P-16+ Service Learning

Regional Symposia on P-16+ Service Learning

Regional meetings throughout the state brought attention to the great
benefits of service learning and how higher education and
elementary/secondary education can work together.

PRESIDENTS AND REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENTS JOIN FORCES TO EXPAND SERVICE LEARNING
From Moline to Ullin and Quincy to Danville, university and community college presidents and regional superintendents are coming together to discuss the potential for service learning as a way to improve educational efforts in their regions. The leadership for this activity came from the three educational boards, higher education, community colleges, and P-12. They formally initiated P-16+ service learning in Illinois on August 2000 with an invitational brainstorming meeting. Skeptics will say that service learning is an add-on, that it just makes more work for everyone. Proponents say it gives new life to teaching and learning. Seneca, a Roman philosopher said, "If you want to reach the fruit, you have to go out on a limb." Clearly the heads of the three educational boards spoke with a single voice about the challenges for education and commended service learning as a way of addressing the priorities, particularly the learning standards and citizenship. They provided a model for the regional and local P-16+ symposia and emphasized the importance of discussing their mutual missions and how they could work together. They also made a video to be used at each of the 12 symposia.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale was the setting for the first regional symposium on October 20, 2000, which was convened by Interim Chancellor John Jackson in cooperation with President Mary Jo Oldham, Southeastern Illinois College, and Regional Superintendents Andrea Brown, Barry Kohl, and P.E. Cross. Others who represented community college presidents or regional superintendents included: Donna Boros for Regional Superintendent Don Brewer; George Floyd for President Terry Ludwig, Shawnee College; Perry Knop, for President John Mees, John A. Logan College; Randy Smithpeters, Harrisburg High School for Regional Superintendent Linda Blackman, and Ed Ruffino for President Mark Kern, Rend Lake College. Senator Lisa Madigan chaired the meeting and welcomed the group along with Provost Margaret Winters. SIUC Core Curriculum director Jim Allen, Perry Knofp; Dean Keith Hilkirk and Regional Superintendents Brown, Cross, and Kohl discussed the potential for service learning in southern Illinois. Recommendations included: develop a regional approach to service learning to share ideas and develop projects, make a greater effort to involve media, tell the stories, record students' comments, and get the word out on the potential for service learning.
Sponsors: Southern IL University Carbondale, Southeastern IL College, John A. Logan College, Rend Lake College, and Regional Offices of Education 25, 2, 30, and 20.

Illinois State University
On February 8th at Illinois State University-Normal, President Victor Boschini, Jonathon Astroth, Heartland Community College, and Regional Superintendent Eugene Jontry jointly convened a regional P-16+ service-learning symposium. Boschini said, "It is my hope that the enthusiasm generated by this symposium will create a closer connection among the educational leaders of the region." Regional Superintendent Eugene P. Jontry, representing DeWitt, Livingston, and McLean counties observed, "The P-16+ Service Learning Symposium is designed to bring together key administrators and teachers in the local school districts to discuss with higher education administrators and faculty ways we can collaborate efforts and promote service learning and citizenship on all levels." Astroth applauded the group for working together to promote citizenship and a greater commitment to the community.
Sponsors: Illinois State University, Heartland Community College, and Regional Office of Education 17

John Wood College
The headline in the Quincy Herald-Whig on July 10, 1997 was, "School chiefs form coalition." The Educational Leaders Council happened over lunch with Regional Superintendent Ray Scheiter, President William Simpson John Wood Community College; Rev. Eugene Kole, Quincy University, school superintendents Michael Anderson, and Ray Heilmann, and Gene Simon, Chaddock School. They realized that there were some common programs in place that they could run more efficiently together. They discussed other ways that they might collaborate, such as high school students taking college courses, standard testing, teacher certification, and more.
On March 1, the Quincy Educational Leaders Council met at Vatterott College and discussed service learning and its benefits. Though the discussion did not bring immediate action, some doors were opened for future activities. The Quincy group is doing many P-16 activities, such as cooperating to promote high school courses, discussing issues that impact the community, and keeping the idea of working together front and center.
Sponsors: John Wood College, Quincy University, Regional Office of Education, Quincy Public Schools, Notre Dame High School, Gem City College, Vatterott College

