Youth Community Service Presents:
Two Creeks
A 30-minute documentary on service learning and the San Francisquito Watershed
Produced by Lace Productions
Click here to see a larger screen version.
For questions about Two Creeks, or to report difficulties in viewing Two Creeks, please contact Judy Dauberman at judy@youthcommunityservice.org
Service learning is a teaching pedagogy that engages students in active participation in an integrated curriculum of learning and service that meets the needs of the community. Service learning can be infused into the academic curriculum, or can be incorporated into an after-school program.
Learn and Serve America, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, defines service learning as:
[A] unique opportunity for America's young people -- from kindergarten to university students -- to get involved with their communities in a tangible way by integrating service projects with classroom learning. Service-learning engages students in the educational process, using what they learn in the classroom to solve real-life problems. Students not only learn about democracy and citizenship, they become actively contributing citizens and community members through the service they perform.
Service-learning can be applied across all subjects and grade levels; it can involve a single student or group of students, a classroom or an entire school. Students build character and become active participants as they work with others in their school and community to create service projects in areas like education, public safety, and the environment.
In addition, the California Department of Education CalServe K-12 Service-Learning Initiative defines service learning as a method whereby participants learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that:
- is conducted in and meets the needs of a community;
- is coordinated with an elementary school, secondary school, institution of higher education, or community service program, and with the community;
- helps foster civic responsibility;
- is integrated into and enhances the [core] academic curriculum of the students, or the educational components of the community service program in which the participants are enrolled; and
- provides structured time for the students or participants to reflect on the service experience.
Further, to distinguish high quality from low quality service learning experiences, Youth Service California has published the Seven Elements of High Quality Service Learning that include:
- Integrated Learning
- High Quality Service
- Collaboration
- Student Voice
- Civic Responsibility
- Reflection
- Evaluation
For more information on service learning visit:
