counter
Service Learning

 
-SERVICE LEARNING HAS CHANGED FOR THE 2011-2012 ACADEMIC YEAR.
 
-Students need 3 Service Learning Credits (NOT hours and NOT academic credits) to graduate.
 
-How do I get credits? There are 2 ways:
  1. You complete a service learning project through a participating class you are taking in the 2011-2012 school year.

  2. You complete service independently (a minimum of 14 hours for one credit) and complete an in-depth reflection on the service learning sheet
      - Service learning sheets are posted below.
      You need BOTH pages completed to receive a Service Learning Credit
       
       Ms. Aranda     LAranda@cps.edu
      If you have any questions please email her and/or set a time to meet after 8th & 9th periods ONLY on Tuesdays & Thursdays.
       
       
       
      Keep up to date with what is happening as far as independent Service Learning Projects and Clubs you can join.

      Please read the attached letters to review the Service Learning Requirements here at Lincoln Park High School. 
       If you need additional information or would like to know about current 
      city wide service learning opportunites please visit the following link 



       
       Further Explanation
       
       
      We hope that these changes improve the service experience of students at Lincoln Park. These changes were announced in letters to the students and parents during orientation, but I also wanted to outline them here.
       
      In-Class Service
      In the past, students completed their own service learning projects by seeking out a community organization, and working with them. This has not changed. Students are still encouraged to find and work for community organizations if they would like long-term service opportunities. However, as another opportunity, in-class service projects are now offered in certain classes. In-class projects have three components to them:
        • 4 hours Learning (in Class)
        • minimum 4 hours Teacher-directed service
        • minimum 6 hours Student-directed service
      One of the requirements of the in-class project is student-directed service, where the student seeks out and completes his or her own service opportunity as it relates to the class. The student will be required to find their own community organization and complete their own service. This aspect of the in-class project allows students to pursue service opportunities that they are personally interested in.
       
      Why include in-class projects? Service learning works best when it is tied into the curriculum. Student performance has also been shown to increase when service projects are used to enhance curriculum. In the end, students learn more, grow from their service, and the community benefits as well.
       
      Service Learning Credits and Service Learning Hours
      With the introduction of distinct in-class projects, service learning credits have been introduced as a way to keep track of student progress and completion of projects. Every 14 hours of service that a student completes will earn 1 Service Learning Credit. Therefore, completing one In-Class Project will earn 1 Service Learning Credit. Students will be expected to earn 3 Service Learning Credits for graduation. This works out to be 42 hours of service, which is only two more than the CPS graduation requirement of 40 hours.
       
      To be clear, the service learning credits are non-academic credits. They are not the same as the academic credits which students earn for passing classes. Also, the hours that students earn are still counted and maintained for transcripts and scholarship purposes. If a student earns 100 hours of service, then that’s the number their transcript will reflect.
      As with any new system, it will take time for everyone to be on the same page, and we completely understand if you have any questions or concerns about the changes that are being made. If you do have questions about Service Learning, I can be contacted via email at LAranda@cps.edu .