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

I recognize the following organizations for their assistance with this research: American Youth Policy Forum, Center for
Service Learning Opportunities in Education, Coalition of Essential Schools, Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound, National
Academy Foundation, National Center for Education Statistics, National Indian Youth Leadership Project, National Service Learning
Clearinghouse, National Youth Leadership Council, Quest International, RMC Research Corporation, and the State Education Agency
Service-Learning Network (SEANet).
I also wish to thank the following individuals for their support of the research and feedback throughout the process: Marilyn
Smith and all the Learn and Serve staff, Corporation for National Service; Terry Pickeral, Education Commission of the States and
Learning In Deed initiative; Barbara Gomez, Service-Learning Consultant; Carmen Endlich, Learn and Serve New Mexico
Coordinator; James Toole, Compass Institute; Carol Kinsley, CNS Board Member; Jill Conrad, RMC Research; Rob Shumer,
National Service Learning Clearinghouse; and Nelda Brown, SEANet.
In addition, I am grateful for all the teachers, principals, superintendents, state department of education officials, and other
experts who participated in this study. I greatly appreciate their time and honest reflection on the status of service-learning in their
institution. Their commitment to service-learning is strong and their leadership is essential to the institutionalization process.
Thanks also go to the National Service Fellows Program staff, in particular David Morton, and the team of fellows, for their
advice, counsel, and camaraderie throughout the past year.
I acknowledge my wife and business partner Lindley Kramer, who has provided special support and encouragement
throughout this research. This research project took place during my son Ezra’s first nine months of life, and it has been a total joy to
do much of this work in his presence or with him in my lap. As the purpose of this research is to make the future of education more
complete and meaningful for his and other generations, this report is dedicated to him.
Disclaimer
The information in this research is of strategies used in the past 6 or more years by schools, districts, and states to
institutionalize service-learning. As such, some of the strategies are not currently being utilized, though they may have once been an
important aspect of the evolution of the service-learning process. In addition, while every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy
of the information herein, undoubtedly there are unintentional mistakes in this report, and the author regrets such errors.
Furthermore, only those schools, districts, and states that are particularly strong in their use of each institutionalization strategy
are listed, even though many institutions may use more approaches than they are given credit for in this report. It should be noted that
this research did not study individual institutions in depth, but rather took a broad look at some institutionalization methods used, all
of which are self-reported by the institutions interviewed during this process. Similarly, for the sake of brevity, highlights, rather than
complete profiles, are provided for states and model schools and districts.
Therefore, people should contact the sources provided in this report directly to get the most current, complete, and accurate
service-learning information about the particular institution possible.
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