people they are serving and realize that they are real people who need and appreciate the help. This is an ongoing project.

Sandi Witt, 1997, Dunloggin Middle School (Reading), 410-313-2831, SandiBWitt@aol.com

DisAbility Awareness in the 7th grade at Dunloggin Middle School creates an atmosphere of understanding and acceptance within the student community. These goals are achieved through curricular infused lessons, school-wide collection activities, and a partnership with the middle school students in our county's school for the profoundly disabled. Through a school-wide penny drive, evening school-wide talent show, and the partnership activities and field trips, the entire community is made aware of the need for understanding and acceptance of those who are disAbled. Lessons infused into the 7th grade curriculum in all subject areas allow for discussion of many topics and all aspects of disAbility Awareness. Small group discussions, artwork in small groups, and individual written reflections allow the children to share in a variety of venues. A core focus group plans and executes activities with our partnership school. A school-wide penny drive and talent show offer opportunities for all 7th graders to plan and facilitate large group activities. We contacted the community school that fit our need to see how we could best support them with our resources and services. Together, with the administration and staff, we created a list of needs for each year of the partnership. Every summer the program is revised to meet the changing needs of the community and the curriculum. Students participate in a variety of simulations to experience the needs of those who are less able. Through infused lessons, speakers who share their experiences as disAbled, partnership activities with the middle school children who are profoundly disAbled, and participating in dAp Day (a Howard County program crated by teacher, Anne Wade, that provides a variety of speakers who have disAblilties and are willing to share their experiences with the students) our students have the experiences to equip them in the real world as a sensitive, caring, understanding community member.

Natalie Janiszewski, 2002, Bonnie Branch Middle School, 410-313-2580, natalie_janiszewski@hcpss.org.

After 9/11/01, many students reported feeling depressed or anxious about the future. They were overwhelmed by the enormity of the problems facing their future and felt powerless in their ability to affect change. Research recognizes the importance of students' awareness of societal problems, but suggests that it is equally important to teach students the strategies and skills for solving these problems (Hungerford & Volk, 1991). This supports a growing movement in service-learning that provides students with a more balanced view of the world by focusing on solutions in addition to problems (Chesapeake: Choices & Challenges 1995). By teaching our youth skills for identifying and solving problems, the "Have a Heart for the Homeless" project provided an excellent framework for enhancing self-efficacy and self-esteem (Conrad & Hedin, 1991). Our 8th grade students completed an indirect service-learning project in January and February 2002. It was our goal that students demonstrate every individual's role in affecting positive change. In fact, our motto throughout this project was, "Kids CAN make a difference!" We worked with a local homeless shelter to collect personal hygiene items at our school, which were then donated to adults and families in need in Howard County. All of our activities were created to help, in some way, individuals who are underprivileged in our community. Best practices:

• What recognized community need was met by your project? Homeless shelters receive most of their donations during the holiday season, but are in need of items throughout the year. Our service-learning project provided a community homeless shelter with food items, personal items, first aid supplies, cleaning supplies, paper products, gift certificates, baby items, games, and school supplies. The shelter identified the items they could use to help the homeless.
• The following Maryland Learning Outcomes were achieved through our service-learning project. An explanation of how the outcomes were achieved follows each Outcome. Social Studies: Analyze examples in which individuals and groups bring about civic improvement. By helping the homeless, students realized that their efforts directly impacted and changed the lives of people in our community. Math: Organize, display and interpret data using tables, pictographs, and bar graphs. Graphs of each homeroom's contributions were created. These graphs determined which homeroom earned the reward for bringing in the most donations. English: Write essays for an intended audience and purpose that state the thesis or purpose of the paper, that follow an organizational pattern, and that offer compelling evidence in the form of facts and details to support the thesis. Students wrote a description of our project for the PTA newsletter, our news broadcast at school, and local newspapers.
• Discussion and brief written responses to prompts provided the vehicle by which students reflected on their service-learning. For example, after watching a video, "Shelter Boy," students wrote down what they could do to help a boy like the one in the video. At the end of the project, students invited the speaker from Grassroots, our local shelter, to come back to accept our donations. After hearing how the donations would help the people Grassroots serves, the students wrote how the service-learning impacted their community.
• Each group of students was assigned a task in relation to the project. For example, one group was responsible for maintaining the graphs, another for advertising the project, and another for collection of the donations. Within each group, the students were responsible for ensuring the success of our project.
• Our community partners for this project were Grassroots, the student body, and the Parent Teacher Association.
• We prepared and planned for the project by watching "Shelter Boy," a video about a 12-year-old boy and his family who were homeless. Students analyzed how they could help people like those in the video. A speaker from Grassroots, a local homeless shelter, talked to the students about homelessness in our community. The speaker identified how our service project would help people in need.
• People who are homeless are not addicted to drugs or lazy citizens who don't want to work. Students now understand that homelessness is not a choice that some people make. Circumstances beyond a person's control contribute to homelessness, and that is why it is so important that community members become involved in helping the homeless get back on their feet. Students also saw the real world applications of writing and graphing skills. Students also used organizational skills to ensure the efficiency of collecting and packaging the items for the shelter.

A class of 7th grade students at Thurmont Middle School engaged in a service-learning project by planting trees at the Howard County Conservation Property. This project allowed students to apply their knowledge of this unit, reflect on how their actions impact the environment, and boosted their self-esteem because they realized they had made a difference in the world. Best practices:

• This project helped preserve, protect, and enhance the environment.
• This project met many objectives for the unit. The students learned about how the absence of trees affects runoff and the necessity to guard the streams with vegetation to slow the process. Besides the impact to the bay's watershed, students also learned how planting trees improves the bay's chances of maintaining its natural chemistry and living creatures.
• The culmination was the reflection on the day's activities. The reflection process began during the unit with class discussions as content was being presented. By the time students wrote their reflections, they had internalized what they did.
• The students' responsibilities for this project were to plant trees and learn about the plantation's historical significance. As a highlight of the day, students visited the conservation property's 120 year old Oak Tree, which is one of the many attractions the conservation offers.
• The community partnership with the conservation property allows this project to take place. They were extremely supportive by planning the day's events with us, visiting the students to explain their responsibilities, and they taught the students how to plant trees.
• During the Environment Unit, students learned the impact of pollution, and man and natural disasters on the Chesapeake Bay.
• On the day of the trip, students watched " The Giving Tree" and discussed its meaning. They also read the poem, "The Tree".