Home|
May 30, 2007 Dear School Leader: AASA has partnered with Sodexho School Services for the past six years to sponsor the National Civic Star Award Program. As a result of this partnership, more than 180 school districts have received this prestigious award at the state and national level. The National Civic Star Award program honors district programs that help students achieve through strong community and school partnerships. One national winner, selected from the state-level winners, receives $10,000 ($5,000 for the school district and $5,000 for the district’s scholarship fund) during the AASA National Conference on Education. Research shows that service learning helps keep children in school, builds stronger academic achievement, fosters civic responsibility and helps children develop leadership skills. The 2007 National Civic Star winner, Fort Worth Independent School District in Fort Worth, Texas, designed a program that would “plant the seeds of service into fertile young minds and nurture those seeds into a desire to stay in school and one day give back to the community as volunteers” as reported by Jill “J.R." Labbe, president of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth. The Service Through Active Rotarians and Students (STARS) program began in the spring semester of the 2004-05 school year. Students volunteered at an area nonprofit agency for a half day and then wrote essays detailing their personal definition of what it means to be of service, based on their volunteer experiences. Be sure to read more about this winning program in the June issue of The School Administratormagazine. Your district can be the 2008 National Civic Star winner, but time is running out to apply. Applications for this year’s program must be postmarked by the June 15, 2007, deadline. Download an application (PDF) now or visit http://www.aasa.org/awards/index.cfm to learn more about this award and past winning programs. Sincerely,
Ericka Plater Turner
|
|
Indiana Department of Education |
