Service-learning programs boost student achievement

State Superintendent Reed honors top “Learn and Serve Indiana” programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 17, 2007
CONTACTS:
Avon Waters, 317-234-4703, awaters@doe.in.gov
Michele Sullivan, 317-233-3163, msulliva@doe.in.gov
Stefonie Sebastian, 317-232-9153, ssebast@doe.in.gov

When fifth grader Paige Caito and her classmates at White Lick Elementary in Brownsburg learned that the Monarch butterfly faced endangerment because few milkweed patches exist today, they wanted to take action. Working together with a class of third graders, the students installed a butterfly way station for Monarchs, built a refuge with plants to attract other butterflies and partnered with a school in Mexico at the end of the Monarch’s migration path. More than $5,000 of in-kind donations assisted in the project as the students sought community involvement for the wheel-chair accessible way station and feeding area.

In recognition of these efforts, Paige was one of 16 Learn and Serve Indiana Star Award recipients honored today by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed at a Statehouse award ceremony. The awards recognize students, educators and community partners from the top service-learning programs across the state. (See complete list below.)

“Service-learning is more than community service – it gives youth a voice by teaching them to apply what they learn in the classroom to help their communities,” Reed said. “Quality service-learning drives student achievement by promoting critical thinking and problem solving skills to solve real-world problems.”

Data collected at grantee schools shows that service-learning experiences can have a significant impact on student academic achievement. Over a one-year period, the number of students in Learn and Serve Indiana programs performing at the A and B level increased 10 percent per grade across K to 12. The number of D and F students decreased by 10 percent at each grade level.

“Service-learning is project-based learning that often gets students more engaged than traditional book learning,” said Michele Sullivan, Learn and Serve Indiana coordinator. Sullivan noted that unlike community service projects that might take only a few hours, 70 hours or more are needed with service-learning for students to make measurable academic differences.

Learn and Serve is a nationally funded, state administered, program that promotes learning through service to community. Learn and Serve Indiana grants funded eight school corporations that dispersed the funds among various classes according to individual grant proposals created by students. Learn and Serve Indiana grants are federally funded by Learn and Serve America and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

2007 Learn and Serve Indiana Star Award Winners

• Lori Baker, educator, North Putnam, 317-440-9996
• Sophie Haywood, administrator, Greene County, 812-384 3672
• Thomas Gaither, high school student, Perry Meridian High School, Indianapolis
• Paige Caito, student, White Lick Elementary, Brownsburg
• White Lick Elementary 3rd and 5th grade classes of Lori Tietz and Kristen Gryskevich
• Jim Volmer, community partner, Custom Concrete, Westfield
• Jo Ellen Buffie, community partner, Perry Township school board member
• Gary Wombles, community partner, GLW Construction Technologies, Indianapolis
• Anne Weiss, AmeriCorps*VISTA member, Mooresville Consolidated Schools
• Kathryn Barnes, AmeriCorps*VISTA member, Mooresville Consolidated Schools
• Mary Aiken, AmeriCorps*VISTA member, White River Valley School Corporation
• Kerri Davis, AmeriCorps*VISTA member, Perry Meridian High School, Indianapolis
• Marti Reece, LSI Team Member, Camby
• Diane Monroe, LSI Team Member, Spencer
• Pat Swanson, LSI Team Member, Valparaiso Community Schools
• Michael Slavkin, LSI Team Member, University of Southern Indiana

2006-07 Learn and Serve Indiana School Corporation Grants

For more information, visit www.doe.in.gov/opd/srvlrn.

Note to editors: Print-quality photos related to this release are available online at www.doe.in.gov/news.

File Name: Monarch Mission Paige
Caption: Voted “The Boss” of the Monarch Mission by her classmates, White Lick Elementary fifth grader Paige Caito received the Elementary Youth Service Learning Star award by Learn and Serve Indiana.

File Name: Monarch Mission 1
Caption: Helping her students plant flowers, White Lick Elementary teacher Kristen Gryskevich supervises fifth graders Emily Bishop and Paige Caito.

File Name: Monarch Mission 2
Caption: Carefully spreading mulch, White Lick Elementary fifth grader Anastassia Tchorbadjiyska finishes covering her cornflower plant.

File Name: Monarch Mission 3
Caption: After pulling plants from their pots, White Lick Elementary third grader Lauryn Leum and fifth grader Josiah Valadez place them in the ground.