Learn and Serve America
Learn and Serve School-Based
As of 2010, RI Campus Compact has been designated as the lead agency for Learn and Serve America School-Based Formula funding. School-Based programs engage K-12 students in service-learning programs that allow young people to apply academic content knowledge to meet critical community needs. Learn and Serve America School-Based Funds:
- Support high-quality service-learning projects that engage student in meeting community needs with demonstrable results, while enhancing students' academic and civic learning; and
- Support efforts to build institutional capacity, including the trainings of educators, and to strengthen the service infrastructure to expand service opportunities.
The main goals for the Rhode Island PK-16 Partnerships for Success Service-Learning Project are:
- Increase the practice and quality of service-learning as a methodology for implementing Rhode Island Common Core Standards and meeting the Rhode Island Department of Education's (RIDE) Strategic Plan: All Rhode Island Students are Ready for Success in College, Careers and Life.
- Create, train and sustain a strong statewide network of educators that are experts in and advocates for service-learning.
- Identify major barriers to student achievement and aspirations to attend post-secondary education and, through service-learning and other civic engagement activities, implement solutions to those barriers.
- Provide more opportunities for low-income, disadvantaged and/or potential first generation college students to engage in service-learning.
- Increase local and statewide PK-16 partnerships that support the sustainability of service-learning beyond funding.
"Learn and Serve America has helped to transform PK-16 education in Rhode Island. Through faculty and teacher grants, professional and curriculum development, assessment and research and student leadership, service-learning is being used as an effective teaching and community building strategy across the state."
-Carie Hertzberg
Executive Director, Rhode Island Campus Compact
Learn and Serve Higher-Education
From 2006-2010, Rhode Island Campus Compact received LSA funding in collaboration with Massachusetts Campus Compact. The project focused on creating strategic and sustainable college and university campus-community partnerships focused on the needs of under served youth in the region. Specifically, the partnerships sought to create and enhance active citizenship programs that focus on K-12 academic success, youth development, access to a college education, preparation for civic leadership, and/or connections between civic and workforce skill development.
More information on Learn and Serve America funds can be found at www.compact.org/ricompact and at www.ripartnerships.org.