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Learn and Serve America K-12 Community-Based Programs |
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Projects use service-learning as a way to involve school-aged young people
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(K-12) in designing and implementing volunteer efforts to benefit their communities. The programs described below are currently funded by the North Carolina Commission on National and Community Service and the Corporation for National Service.
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| Volunteens / Handy Hearts |
Burke |
| Blair Ellis |
(828) 433-2615 |
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50 Participants The Volunteens / Handy Hearts Corps enables students to learn about developmental disabilities and mental retardation and gain appreciation for the abilities, talents, and skills of persons with disabilities through joint service projects. Handy Hearts integrates persons with developmental disabilities into community service activities. The service learning projects focus on middle and high school students in Burke County. Students serve on the Western Carolina Center campus assisting staff with duties and activities for residents. Students are given the opportunity to reflect on their experiences and discuss the perceptions and stereotypes associated with being disabled. The philosophy of the program is "everyone has something to give."
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| S.O.A.R. (Success Oriented Achievement Realized) |
Jackson, Macon, Swain |
| Jonathan Jones |
(828) 456-3435 |
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258 Participants Jackson County Pursuit Learning Component provides critical life skills, public service, and esteem building experiences for Jackson, Macon and Swain County at-risk youth. Students are involved in service learning projects such as: tutoring at Head Start/Smart Start, assisting residents at local nursing homes, and promoting recycling efforts in collaboration with Webster Enterprises. Students are viewed as integral parts of the program by completing the planning and implementation of each project. Another goal of Pursuit is community outreach which focuses on the value of service, and shattering the negative images of "at-risk" youth.
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| Lenoir County 4-H Neuse River Project |
Lenoir |
| Mary Smith |
(252) 527-2191 |
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430 Participants Neuse River Project provides important environmental and educational experiences for the youth of Lenoir County through a multi-level learning experience. The learning activities are age appropriate and involve a coalition of state, local and federal agencies. Activities include: completing posters and stories dealing with pollution in the Neuse, participating in a recycling awareness project, water testing, etc. Students are involved in educational activities that include learning about chemistry, biology, water quality and testing, lab procedures, etc. Students conduct educational workshops and Town Hall meetings focusing on the Neuse River, pollution and solutions to these problems. The end result will be an increased community awareness of the Neuse River, increased environmental education to all students, data collection for use by a federal research facility, and development of a proactive community based awareness program.
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| Kids in the Hood |
Johnston |
| Michael Hall |
(919) 965-8440 |
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18 Participants Kids in the Hood has students completing service projects (such as yard clean-ups and gardening) at various Selma Housing Authority communities. Students take educational workshops conducted by NC Forestry Service, NC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, and the Johnston Community College Horticulture Department in safety measures, first aid, CPR, equipment operation, etc. The students conduct meetings and a needs assessment at each community to determine the project to be completed. Meetings will take place after the project to evaluate and reflect on the work. The students will also receive training in areas such as communication and leadership skills. A requirement of their service is that they will come back and share their experiences with younger members of the community, so as to instill the ethic of service in the future generations.
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| Together Reaching Our Youth |
Hoke |
| Van Barber |
(910) 904-1070 |
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60 Participants TROY Prevention and Intervention Learn and Serve Project seeks to improve literacy skills of middle school youth. Youth volunteers are trained in effective communication, conflict resolution and civic responsibility to serve as tutors to increase literacy as well as develop activities designed to increase cultural awareness and self-esteem. Learn and Serve students will work with other students to design community service projects such as park clean-ups, delivering meals to shut-ins, etc. TROY also strives to deter delinquent behavior by guiding students through positive programming toward greater civic responsibility and community involvement.
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| Play with a Purpose |
Surry |
| Diane Palmieri |
(800) 286-6193 |
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50 Participants "Play with a Purpose" provides the youth in Surry County with an opportunity to work with a professional drama instructor to write, produce and/or perform in plays. The project addresses the critical need in Surry County for enrichment programs in daycares, senior homes, housing authority recreation centers, and libraries. Play with a Purpose provides increased skills in public speaking, writing, reading, and self-assurance. The increase in self-assurance will be accompanied by an increase in self esteem which is reflected in all phases of the students life including school and family. Community issues including recycling, handicap awareness, substance abuse, and others will be theme options for the plays. The messages incorporated into the plays will provide additional educational opportunities for both the students as well as the audiences.
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| Green Heroes |
McDowell |
| Sarah Buchanan |
(828) 652-1040 |
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300 Participants The McDowell County Green Heroes believe that as the leaders of tomorrow, they can make a difference today through learning about their environment, teaching others around them, and strengthening their grass roots movement to make the county the best it can be. This will be done by bringing students together in service-learning activities that deal with environmental issues. These activities include participation in community service endeavors such as Clean Sweep, Earth Day, and Clean County. Students have "teaching carts" where they will go into classrooms and forums and do presentations on the environment. Students utilize a community survey to look at their community and it’s needs. Projects are developed based on those needs and carried out. Finally, students participate in structured reflections which allow the students to evaluate the success or progress resulting from their work.
