Service-Learning in Prince George's 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 each of the courses listed below, students do one service-learning lesson. Every student is required to do 36 hours of independent service through school activities or volunteering in a non-profit agency or a for-profit hospital, nursing home, or licensed day care center. The combination of service-learning infused into the curriculum and the independent service is roughly equivalent to 75 hours. Prince George's county offers a service-learning class for credit, a science mentoring class in eight high schools, and an independent study course in service-learning.

Breakdown:
Family & Consumer Sciences (7th and 8th grade)
Health Education (7th grade)
English (8th grade)
Social studies (9th grade)
Biology

Reporting: Service-learning hours (0-36) are recorded on the report card.

Transfer Policy: Students who transfer into the county before the second semester of grade 12 will continue on the track that is in place for the grade in which they enter. For instance, if a student were to enter in grade 9, he or she would be involved in the grade 9 and grade 10 curriculum connected service-learning , but would not be responsible for the curriculum connected service-learning in grades 7 and 8. These students must also complete 36 hours of independent service. Students who enroll during the second semester of the senior year are exempt from this requirement.

3. Teacher Fellows (see overview)

I sponsor after-school environment awareness programs and work with students to create picture books for special education students. I also coordinate our school's recycling program and Buddy Program.

Carol Campbell, 1997, Stephen Decator Middle School (English), 301-449-4950 x259

Students work together and select stories that will be performed for Headstart and first grade children. They create manipulatives and follow-up activities that will assist the children in learning.

Sharon Hargro, 2001, Andrew Jackson Middle School, 301-817-0310 ext 223, shargro@pgcps.org

We conducted a school-wide clothes and food drive for items to be used in a pantry housed at our school. The project originated when two families in our school were burned out of their place of residence. So many clothing items and canned food were donated to help those two families that we decided to keep the overflow in a pantry to assist people who needed help in the future. My project initially helped families that lost everything in a fire. The project has extended to other students and their families as needs arise. The pantry is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Students studied the issue of homelessness, wrote personal expressions, and shared ideas about the effects of poverty and homelessness on individuals and families in the community. Students reflected by writing in journals in Language Art classes. We've had individual students in our building that live in a shelter. One student agreed to have an open discussion about his situation with other students. Students bring in items for the pantry and help distribute resources as needed. Donations were taken from the greater community as well as student donations. For the initial project, we could not plan ahead because of the immediate nature of the need. Subsequently, students viewed the video "Shelter Boy." Language Arts classes wrote essays on homelessness and poverty. Students learned about the issue of issue of homelessness and disasters and used writing skills to reflect on the projects.

Nicole Jackson, 1999, DuVal High School (Counselor), 301-918-8611

The Student Government Association established a clean-up day in order to beautify the community. I coordinate the community effort that was developed by the students.

Fran Lewis-Steiner, 2000, Bladensburg High School (Earth Science), 301-985-1470, franhawaii@starpower.net

Service-learning, or rather the incentive to participate in service-learning, is an essential part of my Environmental Science curriculum. When I plan my lessons, I incorporate service-learning. To a degree only, because there is so much to be done, we have met the need to be aware of the many environmental problems created by the human population on the environment. We must first be aware before situations can be addressed or improved. One major focus of our projects has been the Anacostia River which is very much a part of our Bladensburg High School Community. Here we conduct water tests, observe the living conditions of the aquatic life, plant trees and pick up and sort trash found along the banks. Through service-learning we have been able to meet several curricular objectives. A few of them include: * to study and see ecosystems as models of nature that people might use to work toward environmental sustainability; * to witness first hand some of the causes and effects of various types of pollution; * to participate in recycling -- one of the laws of sustainability; * to better understand the water cycle, carbon cycle, food chains and webs, and various other patterns of nature. To prepare my students for projects I often use the quote, "If it is to be, it is up to me." To work on our environmental projects, we've established community partnerships with a variety of groups that do everything from provide information to pay for substitutes and set up field trips. Some of our partners are: the Anacostia Watershed Society, The Port town Community Development Corporation, The Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commissions - Neighborhood Revitalization Division, The Department of Environmental Education, and Bridging the Watershed - The National Parks Division. After each activity, with both my regular students and members of my environmental club, we reflect on the project. We talk and often write about the significance of what we have done, what effects it might have on our lives as individuals and as members of the population, and how might we improve on these actions in the future. In the classroom, an assessment is done through varying mediums such as observations, projects, and of course, a written exam. Making students award of situations and their causes seems to stir some sense of responsibility in many of my students. Some students seem to have already developed a role of responsibility in their lives. The two before mentioned groups will often, with some words of encouragement from me, use a little positive peer pressure to motivate many of the others.

Martin Kaltenbaugh, 1999, Central High (Student Govt.), 301-499-7080

My student government class adopted a needy family. They then broke into groups and each group developed their own service project.