Black Hawk College
On March 12, President Keith Miller, Black Hawk College, Gary Johnson, Vice President, Western Illinois University, and Regional Superintendent Joe Vermiere jointly convened a service-learning symposium. President Keith Miller said, "Service Learning is a vehicle which allows the College to be instrumental in educating well-trained and civic-minded students who will enter the workforce as leaders prepared to maintain and develop communities viable for a changing and diverse world. The P-16 connection is important in this process." Joe Vermiere, Regional Superintendent observed: "P-16+ service learning brings students and classroom learning into the community with benefits for all involved. Educators and administrators at all levels need to encourage service learning as a relevant part of the academic curriculum and a way of connecting schools, community colleges, and universities."
Sponsors: Black Hawk College, Western Illinois University, and Rock Island Regional Office of Education

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Chancellor David Werner provided the greeting for the March 29, 2001 symposium that brought together a variety of individuals from school districts and higher education. The discussions focused on service learning, mostly from a K-12 perspective. The highlight of the symposium was "bringing educators together to discuss service learning and to meet others who are doing service learning." The group discussions gave individuals the opportunity to look to the future and provided recommendations, such as more information, working with community agencies, more funding for service learning. The most significant P-16 recommendation was to develop planning teams with school districts. There was no significant communication between the leaders in higher education and school districts.
Sponsors: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Lewis and Clark Community College, Southwestern Illinois College, and Regional Offices of Education from Madison County, Monroe County, and St. Clair County.

Governors State University
The P-16 idea was a natural for the South Metropolitan Regional Leadership Center and the South Metropolitan Regional Higher Education Consortium housed at Governors State University. They have had ongoing projects and collaborative activities for many years. Their planning meeting was well attended and reflected strong representation from higher education and the regional offices of education. The symposium was held on April 10 and provided a good discussion of service learning through examples from the region.
Sponsors: Governors State University, Prairie State College, South Suburban College, Joliet Junior College, St. Xavier College, Robert Morris College, and Regional Offices of Education from Will County, Iroquois-Kankakee County, and Southern Cook County

College of Lake County
Communication between College of Lake County and the Regional Office of Education is a weekly, if not daily, occurrence. They are housed in the same facility so often Gretchen Naff, the President of College of Lake County, and Ed Gonwa, the Regional Superintendent, meet in the hallway or have lunch together. As a result, they have many collaborative projects and a volunteerism course that involves community college students tutoring elementary students.
The P-16+ Service-Learning Symposium was held on April 12 and featured local examples of service-learning projects. Some of the recommendations were to have K-16 representatives meet periodically to share program experiences and to encourage contact between teachers at the college level and the junior high level by subject.
Sponsors: College of Lake County, Lake County Regional Office of Education

McHenry County College
The video produced by the Illinois educational leaders was praised as a good way to start the symposium. "Everyone raved about the symposium, and I think it gave a boost to our efforts to institutionalize service learning here at McHenry," Dennis Massey, V.P. Academic Affairs (currently Interim president). The symposium was a mixture of community service and service learning projects, with a great resource for future projects through the curriculum. Student Laurie Bryan described her experiences with service learning in nursing and it was clear that the audience was both savvy and receptive to the spirit of community that service learning creates. Regional Superintendent Don Englert discussed including service learning in the transcript. The group recommended holding another symposium within the next two years.
Sponsors: McHenry County College, McHenry County Regional Office of Education.

