MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY OF SERVICE (JANUARY 18, 2010)
to GLOBAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY (APRIL 23-25, 2010)

About Semester of Service

Semester of Service links prominent national service events - such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and Global Youth Service Day - through an extended service-learning framework of at least 70 hours. Young people ages 5-25, spend the “semester” addressing a meaningful community need connected to intentional learning goals and/or academic standards. Throughout, the teacher or facilitator supports the emergence of “youth voice” as young people guide the process.

Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy integrating meaningful community service with academic study and reflective practice to enrich learning, build civic engagement, and strengthen communities. Semester of Service emphasizes “duration and intensity”, enriching the experience by providing participants with enough time to incorporate the five stages of service-learning: Investigation, Preparation & Planning, Action, Reflection, and Demonstration/Celebration.

Semester of Service Blog

Youth Service America offers a variety of resources to help you implement your Semester of Service project, including grants and planning materials. The Semester of Service Blog features news and resources from Youth Service America and stories from Lead Agencies and grantees organizing and leading Semester of Service projects.

Monday, August 3, 2009

YSA Seeking Interested Middle Schools to Support through a STEMester of Service (Deadline: August 20)

Youth Service America has received funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service to launch an exciting new grants program designed to support selected middle school teachers and service-learning coordinators in strengthening their delivery of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curricula through service-learning.

The program will target students from disadvantaged circumstances in states with the highest drop out rates in the nation (Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Washington).

STEMester of Service grantees will engage up to 75 middle school students in a semester-long, STEM-focused service-learning program. Student projects will address meaningful community problems intentionally connected to state academic standards and will incorporate youth voice, as well as opportunities for reflection, demonstration and celebration. Training and preparation will occur in the fall for all grantees. School programs will launch on Martin Luther King Day, January 18, 2010, and culminate on Global Youth Service Day, April 23-25, 2010.

The program components include:
  • Annual $5,000 grant for teachers or service-learning coordinators. ($1,000 of the grant will be applied toward travel for professional development.)
  • Training and professional development, including participation at YSA's Youth Service Institute in Washington, D.C, October 2009.
  • Resources such as curriculum guides and project ideas aligned to academic standards to help grantees plan and implement STEMemester of Service.
  • Technical assistance and personalized online support from YSA.
  • National recognition and visibility through YSA communications and outreach initiatives.
Who is eligible?
  • Teachers, administrators and service-learning coordinators in middle schools
  • Staff and service-learning coordinators in afterschool programs
  • The schools and after-school programs must be located in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Washington.
The deadline to apply is August 20.

Please begin by completing our Eligibility Quiz.
If you are eligible, you will be given access the application materials.
Posted by Youth Service America at 12:17 PM

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