Maine

Maine’s Learning In Deed project expands on its experiences in school reform, partnerships and service-learning. The project focuses on helping districts and schools integrate service-learning as a powerful way to improve student achievement.

Learning In Deed maximizes the partnership between the Maine Department of Education and KIDS (Kids Involved Doing Service) Consortium. Together, these organizations offer a full schedule of activities to support system service-learning integration in school districts and schools. Other project partners include Jobs for Maine Graduates, Maine Campus Compact and the state Learning Results Steering Committee.

Visit the Maine Department of Education Web site: http://janus.state.me.us/education/g2000/homepage.htm

Practice The Maine Department of Education is working with 12 school districts to make service-learning part of the curriculum and expand its availability. Below are the primary intended results of Learning in Deed in Maine: About 80% of teachers in the 12 districts understand the power of service-learning to help all students achieve the state standards and explore the world of work. All service-learning is routinely assessed against the state standards by teachers and is one of the “multiple measures” included in each district’s local assessment system. All teachers know how to plan service-learning units, and 60% are using it as a key teaching strategy. Around 70% of students and teachers in the laboratory districts can connect service-learning activities to specific state standards. Within three years, the project districts will eliminate most of the time barriers that impede service-learning. One-third of the state’s pre-service teacher training programs includes service-learning as a component of required course work and practicum.

Auburn Middle School students learn about service-learning opportunities.

Policy

Policy that encourages, supports and rewards service-learning will be developed at both the state and district levels – beginning with aligning service-learning with state standards and district priorities.

Infrastructure/Capacity

To ensure service-learning becomes part of the K-12 curriculum, the Maine Department of Education:

1. connects service-learning to state and national initiatives (e.g., state standards, School-to-Work, etc.)
2. maximizes partnerships with higher education and community-based organizations
3. develops a cadre of state and local stakeholders that support service-learning institutionalization

Kids as Planners: A Guide to Strengthening Schools, Students, and Communities Through Service-Learning

This comprehensive guidebook provides teachers, school administrators, students and community partners with a step-by-step process for designing, implementing and evaluating a quality KIDS service-learning project. Full of reproducible examples, tools and strategies, Kids as Planners is an important resource to help schools advance educational goals while deepening the relationship between students and their communities. Use this form to order this resource (pdf) directly from Kids Consortium, part of the Maine's Learning In Deed's Policy and Practice Demonstration Project team.