Esprit de Corps Partnership A Service Learning Program Leadership in
Service Learning In 1994, the Encinitas Union School District (EUSD) Board of Trustees developed a strategic plan with a committee representing all stakeholders in the community. Throughout this living document, the district's vision provides all students with a rigorous academic education as children actively contribute to the local community clearly identified. During that same year, the Board of Trustees provided the leadership to support the founding of the Esprit de Corps Partnership, a collaborative effort of educators, parents, local government, business, higher education, and civic organizations to bring service learning to the EUSD students. Service earning is an instructional methodology whereby students receive a strong academic program and then utilize their learning to perform quality service in the community. Research has shown that students maximize their learning when they are afforded opportunities to work with and solve real world problems. The EUSD Board of Trustees supported the efforts of the Esprit de Corps Partnership to write an AmeriCorps grant funded through the California Learn and Serve Program. This initial three-year grant of $130,000 was so successful, the partnership received a three-year expansion grant ($255,000) to infuse service learning into a neighboring elementary school district and the high school district. We are now in the second year of the expansion grant (the fifth year of Esprit de Corps' grant) focusing on replicating the program in other districts. Our service learning coordinator and mentor work with districts throughout California. The benefits of our collaboration have been: 1) to bring experts into the classroom to work side-by-side with teachers and students to prepare them to do meaningful service in their identified area of interest. For example, students worked on the restoration of a local lagoon with scientists and members of the lagoon foundation. Experiences included: water testing, recording bird migrations, cataloging shells, making a training video and serving as docents for adults and students taking fieldtrips to the area. Another program involved the reforestation of a park in the school community that suffered extreme fire damage when over 80 homes were destroyed. 2) to maximize educational resources by sharing personnel, facilities, equipment, and training with partners. The North County Transportation District and the Boys and Girls Club assists with free transportation to service learning sites. Our university partner assisted with publishing a service learning booklet with articles written by EUSD staff members. 3) to enable all students regardless of language ability or special needs to learn and contribute in a positive way toward improving the community. Our second language learners have realized that having two languages is an asset in meeting community needs. 4) to infuse service learning into teacher preparation programs. Our university partnership has provided teacher education candidates an opportunity to have first-hand experience with service learning as an instructional strategy. |