North Central College
"A Beginning Conversation," was convened by North Central College on May 11, 2001 in Naperville. The panel discussions provided information about service-learning programs in elementary, middle school, high school, community colleges, and colleges. State Superintendent Glenn "Max" McGee led a discussion about working together P-16. Small group discussions provided an opportunity to describe service-learning stories, curricula, and developing partnerships between K-12 and higher education.
North Central College was one of few who did a symposium in 2002, which was connected to a day of teacher development.
Sponsors: North Central College, College of DuPage, Elmhurst College, DuPage Regional Office of Education

Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University held their meeting, Classroom Meets Community: A Symposium on Service-Learning, on October 5, 2001 to help faculty integrate service learning into the curriculum, to welcome community agencies, and to help students understand the opportunities provided by service learning. Small group sessions gave an opportunity to brainstorm about generating examples of how to implement it into the classroom.
Sponsors: Western Illinois University, Spoon River Community College, Macomb Area School District.

Bradley University
On November 28, 2001, Bradley University brought together educational leaders to discuss "Service Learning: The Doorway to Education and Progress." The first section of the meeting focused on service-learning activities in the public schools and higher education so that participants could develop a common understanding of P-16+ service learning and discuss ways that service learning can address the Illinois Learning Standards. The second part gave the participants an opportunity to develop action plans for enhancing or beginning service learning initiatives at their home districts.
Provost Stan liberty and his staff did a tremendous job in reaching out to P-12 involving deans and individuals from student affairs. The quote on the conference brochure said it all: "The end of all education should surely be service to others. We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about the progress and prosperity for our community. Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others for their sake and for our own." Cesar Chavez
Sponsors: Bradley University, Illinois Central College, Central Illinois Superintendent's Roundtable, Peoria Public School district 150

University of Illinois Springfield
In an effort to explore ways in which service learning is and could be used to enhance the P-16+ educational experiences in the Springfield community, Provost Michael Cheney, University of Illinois at Springfield, sponsored a breakfast on December 6, 2001, for educators from area schools and colleges. Administrators described the service-learning initiatives that are currently used in their educational institutions.
Springfield area students are involved with service learning activities across various community organizations such as food pantries, mentoring programs, and other nonprofit agencies. Some students also assist nonprofit organizations by working with their boards of directors on strategic planning and policy development. Federal and state sponsored grants that fund the Innocence Project and GEAR Up, create meaningful learning opportunities while serving others. Institutionalized partnerships, such as the one between Jane Addams School and UIS, provide value to students across grades P-16+.
While opportunities for service learning abound, educators identified several challenges in developing and implementing service-learning programs:
o Enhancing educators' understanding of service learning approaches, strategies for assessing learning outcomes, and the benefits that can be realized from service learning programs o Identifying and strengthening cross-institutional approaches to service learning that benefits P-16+ students o Institutionalizing service learning in schools, colleges, and universities through formalized organizational structures, such as community outreach offices and volunteer/service learning coordinators. Forums, such as this breakfast, that facilitate an exchange of service learning approaches, may serve to address some of these challenges.
Sponsors: University of Illinois at Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College, Robert Morris College, Springfield College, District 186 and University of Illinois at Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College, Robert Morris College, Springfield College, School District 186

Analysis of the P-16+ Service-Learning Symposia
The seamless system of P-16+ service learning continues to be a challenging concept with very little written about its dynamics, organization, and processes. Confusion exists about P-16 which includes the formal system of education as compared to the "plus" which includes entities outside the formal system. The twelve P-16+ Service-Learning Symposia achieved the goal of promoting dialogue between Higher education and P-12 regarding service learning. It was a good first step. We succeeded in bringing more attention to service learning and to opening the idea to new audiences. We also were successful with involving students and helping educators develop a greater understanding of another level of education. Most of the symposia targeted either higher education or K-12. Few were P-16 service-learning programs.
Next Steps: This fall we will conduct interviews with the leaders of these symposia and ask them more specific questions about the P-16 movement. Clearly more research is needed to clarify P-16+ service learning.