The Delta Sierra Service-Learning Collaborative (DSSLC) is a partnership of alternative education programs in the San Joaquin and Calaveras County Offices of Education; the one-school La Grange Elementary School District; and the Joe Serna Jr. Charter school. Coordinated by the Regional Lead Network out of the San Joaquin County Office of Education, the DSSLC covers three counties within California’s central valley.
The collaborative vision is to increase the number and quality of current service-learning activities to more profoundly affect students and the community. The focus is to develop a strong network that links the geographically distant sites to provide ongoing communication and support among site advocates, teachers, and students.
Service-learning activities vary throughout the collaborative but one overarching theme is environmental service projects, as evidenced by the community gardens that involve students, parents, and the community. The students also produce a "Bill Nye, the Science Guy" video to tutor younger students about science and the environment. Under the National Forest Service’s direction, more than 20,000 trees that were lost to wildfires in the foothills have been replanted over several years. The Mokelumne Watershed Project and East Bay MUD fund a student activity that helps to restore habitat along streams and lake banks. Students participate in a recycling drive, a Tuolumne River clean-up day, and community flower box planting. Many students participate in service-learning activities through the DELTA Studies Project, which is a curriculum that has been developed for California Delta-area students to use their environment as a natural resource for interdisciplinary, project-based learning.
Other partners include the San Joaquin County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (Senior Corps) and service clubs. These partners serve on the DSSLC Advisory Committee and support all service projects. The partnering programs and schools, including site advocates, teachers, and students, communicate regularly to share best practices, support one another, and assess the affect of service-learning projects on the schools and communities.
