Abstract

Taylor Elementary School in San Francisco, CA, operates a school-wide service-learning program using AmeriCorps members as service-learning coordinators. In order to ensure information is passed on efficiently from year to year, the coordinators use project binders to create a library of community projects. This practice builds capacity for the program, helps coordinators do their job more easily, and allows faculty and staff to have access to resources when a coordinator is not available. Eddie Aguero submitted this effective practice in July 2004.

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Issue

Administering a service-learning program requires a vast amount of resources and energy. Coordinators, faculty, staff, and volunteers all need access to information such as community collaborations, referrals, resources, and projects.

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Action

At Taylor Elementary School in San Francisco, CA, AmeriCorps members, acting as service-learning coordinators, build project binders that include a library of community projects complete with

• Checklists
• Resources
• Contact names
• Suggested criteria relative to educational subject areas that teachers utilize to plan their service-learning activities

The community projects documented in the binders can be replicated year after year without having to reinvent the wheel.

Binders are accessible to school staff and volunteers, and can be used as desired by classroom teachers to facilitate curriculum plans.

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Context

Taylor Elementary, located in the southeast section of San Francisco, is one of the largest elementary schools in the city, with a population of 770 students. Staff and families celebrate and appreciate the diverse student body, and Taylor offers bilingual classes in both Chinese and Spanish, in addition to English Language Development classes. The school has also developed strong coordinated services to assist students and families. Examples of these programs are the SB65 School Based Motivation and Maintenance Program, the Healthy Start Program, Family Connections and Linking San Francisco. There are also strong academic and community building programs, which include Early Literacy, Reading Recovery, Tribes, Service-Learning and Environmental Awareness, as well as a College Bound Program.

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Outcome

The existence of the project binders has allowed teachers, community beneficiaries, participants, and students to more easily implement and/or benefit from service learning activities on an on-going, as needed basis, independent of a full-time service learning coordinator.

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Evidence

Taylor Elementary School has operated a school-wide service-learning program since 1999. All teachers are participants and all students are given the opportunity to take part in the service-learning experiences.

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For More Information

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Source Documents

Related Practices

• Designing a service-learning program in ten steps

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Related sites

Learn and Serve America

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