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| Colonial Village Youth PAC Program |
Surry |
| Carolyn Johnson |
(336) 401-8025 |
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20 Participants The Colonial Village Youth PAC program is working in partnership with the Elkin Police Dept., and Colonial Village Apartment complex to provide an educational service learning program at the complex. The target audience is school age youth from the apartments who come from diverse backgrounds). An advisory committee will plan projects and activities, evaluate past activities, and identify volunteers. Three focus areas for projects will develop pride, accepting others, and cooperating with others. Projects include: clean-ups, planting gardens, building birdhouses, and working on the community playground. Educational components include learning about the various aspects of the projects, and having cultural events (where native languages are taught, food is served, ethnic music is played, as well as presenting craft items).
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| Youth Experiencing Success |
Cleveland |
| Carole McDaniel |
(704) 487-1606 |
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250 Participants The mission of Youth Experiencing Success (YES) is to unify the community and to make significant changes in the lives of community youth by focusing on the goals of America’s Promise, (providing an ongoing relationship with a caring adult, mentor, tutor or coach; access to a safe place to learn and grow; a marketable skill through effective education; and an opportunity to give back through community service). The local community center will be the focus of the program’s activities with participants completing clean-up and beautification projects to make it safer and more appropriate for community activities. Students will receive training in essential life skills and will be matched with local residents who will serve as mentors. The goal of the project will be to have a place where the community can come together, with the participants gaining new skills and developing new relationships.
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| The Learning Center C.A.T.S. |
Buncombe |
| Leah Stickels |
(828) 686-3080 |
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40 Participants The Learning Center Community Awareness Through Service (CATS) program provides an opportunity for students to expand their awareness of community needs and acquire experience in participating in local community service projects. This is done while concurrently addressing educational goals at each grade level as set by the North Carolina Reference Guide for Integrating Curriculum. Emphasis is placed on creating new and lasting relationships with local community service agencies where students can develop and implement service projects each year in order to enrich their academic learning, promote personal growth and develop their sense of civic responsibility. Examples of projects that participants will be engaged in are: reading with residents at the local retirement home, serving at the local community garden to assist with growing and harvesting food for the MANNA Food Bank, assisting at the local 4H camp in trail maintenance and building of a nature museum and overnight shelter.
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| Hyde County |
Hyde |
| Judy Kilpatrick |
(252) 926-2517 |
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15 Participants The Hyde County Learn and Serve program seeks to take academically troubled junior high students with poor peer, parent and teacher relations, and instill in them the desire for academic achievement and civic responsibility through monthly community service projects such as neighborhood reparations and beautification initiatives. An important aspect of the program is life skills instruction that will partially be accomplished through field visits to places such as correctional facilities, universities, and businesses. Services such as parenting classes, nutrition and tutoring will be coordinated and provided to participants.
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| A Rainbow in the Community |
Buncombe |
| Jane Stanhope |
(828) 258-9264 |
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80 Participants A Rainbow in the Community focuses on youth initiative and empowerment to develop service-learning projects. Activities include working with a variety of community agencies on diverse projects such as to improve environmental consciousness and establishing awareness of community diversity by working with the homeless shelter, terminally ill patients and senior citizens. This will be achieved by participants serving in organizations such as Quality Forward, Appalachian Biodiversity project, Greentree Ridge (home for the elderly), WNC Rescue Mission, Meals on Wheels, Manna Food Bank, etc. Students will also build self-esteem by gaining conflict resolution skills and taking on leadership roles in peer mediation situations.
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| Pal-to-Pal |
Vance |
| Leon Robinson |
(252) 431-6090 |
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30 Participants Pal-to-Pal is a delinquency prevention and educational enrichment program utilizing high school youth volunteers as positive role models and support structures for at-risk youth. The program will involve parents, community agency volunteers and others significant in a child’s life to promote positive changes in a youth’s outlook on school, self-esteem and family/social values, while impacting the life of the high school volunteer through service to his/her community. Pal to Pal participants will be trained in areas such as leadership, communication, mediation, time management, etc. Afterwards, participants will then be matched up with elementary school students for (at-least) a year long one on one relationship. Pal to Pal participants will also complete community service projects throughout the year such as Adopt a Highway, Vance County Senior Center, etc.
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| Students of Promise |
Rockingham |
| Theresa Price |
(336) 342-5756 |
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24 Participants Students of Promise will give interested high school students the opportunity to become role models for at-risk middle school students through being a mentor in a structured after school program. Mentoring opportunities will be in the areas of academic, social, civic and career skills building for the purpose of promoting pro-social behaviors that lead to good citizenship. Students of Promise will have the opportunity to involve senior adult volunteers in their efforts to assist the younger children and, in turn, will assist the seniors by providing an activity program and community service with reciprocal benefits to both. Finally, participants will complete community service projects throughout the year such as neighborhood and Senior Activity Center beautification, local soup kitchen assistance, and other activities with seniors such as skits and performances.
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For more information about these programs, or Learn and Serve America, please contact the NC Commission on National and Community Service at (800) 820-4483 or visit our website.
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