1. Service-Learning Contact Information

2. Service-Learning Fact Sheet

A complete PDF version of Anne Arundel's Service-Learning Implementation Plan is available below.

Implementation Plan   •   Teacher Project Report   •   Appendix


Service-learning is infused into specific courses between grades 5-10. Excellent use of Fellows as training partners for service-learning.

Breakdown:
5th grade - U.S. History - social studies (5 hours)
6th grade - interdisciplinary team project (10 hours)
7th grade - interdisciplinary team project (10 hours)
8th grade - interdisciplinary team project (10 hours)
High School - U.S. Government (10 hours), English 10 (10 hours), science/biology (10 hours), health (10 hours) 

Reporting: Service-learning is tracked on report cards (as completion by grade level).

Transfer Policy: Hours earned are reported to other districts. Transfers in pick up at where they enter the system. Entry in 11th grade, students do 20 hours. Senior transfers do service-learning work under direction of the guidance office.

3. Teacher Fellows (see overview)

Maryann Buckley, 1995, Severna Park Middle School (Principal), 410-691-4344, mbuckley@aacps.org  Retired

1996: We have adopted Marley Creek and are analyzing the water quality and aquatic life. We have brain stormed many service learning activities including, community awareness, recycling, clean-up, legislative lobbying, storm drain painting, tree and plant planting and erosion control.

1995: My 8th grade students designed a hands-on science experiment using the 3rd grade curriculum. They collected materials and made a display board using the scientific method for their project. They went to a 3rd grade elementary school and taught their lesson and assisted the students in making their own science projects. They "taught" three classes of students. The 3rd graders then made their own science projects and entered them in the school and county science fair.

Shelley Finkelstein, 1994, South River High School, 410-956-5600

As a team, all the 9th grade Law and the Individual teachers involved more than 300 students in a service-learning project on cross cultural communication. For preparation, students participated in student led workshops on personalities and self-analysis. They studied the diversity of our communities and the need to actively participate in the community. For action, students went to Camp Letts, a YMCA Camp, to do environmental projects to improve their community. They also conducted a button making fundraiser in order to send money to relief agencies helping the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. To reflect, they put together a slide show. We're planning another big project for next year!

Stephen Fletcher, 2004, Marley Middle School, (Formerly in Montgomery County at Eastern Middle School),  sfletcher@aacps.org

Best Practice 1:  What recognized community need was met by your project (e.g. health, education, environmental or public safety need)?  Students created a Bluebird Train and engaged in a landscaping workshop. We established a sense of pride in our schoolyard that if nurtured, could endure for years to come as well as improved the habitat for Bluebirds.

Best Practice 2:  How was the project connected to school curriculum (e.g. what course outcomes were met and/or how did the project reinforce or enhance student academic learning)?     Students learned that in order to attract the Bluebirds, we would have to re-create an ecosystem that really no longer exists in our area. We needed to teach the students about Bluebird habitat, bird behavior and nesting tendencies. We also learned about what types of plant life they prefer. This ties directly into the 6th grade curriculum objectives on ecosystems, especially in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Best Practice 3:  How did you reflect on your experience throughout the project?  Students reflected on their ability to follow directions, work with other students (some they had only met that day), and forge new friendships.

Best Practice 4:  How did students take leadership roles and take responsibility for the success of the project?Student responsibility was developed by appealing to their sense of taking part in a project that was very special. In education, it is not every day that you take part in an environmental project in conjunction with another school to attempt to bring back a native species to your community. Students took pride in their efforts.

Best Practice 5:  What community partners did you work with on this project (e.g. non-profits, civic organizations, business that provided donations, etc.)?   We worked with the DNR to get the plants we needed, local businesses to donate planting materials, and received coverage from the local newspaper in order to document our work.

Best Practice 6:  How did you prepare and plan ahead for the project?  The teacher from the other school and I communicated via e-mail, phone, and had one in-person site inspection prior to convening the students and getting to work. We probably communicated 4-5 times directly with several replies to one another arranging final details.

