Date of Project: January – July 2010
Project Ready, Urban League of Greater Hartford has collaborated with the American Red Cross in organizing a final cullminating project, which is a Blood Drive on Saturday, May 8th at a local YMCA.
Our Academic Goal is to engage students in civic responsibility, public speaking, leadership and how to convey valuable information that impacts their community residents and our neighbors.Our service learning Community Need is based on research and data American Red Cross of the Connecticut office has provided. Our community has minimal invovlement in blood drives especially with many community memebers requireing specific blood types, lack of specific blood matches and specific blood transfusions. Our youth want to engage 1st time Blood donors and increase the education to the African American and North End community residents about the importance of donating blood. They have engaged in several certification training, education and leadership training in preparation to go out into the community and local community agencies and outreach, agencies such as YMCA, Community Health Services, Urban League of Greater Hartford, Local businesses and schools.

Help Us Help Others Blood Drive is scheduled for Satruday, May 8th from 8am-1pm at the Wilson-Gray YMCA, 444 Albany Ave, Hartford, CT 06103. Refreshments and food will be provided in the canteen area. We will also be raffling a bike from our Hot Spot Bike Shop (2nd hand and repaired), gift cards to local restaurants and stores as a way to thank peopel for donating.

Hello I am proud of me about yesterday!!!
I thought, planned a community service in my current school.I asked my friends to help me with cleaning up the school yard and library yard.
We teach and ask all students to separate the recycle from garbage. At home I think they do seperate but at school they don`t care. My chalenges were that i was afraid that nobody would listen to me, but turns out i did pretty cool. But next time WHEN I`m going to do the community servise i will start planning it sooner than i did this time.And think every detail of what i`m trying to do, also i learned that if i share with people around me and let them understand deeply how I feel and trying to make this place better place, then of course everybody woul want to help me and support me.
I hope i made little bit of a change,and this project definately will help me in future projects for my country!!!

Tattybubu Adysheva
Future Leader Exchange student(FLEX), Kyrgyztan
aquarius_girl2list.ru

Keep Forrest Beautiful enthusiasts will meet at Forrest Elementary School to weed, clean, plant flowers, and otherwise beautify the school. Volunteers are welcome! Meet at the front entrance to the school, if possible bring your own gardening tools labeled with your name. Donations of flowers would be welcomed.

For more information, contact Suzanne Brown, Keep Forrest Beautiful Coordinator, 896-6710 or 945-0702.

As a STEMester of Service school, Chestatee Middle School has established academies of inquiy and talent development. We have had as many as 50 different academies focusing on a variety of topics throughout the year. Several of our academies were direced toward the care and protection of animals. On Saturday, April 24, Chestatee students will meet at the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia and assist with adoptions. Animals that are comfortable with people and socialized are often adopted more easily than those that are not. We will be playing with the animals and helping them to find their forever homes!

Program in Celebration of services and renewed committment to helping others.

Acknowledgement of community participation in recent fund raising events for Haiti Relief. Presentation of $1,000 donation to Red Cross and recognition of elementary students' dedication in raising funds.

"How Can I Help?" Role Playing presentation by high school students to elementary students suggesting ways in which students can improve the community: environmental stewardship through recycling efforts,planting trees and flowers,sharing our garden produce, and helping neighbors, helping friends.

Wrap-up with curriculum-aligned tutorial math games led by high school students, celebrating having fun and helping others.

A follow-up "How Have I Helped?" is planned in May with continued encouragement to serve our community.

The iRoc Fitness event will introduce youth ages 10-15 to new sports activities. The youth will be introduced to the YMCA's Fitness Aracade along with other health and wellness activities. The youth will play a number of competitive games including: video games, basketball, dodgeball, volleyball and swimming. We will end the day with a brief seminar about eating healthy and a variety of healthy foods and snacks will be provided. Each participant will receive a "iRoc Fitness" T-Shirt.

(Month 1)- We sent collected socks to the military overseas.
(Month 2)-We sharpened thousands of pencils for schools in Afghanistan. We prepared school supplies for shipment.
(Month 3)-In less than 26 days,we have collected $182.80 for Box Tops for Education. This project will be on-going. Our goal this school year is $500.00. Our goal next year is $1,000.00. All money will go to the puchase of food certificates for hungry people in our own community. (Our projects are limited only to our dreams.)

Food pantry for people under 60 years old,variety of foods for families and babies. Also giving book bags and school supplies in fall.At christmas,gifts for children.We also give free clothing,magazines and childrens books. (This is only those who qualify in income).

Activity involves removing invasive, non-native plants in Highland Glen Park, a wilderness and nature park located in North Utah County. Dalmatian Toadflax and Bull Thistle will be targeted. Reason for project: Invasive, non-native plant are harmful to the environment several ways. Many of them are toxic to local wildlife. Others can secrete toxins into the soil and make it hard for native plants to grow. Because wildlife avoid eating non-native plants, it provides an opportunity for non-native plants to outgrow native species. In addition, many species of non-native plants dry out early in the summer and become fire hazards. Spring and early summer is the best time for non-native plant removal because they haven't gone to seed yet. They are also easier to remove because they are smaller.

