The Purpose of This Presentation:The Purpose of This Presentation:

To provide an overview of the Corporation of National and Community Service’s Learn and Serve America Program.

Established in 1993 to engage Americans of all ages and backgrounds in community-based service

Supports a range of national and community service programs, provides opportunities for participants to serve full-time and part-time, with or without pay, as individuals or as a part of a team

Encompasses AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America

EducationEducation EnvironmentEnvironment Public Safety Public Safety

(Including Homeland (Including Homeland Security)Security)

Other Human Needs Other Human Needs (e.g. health and (e.g. health and housing)housing)

Learn & Serve America

To build the field of service-learning in schools, community- based organizations, and in colleges and universities across the country.

Learn and Serve AmericaLearn and Serve America

…gives grants to fund programs at K-12 schools, community-based organizations, and institutions of higher education that engage participants in structured, hands-on projects that meet community needs while helping participants develop personal, civic, and academic skills

“students or participants learn and develop through… service that is conducted in and meets the needs of the community”

“coordinated with an elementary school, secondary school, institution of higher education, or community service program, and with the community”

“foster[s] civic responsibility” “integrated into and enhances the academic curriculum of the

students, or the educational components of the community service program in which the participant is enrolled”

“provides...time for...reflect[ion]”

*Source: National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993

The Definition* of...

Distribution of LSA of Distribution of LSA of GrantGrant Funds, 2003-2006Funds, 2003-2006

$ 20 M Formula Allotment Grants to State Education Agencies

$ 6.5MSchool-based Competitive Grants $ 4.5MCommunity-based Competitive

Grants $ 10.75M Higher Education Competitive

Grants $ 800K Tribes and Territories for School-

based Grants Total

Grant Distribution for Grant Distribution for Higher Education GrantsHigher Education Grants

Learn and Serve AmericaType title here

Higher Education(25%)

ConsortiaIndividual

Institutions

Eligibility for Higher Education Grants

Institutions of higher education as defined in the Higher Education Amendment of 1998

A consortia of such institutions

Partnerships composed of higher education institutions and other public or private non-profit organizations

Eligible organizations :

Elements of Higher Education Programs

Service may be integrated across an entire academic department, a school, an entire year and into the core curriculum or throughout the entire institution

Teacher education programs train pre-service teachers in service-learning concepts which impacts K-12 education

Engaging faculty can impact promotion and tenure systems

Equal service-learning partnerships maximize benefits to both campus and community

Examples of How Grants Examples of How Grants Money May Be UsedMoney May Be Used

hire program coordinators to work with local agencies in linking students to meaningful service opportunities

train teachers, staff, faculty, and community members

develop service-learning curricula and projects related to civics

partnering with community to identify and address local needs

For the 2003-2006 grant period, Learn and Serve America

made 133 awards

reaching over 1500 colleges and universities, K-12 schools and nonprofit organizations

ResourcesResources

You can locate national service information from

www.www.nationalservice.gov..gov.

In addition you can obtain information on service-learning from www.servicelearning.org

gathers and disseminates information about service-learning across all streams of service.

has several partners who have expertise in all areas of service-learning.

collects and abstracts current articles, research and other publications, making it easily available to anyone who needs it.

www.servicelearning.org

For any additional information:For any additional information:

Elson B. NashAssociate Director, Project Management1201 New York Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20525enash@cns.gov- 202-606-6834