Best Practice 7:  What knowledge and skills did students develop through this project? I conducted instruction with my students about Bluebirds including their habitat, feeding habits and predatory animals that might obstruct our efforts. We completed several reading tasks about Bluebirds in class, watched a video, and discussed behavioral expectations for the workday as well. Students were also asked to bring specific tools needed for the project.

We also began planning for the Bluebird monitoring portion of the project before and after the actual work day. Students were tasked with a final reflection project on the experience with the choices being 1) a Bluebird Monitoring Guidebook, 2) door hangers highlighting the beauty of the Bluebirds and the efforts we had made to build the Bluebird trail, and 3) posters to post throughout the community highlighting our hard work. This project served several purposes in regards to community outreach and was differentiated for learning styles and abilities.

Catherine Gistedt, 1997, Marley Middle School (Media Specialist), 410-761-0934

Students learn how to determine acceptable water quality of our environment using surveys, observations, and test kits. They then test, analyze and observe wildlife at Marley Creek in our community to determine a plan of action to improve the water quality or the wildlife habitat for this local creek.

Joanna Heckman, 2005, Arundel Middle School (Science), Anne Arundel County, 410-674-6900, jheckman@aacps.org Moved Out of State 

Best Practice 1:  What recognized community need was met by your project (e.g. health, education, environmental or public safety need)?  
The Towser’s Branch project is a multi-year habitat clean-up effort.   Students began their project by evaluating Towser’s Branch (a stream on school property) and assessing the health of the stream.  Students then planned and executed a stream clean up and storm drain-stenciling project.

Best Practice 2:  How was the project connected to school curriculum (e.g. what course outcomes were met and/or how did the project reinforce or enhance student academic learning)?                                                                 

The curricular objectives achieved satisfied the objectives for the 7^th grade environmental outcomes and skills and processes.

Best Practice 3:  How did you reflect on your experience throughout the project? 

Students were asked to reflect on their experiences by writing in their journals, writing poetry, and writing a letter to the principal. 

 

Best Practice 4:  How did students take leadership roles and take responsibility for the success of the project?

Involving students in the planning and execution of the project fostered student responsibility.  Some of the responsibilities the students performed were: testing water quality (pH, D.O., N, Phosphorous, etc.), recording and assessing data, evaluating the area for biodiversity, and looking for trends or patterns in the data collected.

Best Practice 5:  What community partners did you work with on this project (e.g. non-profits, civic organizations, business that provided donations, etc.)?                                                             
In planning and executing this project, community partnerships were established with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Trust, community nurseries, and a local Boy Scout group.

Best Practice 6:  How did you prepare and plan ahead for the project?

I worked closely with my department chair and my interdisciplinary team to ensure the success of this project.  In preparation for service-learning, we discussed our environment, the Chesapeake Bay and human impact on the Bay.  Students identified their role as well as that of their teachers and community members in our project.

 

Best Practice 7:  What knowledge and skills did students develop through this project?                                                                 
Students learn when they are actively engaged.  They also learn when what they are doing has relevance to their daily lives.  Service-learning provides an opportunity for students to realize the impact that they have on the world.  This enables them to grow into concerned and active members of our society.  

Janet Hines, 2007, Chesapeake Bay Middle School (social studies), 410-410-437-2400, jhines@aacps.org

To increase my students’ awareness of other children and develop their leadership skills, a collection of items for the John Hopkins Hospital Pediatric Unit was conducted.  Students created games, wrote story books, designed coloring books, and purchased supplies needed to entertain the young patients. 

 

Best Practice 1:  What recognized community need was met by your project (e.g. health, education, environmental or public safety need)?

