MAKE IT LAST FOREVER: THE ... - National Service Resource Center

Recognition: All those who are engaged in service-learning, from students and teachers to the administrators, schools,
districts, and states, should be publicly and formally recognized for their commitment and quality
practice. Examples include certificates of achievement, awards, ceremonies, and local and national
funding and technical assistance offers.
Faculty Camaraderie: Some bodies of faculty seem to almost magically come to consensus about the value of service-learning
and are able to support one another in its practice. Efforts should be made to encourage innovation even
if service-learning is not widely practiced, and teachers should actively seek out learning environments
which support their style of teaching. The principal and central administration can set an important tone
for morale.
In-Kind Services: Donations of time, particularly from parents and volunteers, as well as contributions of materials and
supplies for projects, are important ways to build community support and accomplish project goals on a
shoestring budget. These requests should regularly be made, particularly by students, as a way to
increase parent and community involvement.
Design Principles
Design is not simply the sum of the strategies above. Design is the creation of a pattern of relationships in which each
strategy is appropriately placed and emphasized. In a simplistic view, design is the right person in the right position within the right
institution placing the right element in the right location at the right time to achieve the desired outcome. In other words, while
techniques exist in one dimension (what), and strategies in two dimensions (what and when), design (at least good design) exists in
multiple dimensions (who, what, when, where, how, and why). Answering these questions will certainly facilitate a holistic
perspective.
In addition, design emphasizes strategic thinking and planning. What separates this from typical thinking and
planning? Primarily, it emphasizes key leverage points that will have significant impact. Identifying these points can be done using
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