Integrating Citizenship and Service Learning into Every Project

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Integrating Citizenship and Service Learning into
Every Project

• Presented by
• The California Citizenship Service Learning
  Advisory Council (CSLAC)

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I know of no safe repository of the ultimate
powers of society but the people themselves and
if we think them not enlightened enough to
exercise their control with a wholesome
discretion, the remedy is not to take it from
them, but to inform their discretion by
education.

• Thomas Jefferson

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The Purpose of the CSLAC

• To share general citizenship awareness.
• To assist county citizenship programs.
• To make recommendations to the California 4-H
  Director regarding citizenship programs and to
  help communicate statewide policies to individual
  counties.
• To expand the citizenship program, both in terms
  of participation and content.
• To locate, review and develop citizenship project
  educational materials
• To support the Citizenship Focus study/travel
  program

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The CSLAC Vision

• Good citizens are created, not born. As such,
  the CSLAC will be a leader in empowering youth
  and adults to become enlightened and engaged
  citizens of their community, nation, and world.

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The CSLAC Mission

• To create supportive environments in which youth
  and adults can reach their fullest potential as
  engaged members of a global community.

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Current work of the CSLAC

• Attempting to reach as many leaders as possible
  to help them infuse citizenship into their
  projects.
• Providing web information which can be accessed
  through the 4-H website.
• Supporting the California Citizenship Focus
  Program

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The Citizenship Service Learning Advisory Council
in support of the California 4-H Mission

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The University of California 4-H Youth
Development Program engages youth in reaching
their fullest potential with a focus on
citizenship, leadership and life skills while
advancing the field of youth development.
California 4-H Mission
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The CSLAC and the Citizenship Focus Program
supporting the California 4-H mission

• Focuses on significant issues in an experiential
  framework.
• Provides a structured opportunity where members
  and leaders can practice civic engagement in an
  authentic setting.
• Helps to identify how members and leaders can
  include citizenship and civic engagement in all
  project work.
• Supports member and leaders in developing
  citizenship, leadership, and life skills.

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• Shows through data that members and leaders who
  participate in the experiential program increase
  their knowledge of government at both the state
  and national levels.
• Illustrates the power of youth engagement in
  local communities through structured Plans of
  Action that are executed by county delegations.
• California Focus was identified as a 2002
  Program of Excellence at the national level

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The CSLAC and the Citizenship Focus Program
supporting the National 4-H Program

• National 4-H educational goals for citizenship
• Use of the Iowa Targeting Life Skills Model

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National 4-H educational goals for citizenship

• Become aware of relationships to others --
  family, peers, the state, nation, and world
• Acquire life skills that are essential for an
  individual to become an active responsible
  citizen.
• Demonstrate social responsibility. Learn to
  respect and respond to the needs, rights, and
  responsibilities of others.
• Contribute to community development.
• Gain insights into the principles, processes, and
  structures of a democracy
• Learn how issue affect the people and how an
  individual can become involved in addressing
  those issues

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Iowa Life Skills chart
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The CSLAC and the Citizenship Focus Program
supporting the civic education goals produced by
the U.S. Department of Education

• All students learn to use their minds well, so
  they may be prepared for responsible citizenship,
  further learning, and productive employment in
  our Nations modern economy.

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Our definition of citizenship and how it relates
to service learning

• Citizenship is Acting with informed concern for
  self and others.
• In 1916, educator Arthur Dunn gave the following
  description
• The good citizen can be defined as a person who
  habitually conducts himself with proper regard
  for the welfare of the communities of which he is
  a member, and who is active and intelligent in
  his cooperation with his fellow members to that
  end.

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The California 4-H Citizenship Program has 5
Focus Areas of Study

• Personal Development and Self Esteem
• History and Cultural Heritage
• Government Studies and Leadership
• Natural Resources Human Ecosystems
• Societal Concerns and the Citizens Role

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So What is this Service Learning Stuff?

• 1990 National and Community Service Act
  (reauthorized in 1993 as the National Community
  Service Trust Act) defined service learning as
• a method under which students or participants
  learn and develop through active participation in
  thoughtfully organized service that
• Is conducted in and meets the needs of a
  community
• Helps foster civic responsibility.

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5 Elements of High Quality Service Learning

• Integrated Learning - enhances knowledge, value
  or skill goals of the participants.
• High Service - meets a real need in the community
  (as defined by the community), is age
  appropriate, well-organized, and gets things
  done.
• Student voice - in as many aspects of project
  planning as possible.
• Reflection - before, during and after
• Collaboration - All stakeholders are involved in
  the planning,execution and evaluation of the
  program

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Incorporating Service Learning and Citizenship
into Your Favorite Project

• Using the templates provided, we will work in
  small groups to brainstorm how to bring
  citizenship into our projects and how to elevate
  the work we do to a high service learning
  environment.