Johns Hopkins Pediatric Center serves many seriously ill children.  After reading Dr. Ben Carson’s book, the students in my classes had a strong desire to help the hospital where he worked. Children conducted a read-a-thon to collect funds for purchasing finger paints, coloring books, pencils, crayons, and puzzles.  The students also wrote stories about themselves with illustrations to present to patients. They drew pictures to create coloring books and invented board games for the children.  Receiving blankets were crocheted for the infants, along with mittens, hats, and footies.

 

Best Practice 2:  How was the project connected to school curriculum (e.g. what course outcomes were met and/or how did the project reinforce or enhance student academic learning)? 

We were able to incorporate the Language Arts Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC) through the read-a-thon, reflection piece, and the written stories.  The math VSC’s were met when we counted and collected the money and then graphed the amounts of money collected by each professional learning team.

 

Best Practice 3:  How did you reflect on your experience throughout the project? 

Students completed reflection questions in their reading journals. A few reflection questions were: “How do you feel when you have done something for someone else?” - “List items children in a hospital for an extended amount of time might enjoy.” - “What can I do to teach or help another child learn?" And “What did you enjoy most about the project?”

 

Best Practice 4:  How did students take leadership roles and take responsibility for the success of the project?

Students formed two to three person groups based on jobs needing completion. They typed letters to businesses, brainstormed lists of items/things needed, made phone contacts, created advertisement, and packed computer boxes with completed projects.  Through the efforts of my students, 25 boxes of games, puzzles, books, etc. were taken to Johns Hopkins to be distributed to young patients.

 

Best Practice 5:  What community partners did you work with on this project (e.g. non-profits, civic organizations, business that provided donations, etc.)? 

Students wrote letters to local businesses asking for donations or monetary support.  They also involved the Student Government Association and Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) of Chesapeake Bay Middle School.  Johns Hopkins Hospital was the beneficiary of our project.

 

Best Practice 6:  How did you prepare and plan ahead for the project?

The most important part of planning a project is determining how to allow the students to take ownership.  After brainstorming possible community needs, the class voted to work with Johns Hopkins Pediatric Center.  Students met once a week during after school activity time to plan and organize materials, write letters to obtain supplies, get community support, and produce quality projects for the hospital.

 

Best Practice 7:  What knowledge and skills did students develop through this project? 

When the project concluded, students were able to take the items and money to the hospital.  They then were able to hear Dr. Ben Carson speak at the Johns Hopkins Auditorium. Dr. Carson gave a very motivational speech encouraging the students to excel at their schoolwork. Many of the male students took the challenge given by Dr. Carson and improved the quality of their work, completed homework assignments regularly, and literally improved their grades a cross the curriculum.

Doreen Kok, 1994, Arundel Middle School, 410-674-6900, dkok@aacps.org

Students built an outdoor classroom, trails, and animal houses for our wooded area (called Towsers Branch). The students cleaned and monitored the stream area - water testing, fish identification, plant study. Students work to improve the area through monitoring, projects and work days. They work in cooperation with the AA County Dept. Of Recreation and Parks and with the Dept. of Planning and Zoning by sharing data. The project is financed and supported by the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

Monna Madron (Bartenstein), 1996, Severna Park High School (Speech, American Heritage), 410-544-0900

I established a dialogue between high school students and their feeder schools to encourage positive student self-concepts and success in "real life" conflict and environmental situations. High school students in public speaking and literature classes teamed up with science students. They led Sunset Elementary School students in small group plays, poster creation, songs, and discussions about improving self, school, and community.

Best Practice 1:  What recognized community need was met by your project (e.g. health, education, environmental or public safety need)?  This project met the needs of younger students by addressing various issues, such as fear of the dark and divorce. The older students served as mentors to the younger students.

Best Practice 2:  How was the project connected to school curriculum (e.g. what course outcomes were met and/or how did the project reinforce or enhance student academic learning)?   This project involved many academic skills taught in the classroom, especially writing skills. The students had to utilize skills such as usage of syntax, diction, and style.

Best Practice 3:  How did you reflect on your experience throughout the project?   The students reflected throughout the project by remembering and reflecting on their own personal concerns and issues during their elementary school years.

Best Practice 4:  How did students take leadership roles and take responsibility for the success of the project?Throughout the project the elementary school students became very attached to their high school mentors. The students were responsible for meeting with the elementary students on assigned days. They were also responsible for leading small group plays, making posters, creating songs, and leading small group discussions.

Best Practice 5:  What community partners did you work with on this project (e.g. non-profits, civic organizations, business that provided donations, etc.)?  The teacher established partnerships with the feeder schools. Interaction between the administrators of Sunset Elementary School and Severna Park High School was critical to the success of this project.

Best Practice 6:  How did you prepare and plan ahead for the project?  Before the project, arrangements were made with the local feeder schools.

Best Practice 7:  What knowledge and skills did students develop through this project?   The students learned about various topics such as adolescent development, effective interviewing skills, psychology and history of depression, and art skills.

Pat Neidhardt, 1995, Broadneck High School, 410-757-1300, aneidhardt@aacps.org  Retired 

1996: I have incorporated service-learning into Field Biology through group projects during classes and through individual projects. All students were asked to assess the needs of wildlife in their community and to do a project which would improve habitat. The project could be carried out on private/community property. All 10th graders planted marsh grasses along the perimeter of Wye Island to provide habitat and prevent erosion. Students also determined the source of nutrients fouling in a pond in Patapsco State Park. The conclusions were reported to park officials.

1995: Students earn credit toward graduation by choosing, planning, funding, and carrying out a summer environmental service project. The students spend 1 hour after school one day a week during spring semester during the planning phase. They camp out on site for one week during the summer. They spend 8 hrs a day working and participating in 2 hours of programs each evening. Two years the students selected grass planting (spartini) along the shore, building wood ducks, bat, and blue bird boxes on Wye Island. One year was spent at Horsehead Refuge planting grasses, trees and shrubs, and building various habitat boxes. I moved to a new school this year and will be starting new programs and incorporating service-learning wherever I can.

Annitsa Spanos, 2008, Arundel Middle School (Science), Anne Arundel County, aspanos@aacps.org  

Green School Project

Become state certified as a Maryland Green School!  This project involves a two-year commitment to holistic, integrated approaches to authentic learning that incorporates local environmental issue investigation, professional development with environmental best management practices, and community stewardship.   

 

Best Practice 1:  What recognized community need was met by your project (e.g. health, education, environmental or public safety need)? 

Students, faculty, staff, and members of the local community coordinated various service-learning activities that earned our school Maryland Green School status.  Using our schoolyard habitat and local environments as a context for learning, students demonstrated modeling of effective environmental practices in five areas, including: water conservation and water pollution prevention, energy conservation, solid waste reduction, responsible transportation, and habitat restoration.  Students conduct environmental surveys, complete inventory checklists, make earth-friendly contracts, and put forth action plans that focused on caring for and conserving natural resources.  Such student driven activities, as making and hanging birdhouses and birdfeeders in the schoolyard habitat, constructing energy-saving light switch reminders, monitoring streams for macroinvertebrates to address water quality, assisting with mapping of the schoolyard habitat, and writing of the Green School application, encouraged and provided for the discovery and development of self-worth, self-discipline, respect for life, and civic values. 

 

Best Practice 2:  How was the project connected to school curriculum (e.g. what course outcomes were met and/or how did the project reinforce or enhance student academic learning)?   

Objective 1 - Curriculum and Instruction

Our school developed a philosophy and approach to the development and implementation of curriculum and instruction that used the environment as an integral part of the school’s instructional program.

 

Objective 2 - Operation and Design of School Building and Grounds

Environmental best management practices were developed and continue to be modeled in the operation, design, and maintenance of the school building and grounds; thus, our school’s students, faculty, and staff model what it teaches.

 

Objective 3 – School Community

Students extended their learning into the community through a variety of projects that addressed local environmental issues.

 

Best Practice 3:  How did you reflect on your experience throughout the project?