Norma Martof, 1999, Fairmont Heights High School (AP Biology, Earth Science), 301-925-1360, nmartof@pgcps.org

My most memorable service-learning was directing my Advanced Placement Biology students to write gene therapy play. In previous years, my involvement with service-learning had been with the Joseph House Village in Salisbury, Maryland. The major project was gardening, raking and grounds keeping. We also cleaned and cleared to make a playground for children there and conducted a canned food drive for the those in need. Currently, we are collecting environmental data in the GLOBE Program. In addition, we tutor and will soon do after school work with pre-schoolers.

Sherry Unger, 1994, (see our memorial), Bladensburg High School (Leadership, Community Service, S.G.A)

2000: Our school has adopted a local homeless shelter. Students create kits each season and deliver them to the shelter. The various kits focus on themes such as: School Supplies, Personal Hygiene, Birthday Party, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and Valentines Day. Best practices:

Students send quarterly letters to the shelter asking them what supplies are needed. Area women and their children who are homeless are permitted to remain at the shelter for eight weeks. These families are in need of basic items and extra supplies in order to celebrate holidays and birthdays in an austere setting while they seek permanent shelter.

Through the project, students develop their skills in the following areas: decision making communication, cooperative team work, budgeting, and program implementation.

Students reflect on their feelings about the project in journals and create picture displays for each of the projects each season.

Students learn to meet deadlines and adhere to commitments to package the kits and plan deliveries. As noted above, students are also the ones to contact the shelter and assess their needs.

Our school has established partnerships with local hotels, grocery, and hardware chains. They assist us with some of the supplies needed for the kits.

Students plan each year to create different kits for the shelter and to encourage and develop new community partnerships.

Students learn effective brainstorming techniques, how to cooperatively make decisions, and they conduct research on the issue of homelessness.

1998: Adoption of Shepherds Cove Homeless Shelter - baskets, holiday meals; service-learning opportunity resource center; service days at school.

1996: Service-learning projects include: hygiene & school kits for the homeless shelters and adoption schools in disaster areas, recycling, beautification, fundraising, rolling and collating penny drive for elementary school playground fund.

1995: Coordinate school-wide activities, assist with logging hours, developing programs for groups, maintain resource center for staff and students, provide on site service projects and develop SGA's service projects.

Kathleen Hyde, 2002, Frederick Douglas High School, 301-249-5320

We developed an international service club called The Leo Club at our school which is sponsored by the local Lions Club. The purpose of the club is to serve the community.

Best Practice 1: The Leo Club met and developed activities addressing the following community needs; homelessness with participation in the national Walkathon for Charlies' Place; hunger with participation in a school-wide canned food competition to provide holiday dinners for participants of a local food bank; foster care kids by a collection of donated suitcases and children's books for children who are served by the Department of Social Services; a cleaner environment when Leo Club members adopted a highway and cleaned it four times a year; assisted in times of crisis when we raised money to help victims in North Carolina during a recent hurricane and when we made patriotic ribbons and pins and collected money for the American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund; assisted students who are mentally and physically challenged in our school by providing holiday parties and "adopt-a-friend" programs.

Best Practice 2: For each project that Leo Club does, the following objectives were met: accessing the specific need of the school or local community; providing either short or long term assistance to address the need; being responsible for specific duties to make a successful project; working together with people who are different from themselves to solve problems; and most importantly making a difference in the lives of others.

Best Practice 3: Our Leo Club meets twice a month, and at each meeting we discuss the activity, we write thank you notes, and decide if we will continue the project next year. The president of the Leo Club developed a PowerPoint presentation about Leo activities and presented at the Character Education Workshop at a local high school and at the Prince George's County Student Service-Learning Advisory Board.

Best Practice 4: Each Leo member has the opportunity to be the chairperson for an activity and have other Leos assist in the project. The chair is to write a proposal, have it approved by an administrator, and assign responsibilities to other Leos. Leo represents leadership, experience, and opportunity.

Best Practice 5: We have established partnerships with the Upper Marlboro Lions Club, Upper Marlboro Food Bank, American Red Cross, Department of Social Services, State Highway Administration, and Charlie’s Place at St. Margaret's Church, Washington D.C.

Best Practice 6: Every member of the Leo Club is assigned to a committee: publicity/recruitment, social, and service. Committees meet and report on any activity they feel the club needs to pursue. The club votes on the activities they would like to participate in, and the appropriate committee prepares a plan to successfully accomplish the activity.

Best Practice 7: I give the members background information about their task. An example would be to provide a guest speaker who could speak about the involvement of my members and how they would assist a particular group. The chairperson writes a proposal and presents it to the club at one of our meetings. The club revises and finally accepts the proposal. The chair then asks for volunteers for specific tasks. The entire club participates in the activity.