ABOUT LEARNING IN DEED

Engaging Youth, Making a Difference

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation in 1998 launched Learning In Deed, a national initiative to engage more young people in service to others as part of their academic life.

The concept at the heart of the Initiative is service-learning – a teaching strategy that links community service experiences to classroom instruction. The Foundation has supported service-learning for decades because they believe it engages youth in a powerful way that can help ensure a bright future for our nation.

Working with teachers, administrators, community leaders, parents, students, policymakers and national leaders, the Foundation is committing substantial resources to this effort. The Foundation believes that quality service-learning, by engaging youth in their schools and communities, can:

• boost students’ academic achievement
• foster a lifetime commitment to civic participation
• improve personal development skills
• prepare students to enter the workforce

Learning In Deed, a $13 million, four-year initiative, will encourage more school systems across the country to adopt service-learning, making quality service-learning opportunities available to youth in every classroom in grades K-12 throughout the country.

Learning In Deed is comprised of four components:

Policy and Practice Demonstration Projects
California, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon and South Carolina are participating in a demonstration project. They receive resources and technical assistance to identify models of state and school district policies and practices that are most effective at fostering service-learning, and to share what they learn with others.

National Commission on Service-Learning
The commission will encourage a higher level of commitment to service-learning in K-12 public education. Composed of leaders from education, government, youth and community development, the commission will develop recommendations to encourage school districts, policymakers and funders to support service-learning.

Learning In Deed K-12 Service-Learning Leadership Network
A steering committee representing various key constituencies in the K-12 service-learning community is leading a new network working to promote effective service-learning in American public education.

Learning In Deed Research Network
The research network is identifying and communicating best practices and broadening the base of evidence in support of high-quality service-learning.

Service Learning at a Glance Service-learning is a teaching method that combines meaningful service to the community with curriculum-based learning. Read more.