Global Youth Service Day 2012Service-Learning and Mini-Grant Technical

Assistance Webinar

November 28, 20111:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Michael Henneberry, Americorps*VISTAIowa Commission on Volunteer Service

Phone: 515.725.3179E-mail: michael.henneberry@iowa.gov

Justin Villere, Program OfficerIowa Commission on Volunteer Service

Phone: 515.725. 3074E-mail: justin.villere@iowa.gov

Webinar Agenda

• Introductions

• Brief Global Youth Service Day Overview

• In-depth Service-Learning Overview

• Extended Service-Learning Mini-Grant Announcement, Tips, and Guidelines

• Questions

Global Youth Service Day 2012: April 20-22

• Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is an annual Day of Service, organized by Youth Service America, that focusesupon engaging youth (ages 5-25) in meaningful opportunities to serve their communities.

• Established in 1988, GYSD is now the largest service event in the world. In 2010, GYSD was celebrated in more than 100 countries around the world.

• GYSD focuses upon utilizing the “youth voice” and Service-Learning to celebrate and encourage the positive impact of youth in local communities.

Global Youth Service Day: Iowa

• The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (ICVS) has been awarded, for the second consecutive year, the Lead Agency for GYSD in Iowa.

• As the Lead Agency for our state, the ICVS supports a GYSD planning coalition, spearheads local marketing and media initiatives, encourages local participation in GYSD projects, organizes a statewide kick-off event, develops resources and distributes mini-grants in support of local projects.

• In 2010, 29 GYSD projects engaged 2,375 volunteers (1,890 of which were children and youth) in meaningful opportunities to serve their communities.

What is Service-Learning?

• A strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities (www.servicelearning.org)

• Hands-on approach to helping youth learn the importance of civic engagement & leadership.

• Service-Learning projects are developed by youth and focuses on what they see as important needs.

• Youth involved in active learning that tackles real issues in their community

Steps of Service-Learning

• STEP 1: INVESTIGATE• STEP 2: PLAN/PREPARE• STEP 3: ACT • STEP 4: REFLECT • STEP 5: DEMONSTRATE/CELEBRATE

Investigation

• Research Community Needs

• Choose a Need to Address

“Nothing has such power to broaden the

mind as the ability to investigate

systematically and truly all that comes

under thy observation in life”

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor

Planning and Preparation

• Plan ways to meet the community need• Collaborate with Community Partners• Decide what to do• Who will do what, in what time frame,

what materials are needed

Action

• Implement your plan– Making sure it is meaningful

– And has value and purpose

Reflection

• Examine the difference you made

• Discuss thoughts and feelings

“To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it more fit for its prime function of looking forward”

-Margaret Fairless Barber, author

Demonstration/Celebration

• Show Others– Friends, Family, Community Members

• Share what you have learned and accomplished

How is Service-Learning Different From a Traditional Community Service Project?

• Helps the community but also provides a powerful learning opportunity for youth

• Not a “one-time” effort• Service-Learning projects are developed and implemented by

youth• Allow youth to connect learning outcomes and skills to real

world experiences • Provides an opportunity for civic engagement

Example of a Traditional Community Service Project:

• Youth and community members work together to develop the town’s first community garden

• Youth establish a garden bed, work the land and move dirt, and plant flowers and seeds.

Example of a Service-Learning Project:

• Investigate/Identify: – Youth see a hunger issue in their community, or a vacant lot in

need of cleaning up or “beautifying”• Plan/Prepare:

– The group decides a community garden would be a practical way to meet this need.

– They collaborate with the local gardening club.– The youth create a list of materials needed and ask the local

gardening center and hardware store to borrow tools and receive donated materials.

– Determine that produce grown can be donated to the local food pantry and used by soup kitchens feeding the hungry

Example of a Service-Learning Project cont.

• Act:– Youth and community members work together to establish the

town’s first community garden• Reflect:

– Youth learn what crops yield the most produce and can be grown in their region.

– Youth become aware of the needs of their community members– Youth feel as “part of the community” by partnering with the

garden club and local businesses

Example of a Service-Learning Project cont.

• Demonstrate/Celebrate:– The local newspaper writes an article about the youth and their

work– The youth are able to tour the garden with their family and

other community members to teach others of the importance of giving back to the community

Ways to Insure a High-Quality Experience

• Let the youth have a voice in choosing and designing the project

• Make sure activities are age and developmentally appropriate

• Activities should address needs that are important to the community and to the youth

• Collaborate with community partners

• Allow the project to extend over a long period of time to insure the youth have time to reflect on the service

Global Youth Service Day Mini-Grant Program

• In 2010, the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (ICVS) utilized a $2,000 planning grant to award 10, $200 mini-grants to support local GYSD projects that incorporated the “youth voice” throughout the project planning and implementation process.

• With matching Iowa’s Promise funds, the ICVSawarded an additional 8 mini-grants to local projects.

• Mini-grants were completed by youth membersof the applying organization (with assistance from adult representatives) and were reviewed by a committee of ICVS staff members.

2012 Mini-Grant Program • In an effort to encourage quality Service-Learning projects for

Global Youth Service Day 2012, the ICVS will award four $500 mini-grants to youth-led projects.

• To be considered for funding, projects must include a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Semester of Service, and a Global Youth Service Day component.

• Mini-grant applications are available in Survey Monkey and must be submitted by December 9th, 2011. Award recipients will be announced December 16th.

• Applications will be reviewed by members of the 2012 GYSD planning coalition.

2012 Extended Service-Learning Mini-Grant Tips

• Successful projects will not only be submitted by a young person (age 5-25), but will be researched and designed by children and youth to address a specific community need.

• Projects that include evidence of diverse funding streams (including potential in-kind donations or community-based funding) will receive higher scores than those that present less diversified budgets. – Youth Service America’s Friends for Change Mini-Grant and the

ICVS’ Inclusion Mini-Grant are both accepting applications

• To be considered for funding, applications must provide a specific plan for incorporating an MLK, Semester of Service, and a GYSD Component.

2012 Extended Service-Learning Mini-Grant Tips cont.

• Successful applications will designate a “fiscal agent” to receive reimbursement payments after each Day of Service. Reimbursements will not be issued to individuals.

• Projects that include all five components of quality Service-Learning projects (Investigating; Planning; Action; Reflection; Demonstration/Celebration) will be scored higher than projects that do not present evidence of all five components.

• Applicants are encouraged to develop innovative projects (“what makes your project stand out among the rest?”) that foster partnerships with other community agencies or community members

2012 Extended Service-Learning Mini-Grant Guidelines

• Organizations receiving Service-Learning funds through the ICVS’ Volunteer Generation Fund are ineligible to apply.

• Only one mini-grant application perschool or organization will be considered.

• Proposals must be made for the $500 mini-grant competition.

• Applications must include an itemized list of the project’s proposed budget. Reimbursements will not be issued for food, staff time, or individual supplies that exceed $200.

2012 Extended Service-Learning Mini-Grant Requirements

• Global Youth Service Day projects supported by Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (ICVS) mini-grants must be posted on Volunteer Solutions and GYSD.org.

• Following the completion of each component of the project, detailed project invoices, reports, and itemized receipts must be provided to the ICVS before reimbursements are issued.

• Final reports for each component of the project must be submitted to the ICVS within 30 days of project completion

Contact Information

• For questions related to Service-Learning or questions regarding Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) grant applications, or GYSD in general, please contact:

Mike Henneberry, AmeriCorps*VISTAIowa Commission on Volunteer ServicePhone: 515-725-3179E-mail: michael.henneberry@iowa.gov