The Santa Barbara County Service-Learning Initiative includes 14 districts, 40 Title I schools, and a county office and represents more than 29,000 students. The initiative identifies teacher advocates for service-learning activities; provides professional development to support teachers; links service-learning units to the state academic content standards; and promotes policy that supports teachers who use service-learning to help students to meet California’s academic content standards.
Teachers who are involved in special education, alternative education programs, and traditional classrooms are active in this initiative. Three case studies that represent each grade span are chosen. Staff development opportunities include sharing effective methods and the challenges of integrating service-learning in various academic content areas. The service-learning experience includes community assessment; students’ representation; civic responsibility; and time to assess the experience before, during, and after a project. An evaluation process permits the development of service-learning goals and the review of a project’s outcome through case studies.
Community partners participate in the initiative as partners in service-learning activities, members of the advisory committee, supporters of classroom teachers, and monetary supporters for service-learning institutionalization. Representative community partners include the Cottage Hospital, the Dunes Center, the Veneco Corporation, and the United Way Foundation.
The long-term working relationship of all partners and a clear organizational structure are the strengths of the service-learning initiative. The Santa Barbara County Board of Trustees and the superintendent avidly support the program. Communication flows freely through countywide curriculum council members, each school’s service-learning site advocates, and the service-learning steering and advisory committees. Program decisions include input from site administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community partners.
The Santa Barbara County Office of Education’s (SBCOE) priority is to develop a service-learning professional development program and build a cadre of service-learning site advocates. The initiative introduces innovative technology and online capabilities to share service-learning activities, provide feedback, and highlight successes. The use of this technology demonstrates how service-learning benefits all students, in particular those who are disadvantaged. Funding from the California Department of Education’s CalServe Initiative assists teachers who have developed and implemented innovative service-learning projects that address community needs. The district’s service-learning coordinators and the region eight lead oversee the development of the countywide, service-learning Web site, which has been designed to inform administrators, school staff, teachers, students, parents, and community members about service-learning. SBCOE Service-Learning (Outside Source) provides examples of successful service-learning lessons and ideas for service and action.