The University of Georgia (UGA) Office of Sustainability,UGA Students for Environmental Action, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Georgia 4-H collaborated on a variety of activities designed to increase awareness of environmental issues and promote conservation of natural resources.

Activities Include:

Earth Week - Energy Day:
Free screening of documentary Kilowatt Ours, panel discussion to follow, )

Earth Week - Food, Waste, and Consumption Day:
Free No Waste Dinner provided by Reed Hall Council,

Waste audit of campus buildings.

Earth Week - Water and Biodiversity Day:
Campus Sustainability Tours, hosted by the Go Green Alliance and the UGA Office of Sustainability. Free, guided tours leave at 3:00pm from Tate II Green Roof ("West Tate Lawn"); tour groups will return at 4:30pm for a waste-free reception event on the Green Roof with food and live music.

Free screening of documentary Life, panel discussion to follow, More info at www.ugagogreen.org.

Earth Day - Individual Action Day:
Tabling by student environmental groups at the Tate Plaza from 10am-3pm. Speakers, live music, and performances throughout the day. More info at www.ugagogreen.org.

Tate Center LEED Certification Ceremony

Car Free Day

Pillsbury House youth will create a audience participatory art event inviting Central neighborhood residents to collaboratively create a response to the home foreclosure epidemic spread throughout specific areas of South Minneapolis. Youth will photo document foreclosed properties in Central Neighborhood and invited neighbors to write stories, evoke the histories of the families and lives that occupied the now boarded up homes. These will be presented through a public presentation and on the world wide web. This is a collaborative project involving artists from the Powderhorn365 project.

Pillsbury House Youth P.A.C. members will conduct community software training sessions to provide residents and local businesses the opportunity to access the Central Mobile Art Team (CMAT) Mobile Art Cart. The mobile art cart is being built by the Youth PAC in collaboration with Full Cycle and the Minneapolis Art On Wheels.

The Central Mobile Art Team - Youth PAC will conduct neighborhood interviews with residents from Central neighborhood, serving as cultural enumerators collecting residents feedback and personal connections related to the concepts of what we call "home." These stories and testimonials will be processed by the youth to present their findings at a public event on May 8, 2010, as well as in a multi-media report to the Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization.

Youth from the Pillsbury House youth program will build and manage rain water collection systems to serve as irrigation systems for adjacent community gardens and boulevard beautification projects.

Using a video camera to capture the essence of the neighborhood, Pillsbury House FANS (Furthering A Network [of] Support) Participants hit the pavement to talk to the very people that inhabit it. The youth created questions about youth, the community and ways in which they [interviewees] will hold themselves accountable in working toward the betterment of both youth and the community. The project will conclude with a viewing of the docu, which will occur in the Powderhorn Neighborhood (which houses the FANS Program).

On Friday, April 23rd, 2010 a Proclamation and Kick-Off Ceremony is scheduled at Indiana Wesleyan University, Student Center, Marion, Indiana. In addition to the ceremony our first event the Service-Learning Showcase will introduce youth in the area who have participated in Semester of Service over the past year who will showcase their projects via poster presentations.

On Saturday, April 24th, 2010 two primary events take place which include a Service Festival from 12-2PM at Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU)and a number of Community Clean-Up Projects sponsored by IWU Student Activities Council and Main Street Marion.

The Camp Joshua Youth will work to tackle the neighborhood street by street surrounding our church to clean up trash, pick up large items dumped to rot in the street, clean glass, and wipe any graffiti found during the clean up.

Clean-up project will continue beyond GYSD to bring neighborhood pride back to this community. Further clean-ups will include mowing of walk paths, distribution of energy effecient light bulbs & recycle bags and food bags for the elderly.

High school students who are members of The KNOWN Youth Anti-Drug Coalition will plan alternate youth activities during Spring Break for their classmates in an effort to reduce underage binge drinking among 14-25 year olds. Daily and nightly activities will include bowling, outdoor and indoor laser tag, a three-on-three basketball tournament, indoor bike & skatepark, movie night, a disc golf tournament, and flag football & tailgate party. The week will culminate with an all-day concert with giveaways, air guitar & karaoke contests, free food, pick-up baskeball, volleyball & cornhole games, free video & arcade games, and featuring six local bands and a hip hop breakdancing group from Nashville.
Students will work together to plan and market the event, and also garner community support by soliciting donations from local businesses and requesting support from leaders in the community. The students will record in journal entries how the project has benefitted them.
The project information will be posted on the youth coalition's website at www.beaKNOWbody.com and on The KNOWN's Facebook page.
Students and community leaders will gather a few weeks later on Global Youth Service Day for a Celebration Day of their Clean Break accomplishments and the many youth who signed Pledge Cards throughout the week.

