Florida Alliance for Service Learning (FASL)
At the November 12-14 Florida Service-Learning Institute in Orlando, the Florida Alliance for Service Learning (FASL) was formed and organized. The mission of FASL is to raise knowledge, understanding, and support of service learning as a strategy to help students, schools, and communities. During three meetings at the Institute, we formed committees, populated them with interested participants, and brainstormed ideas for the work of the group. The lists of committees, committee members, and ideas for the work of the committees are below.
In the New Year, Florida Learn & Serve staff worked with initial committee members to hold organizational conference calls. We need to expand and initiate the committees, so please consider participating in a conference call for at least one committee and lend your ideas and voice to its work. The primary focus of FASL’s work the next six months will be raising awareness about service learning and providing information to key stakeholders about service learning in advance of the March-May 2009 session of the Florida Legislature, which again consider proposed service-learning legislation.
We look forward to working with you in this new alliance.
FASL Committees
Several committees were formed to focus and address the work of FASL. Learn & Serve staff will work with committee members and anyone else who is interested to hold periodic conference calls to define, articulate, plan, and carry out work of the Alliance.
1. Organizational Structure Committee
This group suggested the formation of a Leadership Team that would represent
membership, liaise with Learn & Serve staff, and take a lead role in
organizing other committee work. Committee chairs would be represented on
the Organizational Structure Committee, as well as other representing other
key stakeholders.
2. Legislative Committee
There was consensus that the proposed service-learning bill by Rep. Rick
Kriseman is an excellent opportunity and should be a primary focus of FASL
this first year. A number of ideas and strategies were suggested for activity
in this area including to have students invite legislators to see projects
in action and provide info to them as a service-learning project and have
students send information to legislators about their service-learning efforts,
so legislators know what projects are in their districts.
3. Stakeholder Outreach Committee
The focus of this committee is to identify, reach out to, and utilize (and/or
help other FASL members identify, reach out to, and utilize) key stakeholders
whose awareness and support of service learning are crucial for the advancement
and institutionalization of the field. On November 13-14, committee members
and Learn & Serve grantees brainstormed examples of stakeholders who
could support service learning at different levels. The group also suggested
the development and dissemination of talking point for identifying, contacting,
and recruiting, and working with stakeholders.
4. Youth Roles Committee
There is significant potential for integrating outreach and other FASL-related
work into the service learning that students do.
5. Media Committee
This committee will focus on ideas and strategies for working with all types
of media to raise awareness and understanding of service learning. One key
suggestion was to create and disseminate practical materials and talking
points for working with various media.
6. Funding Committee
This committee will explore ways to increase financial support for service
learning at the local, district, state, and federal levels. Members suggested
developing and disseminating a set of talking points on how to identify,
contact, and solicit support from potential funders.
7. Research Committee
This committee will focus on identifying, gathering/assembling, disseminating,
and marking information about the positive impacts of service learning on
students, teachers, schools, and communities. This information would then
be used by the other committees in their activities.
April is Service Learning Month in Florida!
Click here to view the Governor's Proclamation
America's Legislators Back to School Program
Dear Learn & Serve Coordinator:
The Learn & Serve program is supported by legislation and appropriation passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by the President. Of all the national service programs (AmeriCorps, VISTA, Foster Grandparents, RSVP, NCCC, etc.) Learn & Serve is simultaneously the largest, the least recognized by members of Congress, and has the smallest funding. It has been cut in each of the last four years, and further reductions are likely as long as elected officials are unaware that amazing Learn & Serve projects (like yours!) are going on in their districts.
There is a program to help you and your students invite members of Congress to your schools, where they can learn about the good things you are doing. The America's Legislators’ Back to School Program kicks off on September 15 and runs throughout the school year, giving legislators and teachers flexibility in scheduling classroom visits. We suggest you schedule a visit when service-learning activities will occur, so your Senator or member of Congress can see you your students in action.
The National Conference of State Legislatures sponsors this program, which provides resources such as legislative staff to help coordinate visits of legislators and lesson plans to help teachers prepare for the legislator's visit. For more information, go to http://www.ncsl.org/public/backsch.htm or to Frequently Asked Questions.
Thank you for your consideration of this opportunity. Schools that have participated in the past have said it was an excellent opportunity to increase legislator's awareness of their programs; and an occasion to garner positive press coverage for the school.
A note from Joe Follman, Director of FL&S (9/5/2008)
