Area 1: Goals:

Imagine a project that encourages all 324 eighth graders to read and act with empathy, all 345 freshmen to write with creativity, all 330 sophomores to speak about character and dignity, and all 324 juniors to create multimedia messages about responsibility……….and imagine EVERY child wanting to participate………

The Delsea Regional School District in Franklinville, New Jersey has won numerous awards for its comprehensive, all inclusive Service Learning Program. Each grade level has designed a project that encompasses the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for literacy. Grade level projects also incorporate methodologies that address various learning styles in a non traditional approach, helping students to achieve academic success and build confidence.

The program has the following major goals. All learners will be able to:

• Improve problem solving skills and decision making skills.
• Develop higher order thinking skills.
• Comprehend the application of classroom learning to real world settings.
• Reinforce writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills.
• Facilitate teamwork and collaboration.
• Comprehend civic responsibility.
• Appreciate diversity, other generations, genders, cultures, and perspectives.
• Explore new roles, interests, career paths.
• Participate in experiential learning.
• Evaluate feelings, growth, interests, through the reflection stage of the project.

Area 2: Activities:

Service learning is an instructional approach which enhances learning by making it relevant because it is applied to real world needs such as literacy and prejudice reduction. Students are led through a four step learning process; preparation, action, reflection, and recognition. Delsea has six major projects which are conducted at various grade levels.

Each project has its own partners.

Caring for Your Community By Caring for Your Pet, which teaches responsible pet care, has built partnerships with the Gloucester County SPCA, The New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association, and parents of the district.

Beyond Ann Frank, which teaches the atrocities of hate and ignorance, has formed partnerships with local holocaust museums, synagogues, and survivors' groups, which is significant since the Jewish population of the district is under ten students.

Authoring Children's Books, which re-ignites an adolescent's love of reading, has produced a collaborative venture with local children's authors, the township library, and the constituent district elementary schools.

A Springtime Thanksgiving has students writing and speaking about their most influential role models. Because the role models are often teachers, parents, law enforcement officials, or coaches, an informal community partnership has been formed.

"Now You Know" Public Service Announcements on Safe Driving are entered into the Gloucester County Highway Safety Taskforce contest. The student videos have won places in the County's top ten videos for two consecutive years. The videos are shown at Loews movie theaters.

All students in each grade level are participants in the projects because the projects are infused into the language arts/English curriculum. Students have an opportunity to participate in the action phase directly, indirectly or as an advocate. Because the projects are continuous year after year, students become more cognizant of their role in society as responsible citizens.

Area 3: Outside Resources:

The initiative was started in 1998 through a New Jersey Department of Education Learn and Serve America Grant. Since that time the district has been awarded three additional DOE grants for service learning, a McDonalds grant, New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association Grant, and two PACES (Partnership for Advancing Character Education through Service Learning) Grant to serve as mentor schools to other aspiring middle and high schools in New Jersey. This is not a costly initiative. Most of the supplies necessary for the projects can be budgeted for in the regular school supply budget. Speakers serve on a voluntary basis and donate their time to work with the children.

All activities are conducted within the instructional day. The partnerships that have been formed as a result of the service learning projects have blossomed and flourished over the last 8 years. In 1998 the district had 2 partnerships involving four teachers and 300 students. In 2006 the programs have expanded to 10 formal partnerships involving 21 teachers and 1600 students. The school is often contacted by groups or organizations hoping to strike up a partnership.

Area 4: Evaluation:

While the students and teachers are not pre-tested and post-tested, they do complete a preflection before the activity begins and reflection once the project has been completed. The two instruments are used to gauge the growth in the students' comprehension of the service, the students' knowledge, confidence, and self esteem. Students also suggest ways to improve the project for the next class. Student projects are also graded by the teachers and included as marking period grades.

The most significant measurement of the projects is the participation rate of the student body. Over 98% of each grade level successfully completes the service learning project. In many cases it is 100 percent of the grade level, including special education. HSPA and GEPA language arts scores have been constant but an increase has been noted in subgroups such as special education and economically disadvantaged students.

Community evaluation is best gauged by attendance and participation at events. Events are well attended. There are also seven notebooks filled with newspaper coverage of events held at the school. Included are letters of thanks from various participants.

Area 5: Stability:

The program has been in place for eight years and continues to grow. Each year teachers work one day during the summer to revise and enhance the program based on student critiques and their own evaluation. Each year new funding sources are explored, but the program can run without outside funding. The assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction has been in on the program since its inception. She collaborates with the principals and supervisor of instruction to ensure that the project quality, professional development, curriculum, and budgets support the programs.

All English teachers new to the school are trained in service learning by the supervisor of the department. More programs are begun each year in different content areas. The JROTC's senior citizens' prom, DECA's Jeepers Creepers, community Halloween party, Key Club's Community Blood Drive, and Crusaders' Crusade for the Homeless are project outgrowths.

Area 6: Endorsements:

The Service Learning Projects have earned Delsea Regional School District the title of National Service Learning Leader Schools, New Jersey Service Learning Leader Schools, New Jersey Department of Education's Best Practice, and New Jersey School Board's School Leader Award, and New Jersey Service Learning Mentor Schools, among many others.

Delsea is one of two school districts in the state to have both its schools attain these honors. The teachers and administrators have spoken at local, state and national conventions and conferences, including the National Service Learning Conference in 2004 and 2006.

The New Jersey Veterinary Association was so taken with the pet project that they had the Delsea teachers write a curriculum and then offered 20, $1,000 grants to schools who wanted to replicate the program. Delsea teachers are currently training teachers throughout the state for the Veterinary Medical Association.

The projects and partnerships formed through this initiative help members of the
community to understand and appreciate what is happening in the schools, the school's caring environment, and the dedication that the teachers, administration and board have to educating all students in a positive way.

Board of Education President, William Lahn.

The service learning experience has been a rewarding and enriching undertaking. All age groups of our district and communities have gained a greater understanding and respect for the need to perpetuate service and individual commitment to our society.

Frank Borelli, Superintendent

Some of the programs have helped to reduce stereotyping and bias, while others have focused on improving academic skills. Either way, it is a great way to learn and help your community at the same time.

Student

Service learning helps to promote life long learning and because none of us is an island, we must learn to work in partnership in order to succeed in life. Service learning promotes working in collaboration. Service learning has opened the doors to many partnerships among the schools and the community. It has created a bond between many of those organizations which will continue to grow and strengthen over time.

Madeline Propert, Teacher