Students from Lone Star College--Tomball will partner with EdenBrook of Champions senior community to provide needed volunteer support to daily activity programs as part of a service-learning assignment. The students, donating at least 10 hours of volunteer time, will be interacting with the seniors as a means of practicing essential interpersonal skills learned in the classroom. As a reflection, the students will discuss in class and through public speeches their experiences and what they have learned. This has been a semester-long activity culminating in the student presentations over the latter part of April.

Concordia students will be working with the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity to assist with a build in Portland.

My sister, Annica and I will create a documentary about the hardships that Native Americans face on reservations and what we as a nation can do about it.

Emma, Wyandotte Nation, will create a website with tips on how anyone can create "A Bridge".

Together, we will post the documentary: The Bridge, Native and Non Native Youth for Understanding on the website by 12:00, Saturday, April 24th.

Stay tuned!

In Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, State Farm sponsored a Semester of Service which kicked off on MLK Day. Since that day, 24 groups of junior high and high school students (over 100) have been meeting weekly with State Farm mentors (over 100) to identify, create, and implement service-learning projects. These projects will be highlighted at a Global Youth Service Day showcase on Friday, April 23 at Illinois State University (a lead agency).

More information about the showcase can be found at www.youthservicemcleancounty.org.

High school students reaching out to their peers to end drunk driving!
On Day 1, students will be pulled out of class by an officer who explains to the class that this person represents someone who was killed by drunk driving. The participant has their face painted black and is separated from all of their family and friends for 24 hours.
Participants and peer leaders go on an overnight retreat to learn more about the issue and hear from people who have been affected. They plan an activity to do with their class when they return and do a candlelit reflection ceremony.
On Day 2, parents and students are reunited. Participants each go to a different classroom and present to their peers, asking them to make the right choice and not mix alcohol and driving. The entire school will get to hear from this group of courageous students. In the afternoon, our 3 county commissioners will join the group to hear about their experience, as well as their other projects addressing drunk driving and underage binge drinking. In the evening, parents and community will come together to share a meal and discuss what we all can do to make Eureka a safe and healthy place for everyone to grow up.
In addition, students are running an ad in the local paper thanking businesses that do a great job of not selling alcohol to teens.

Students will present several months of data-informed public speeches that have convinced New Orleans students to value their educations and stay in school. Younger students have been inspired by the example Hope Academy 8th graders have led and we are excited to present our results and influence important individuals like school leaders and principals!

Big Green Cleanup is a K-12 district effort to clean the road ways of litter and etc.

Students and staff seek donations for American Cancer Society and Relay for Life.

Students, parents, teachers, staff, and community members will meet at the Community Garden from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm. Come for an hour, or two, or for the day. We will Get It Done!

Country Acres

With the current economic crisis many people are losing their jobs and homes. There are large efforts to help the homeless in various places around the world, but we do not want to forget about those who are without homes right here in our own community. Helpfulness Against Homelessness is a project focused on addressing this unmet need.

Volunteers are asked to donate items such as mosquito repellent, socks, towels, baby formula, nonperishable food, toiletries, and more. These items will be distributed amongst those who visit and utilize the One Stop Center's resources. The One Stop Center is part of the Community Coalition on Homelessness which enables the homeless to eat, shower, receive mail, apply for jobs, etc.

Donations will be collected at the Volunteer Center between 3:00 and 5:00P.M.

This event is being held to celebrate the end of our "Road to Fitness" for this semester. It will take place after school and the students and parents that have been on the "Road to Fitness" will host a community event to educate students and parents on the importance of continued fitness and proper nutrition. There were a total of 60 students that ran every Tuesday and Thursday during this Semester. Many of their parents also joined us on these days. We will start with a half mile jog around the school track and we will jog to the gymnasium to continue with the celebration. The students have developed a powerpoint on fitness and nutrition that will be shown at this celebration. This was developed on different days than the running days and was a work in progress during the semester. The students also developed a survey that was taken by students, parents and anyone who was interested by logging on to the Robertson Elementary homepage and clicking on the link to the fitness survey. This survey measured health behaviors of all that participated and this information will be shared in the hopes that next years survey will show an increase in physical activity and healthy eating. They will also be able to celebrate the accomplishments of the program so far and plan for the future. Healthy snacks, and small incentives will be provided, and information about how and where to stay physically active during the summer months will be passed along to all in attendance. We hope that this will encourage more community members to join the the "Road to Fitness" next semester.

The Jefferson School's Eagles Coffee Crew is a student-run coffee business that serves coffee to staff three days a week. Eagles Coffee Crew is currently in its third year of business and has 3 eighth grade staff members. We sell coffee and donate a portion of the profits to a local charity. In the past, we've donated to Play Pumps International, an organization in Africa that builds playgrounds. As the children play on the playgrounds, the movement from their bodies pumps fresh water to the surface, providing a convenient, clean water source to the community. We decide at the end of the year to whom we wish to donate our money. We purchase true trade coffee beans from City Kid Java, a local organization that donates its profits to support youth programming in Minneapolis. We serve our coffee and drinks in ceramic mugs instead of paper/plastic cups in order to reduce our carbon footprint.