Orange County Public Schools District Service Learning Program Special Initiative

1. Orange County Public SchoolsDistrict Service Learning ProgramSpecial Initiative Wendy L. Doromal OCPS Service Learning Coordinator

2. The primary goal of the OCPS Service Learning Program is to provide opportunities for every OCPS student to participate in quality service-learning projects connected to curriculum and standards in collaboration with community partners to meet genuine school and community needs.

3. To institutionalize service learning in Orange County will need people in power and decision-makers to support the program not just in word, but financially. Both administrators and educators need to understand the benefits of service learning and how it contributes to academic success. We also need teachers to adopt service-learning as a means of teaching. Therefore, the initiative focuses on training, education, and providing seed money through mini-grants for service learning projects and expansion.

4. Goal One 1. Create service learning training materials and workshops for OCPS teachers. Trainers will be provided with Power points and handouts so they can train other teachers in their schools and communities.

5. Goal 2 2. Sponsor a training for OCPS service Learning Liaisons The training will help liaisons understand service-learning basics, grant opportunities, getting started with projects and how to promote service learning at their schools.

6. Goal Three 3. Advanced training for Service Learning Academy teachers and OCPS Service Learning Trainers Encourage teachers to attend FL&S Conference by providing substitutes, and bring in Robert Schumer for an all-day training session.

7. Goal Four 4. Provide mini-grants of up to $2,000 for teachers in 6 area learning communities to establish service learning councils and provide training for council facilitators. Mini-grant council application sent out in late September. Due November 8, 2007.

8. Goal Five 5. Provide service learning literature for OCPS School board members, Superintendent, 6 Area Superintendents, and the OCPS Curriculum Administrator Purchased copies of The Complete Guide to Service Learning and am preparing copies of 4 Resources for linking the Sunshine State Standards and Service Learning.

9. Goal Six 6. Conduct a service learning training for principals and administrators Am planning this now with my principal and area superintendents. Making packets and will be giving each principal A Complete Guide to Service Learning and a packet at a principal’s meeting in different learning communities.

10. Goal Seven 7. Provide trainers with resource materials and books Ordering trainers books and materials.

11. Goal Eight 8. Update the OCPS Web-site This has been updated and is now online!

12. Goal Nine 9. Provide mini-grant funds to OCPS teachers to create service learning projects and establish service learning at 15 new OCPS school sites 24 applicants responded…

13. Goal Ten 10. Identify OCPS schools for UCF EDG 4323 course students to apply service learning classroom knowledge in a k-12 setting. Sites are set. Contacted Trey to see if he would like to partner for this!

14. IMPACT Estimated number of students serving in councils and district mini-grant and other service learning sites: 6,580 Average number of service-learning hours: 50 for elementary and middle, 75 for high 169,000 elementary/middle hours 121,600 –high school hours

15. IMPACT Estimated Number of Recipients: 8,500 – Pre-K –elementary 22,000 – Middle school 60,000 –High School 21 –Higher Education 120,000 –Other Adults and community members

16. IMPACT All OCPS service learning projects are: • linked to curriculum and are required to have a reading element; • are linked to the SSS, NBPTS and OCPS CAAP standards; • are assessed using civic pre and post tests, FCAT pre and post test, with student-generated surveys or with statistical data; • require student voice and choice.