Commission
Members Visit Schools Around the Country
Place Middle
School welcomes Commission Members
to their outdoor classroom in April,
2001 in Denver
COLORADO
Place
Middle School, Denver
Commission Members Anne Bryant, Cameron
Dary, Nnennia Ejebe, Buffy Sainte-Marie,
and Harris Wofford visited Place Middle
School just prior to the second National
Commission meeting. The Commission
members were greeted by over 65 students
with an enthusiastic welcome. A highlight
of the visit was the school's outdoor
classroom/community garden, one of
several service-learning projects
at the school. The project, which
utilizes math and science skills learned
in the classroom, also helps teachers
achieve environmental standards in
the state. Once completed, the garden
will enable all children of the school
to participate in other planned science
and math related projects. Also as
part of the visit, Commission members
were given student tours of a river
where water and soil analysis is being
undertaken as part of another service-learning
project at the school. Commission
members were accompanied by representatives
from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation,
as well as state leaders who shared
background on service-learning in
the state and how Colorado schools
are using service-learning to meet
state education standards.
Commission
Members Anne Bryant and Buffy Sainte-Marie
work with Place Middle School students
.
Minnie
Pearce and Christine Kwak examine
Zebra Muscles with Mr. Tom Gibb-Randall's
5th Grade class at Wick Elementary
in the Romulus School District in
Michigan.
MICHIGAN
Wick
Elementary School, Romulus
During their visit to Wick Elementary,
Commission members Michelle Engler,
Jianping Shen, and Minnie Pearce,
as well as representatives from the
W.K. Kellogg Foundation met with students
and teachers from a 5th grade classroom
who are working with the Romulus Parks
and Recreation department to revitalize
local park lands. As part of this
experience, Commission members talked
with students about the impact of
service-learning on their understanding
of academic content and its relationship
to what they were doing with the community
through their work in the parks. The
visit was organized and hosted by
Michelle Engler, First Lady of Michigan.
Dewey
Center for Urban Education, Detroit
The visit to the Dewey Center, a public
school in Detroit, provided a unique
opportunity for the Michigan delegation
of the National Commission on Service-Learning
to both witness and experience the
multiple benefits of service-learning
for students, teachers, and communities.
During the visit, Commission members
Michelle Engler, Jianping Shen, and
Minnie Pearce met with students, teachers,
and administrators. Through presentations,
interactive dialogues, and reflections
they learned how service-learning
helps meet state standards by integrating
it into the school's coursework and
into the overall paradigm for the
faculty and staff. Critical to the
visit was learning about the impact
service-learning has had on students'
academic performance, safety, health
and their connection to the community.
The visit was organized and hosted
by Michelle Engler, First Lady of
Michigan.
Commission
members Dr. Jianping Shen, Minnie
Pearce, and First Lady Michelle Engler,
with the Dewey Center for Urban Education's
Principal Frances Parker, Detroit
Public School CEO, Dr. Kenneth Burnley
and Christine Kwak from the W. K.
Kellogg Foundation.
OHIO
Fort
Hayes Metropolitan Education Center,
Columbus
In May, Senator John Glenn, chair
of the National Commission on Service-Learning,
and Shirley Bowser, Chair of the Board
of Trustees of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
visited Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education
Center. Since Fort Hayes is both an
arts and academic high school and
career center program, Senator Glenn
and Mrs. Bowser were able to participate
in several exciting service-learning
projects. The first involved restoration
for the City of Columbus of a mural
painted by an important regional artist,
Emerson Burkhardt. This service-learning
project is integrated into the history,
science, and art curricula and meets
many of the school's Arts Foundation
goals, as well as school district
standards and state proficiency objectives.
Another highlight included viewing
a performance of "Homeless in
Columbus" an interdisciplinary
and cross-grade service-learning project
that mitigates the needs of the homeless
through 10 different classrooms or
programs at the school. Also participating
in the visit were staff from the W.K.
Kellogg Foundation, The John Glenn
Institute for Public Service and Public
Policy, and the National Commission
on Service-Learning.
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Jones
Middle School, Upper Arlington
Also in May, Senator John Glenn and
Shirley Bowser, Chair of the Board
of Trustees of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation,
visited Jones Middle School, meeting
with students, teachers, and administrators
to learn how service-learning is integrated
throughout the school in all subjects
and grade levels. During the visit,
Senator Glenn and Mrs. Bowser learned
about the "Lost Boys of Sudan",
a service-learning project initiated
by students after reading an article
on the plight of thousands of civil
war orphans as part of a social studies
assignment. Another highlight included
presentations by a 6th grade class
about a service-learning project that
provides safe childcare for children
of homeless and low-income families.
Through this project students are
introduced to the issues of poverty,
homelessness, child development and
learning needs of young children and
take action to help address them.
Also participating in the visit were
staff from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation,
The John Glenn Institute for Public
Service and Public Policy, and the
National Commission on Service-Learning.
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