Students reflected upon multidisciplinary and investigative service-learning activities through surveys, journals, peer evaluations, student representative reports, PowerPoint presentations, and from responses and turnouts at sponsored events.

 

Best Practice 4:  How did students take leadership roles and take responsibility for the success of the project? 

Responsibilities were student driven.  Team leaders, science club members, and conservation monitors were given responsibilities to plan, oversee, and document activities, projects, and events.   Students became actively involved in the study of environmental issues in the classroom, on the school grounds, and in the local community.  Using their schoolyard habitat and local environments as a context for learning, students demonstrated modeling of effective environmental practices.  For example, students recycled and maintained the boxes for paper and aluminum cans, created “turn off and conserve” light switch plates for every light switch in the school, and partnered with numerous groups to make bluebird houses and nature gardens around the school and local community. 

 

Best Practice 5:  What community partners did you work with on this project (e.g. non-profits, civic organizations, business that provided donations, etc.)?

Our school partnered with many governmental groups, companies, and individuals including:

 

• Paper Retriever for in school recycling of paper
• Integrity Recycling for in school aluminum can recycling
• Recycle Reward for in school cell phone recycling
• Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge Center for staff development
• Recycle Reward for in school empty laser & inkjet printer cartridge recycling
• Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge Center for environmental issues, exploration, professional development
• University of Maryland College Park for staff development & curriculum
• Work Place Pro as supplier for Earth Day t-shirts
• Auntie Litter, a percentage of t-sales donated to Auntie Litter
• General Motors & Weekly Reader, provided CD on Fuel Cells
• MD Soil Conservation District, Envirothon training & CD
• Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation (MAEF), for professional development & curriculum
• Maryland State Department of Education, MSDE Continuing Education Credit for Teachers
• National Aquarium in Baltimore, provided Living Waters of the Chesapeake CD and professional development
• Ramsar Convention, for World Wetland Day DVD
• Home Depot & Lowes, donated wood and flowers for Schoolyard Habitat Day
• Maryland Science Center, 2nd & 3rd Grade Field Trip & IMAX Deep Sea 3D, Mystery of the Nile, Alaska
• Trego Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Career Day Event & Speaker
• Back River Waste Water Treatment Plant, 7th & 8th Grade Trip
• Maryland Department of the Environment, assembly for Grades K-5 on recycling
• Maryland Department of the Environment, guest speaker for grades 6-8 on air quality
• Department of Public Works for Baltimore County, for collection of cardboard
• Baltimore Gas Electric Company, provided energy conservation activity books; replacement of oil heat with more efficient gas system, including new lines & burner
• National Wildlife Federation, Schoolyard Habitat Certification
• Ms. Minturn – private beekeeper, guest speaker for grades 6-8
• Maryland Association for Environmental Outdoor Education, for staff development, curriculum, support
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Jennifer Cline - Park Ranger - Career Day Guest Speaker
• Baltimore County Department of Public Works Bureau of Solid Waste Management, Tim Dunn – Public Information Specialist, Bureau of Solid Waste Management - guest speaker for K-8 students on recycling
• Marshy Point Nature Center, 6th Grade Field Trip

Best Practice 6:  How did you prepare and plan ahead for the project?  

• Proposal to the school principal
• Chairperson/team/interdisciplinary meetings
• Presentation of service-learning projects during PTA meetings
• Asked for donations/volunteers through school newsletters
• Developed partnerships and volunteer contacts for projects and activities
• Created an afterschool science club to assist with Green School portfolio and activities
• Arranged for media to address events in local newspapers

Best Practice 7:  What knowledge and skills did students develop through this project? 

o    Arranged for guest speakers and assemblies to promote environmental awareness

o    Showed past cause/effect relationships of environmental disasters

o    Conduced surveys to show the need for implementation of environmental service-learning projects to better local and global communities

o    Viewed service-learning projects and activities of other schools

o    Class voted on activities/projects to be conducted