Evolution of a Great Program

Integration of service-learning throughout the curriculum began with a deliberate commitment (as an early grant proposal stated) "to strengthen the tradition of mutual support and service in our community." Since its inception in 1992 with funding through the National Corporation for Service Learning, the program has grown from a single pilot project (Kindergarten Partners, linking Academy seniors with kindergarten "buddies" in arts and literacy projects) to include more than twenty initiatives, including sponsorship of elementary-school partner projects in Thetford and the nearby community of Strafford, Vermont.

No longer an isolated and marginal activity, service learning is now an accepted and regular component of the curriculum. It is integrated with core curriculum in English/language arts, drama/performing arts, sciences, mathematics, industrial arts/technology education, consumer & family sciences, agriculture, and social studies. It is part of the expectations, planning, and vocabulary for students, teachers, administrators, and community members. In 1998 it assumed a new international dimension, with the Operation Day's Work and Global Buddies projects, both student-directed efforts to apply service-learning principles in study, aid and communication with other nations.

This year, in grades 9-12, 75% of high school students--about 190 of the 250 in grades 9-12--will participate in at least one service-learning project in a course. (As some new projects are still in the design stages for the spring, this number may prove to be higher.) The Academy also includes grades 7 and 8. While recognizing that this application concerns only the high-school level, we consider our middle-level students' experience with service-learning an important preparation for its broad-based integration in the older-grades: all seventh-graders complete a service-learning unit in their Family & Consumer Science course, and about a third of eighth-graders have additional experience through Horticulture, FCS, or Drama classes. Over half the teachers (18 of 35) participate in some aspect of service-learning. Of the five administrative team members, two (the Head of School and Director of Development) participate directly and extensively in service-learning programs linked to curriculum, while two others (the Dean of Students/ Athletic Director and the Director of Operations) work primarily with co-curricular service activities. The Business Manger has no direct service role, but assists students and teachers with financial management of projects as needed.

Service-learning has developed in concert with two other initiatives at the Academy: the School-to-Work and Thetford Arts Partnership programs. The STW Program grew out of a 1991 plan to restructure vocational programs. This included establishing a thirty-member community advisory board; developing a set of STW Student Outcomes; establishing a field-based School-to-Work course; establishing and supervising work-study placements; designing a high school career portfolio; and sponsoring Career Fair and Job Shadow Days for grades 7 and 8. In 1996, the Academy's program was featured in a Vermont public television documentary as an exemplary model for a small rural community. Like the Learn and Serve Program, STW is one of the most visible school programs in the community, involving students directly in the real concerns and work of the adult world. From the beginning, we have sought to link service-learning and school-to-work principles and practices, in order to reinforce the benefits of both experiences for students.

Thetford Learn & Serve

Thetford Learn & Serve (also called "Youth Co-op," the name chosen by the original student participants) is an umbrella program that supports service learning in Thetford-area schools by providing training, technical assistance and funding to projects that integrate community service with school curriculum. Projects are designed, implemented, and evaluated using a locally-developed service-learning model to ensure a focus on student responsibility for planning, action, and reflection; effective collaboration among school personnel and community partners; and wise use of human and material resources. The essentials of this model are set forth in nine principles:

• frequent, regular service
• meaningful work with clear goals
• related study and preparation beyond the service site
• student responsibility for planning activities, including preparation, implementation, and closure
• frequent, structured reflection in discussion and writing
• integration with the school curriculum and schedule
• small, intensive, and manageable scale
• frequent communication and reflection among adult supervisors
• public reporting and/or exhibition of accomplishments in schools and the larger community

.....The program supports a variety of community-wide development activities, including local recycling programs, public horticulture and community gardens, recreational trails, community arts and drama, intergenerational programs linking children with senior citizens, and general support for schools and children. Community agencies including the Thetford Solid Waste District, Senior Citizens, Friends of Thetford Trails, Historical Society, and two village Garden Clubs have been active partners.