April 11-14th
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| Honore explains service-learning to conference participants from around the globe |
For the past three years the National Youth Leadership Council has provided training, professional mentoring, and resources for the development of service-learning at UCBC.
Each year they host a conference where over 2,000 people gather to attend workshops, participate in service projects, and listen to plenary sessions from world renowned leaders. At the National Service-Learning Conference Honore and I presented at the 6th Annual Service-Learning World Forum. During this event service-learning practitioners from around the world shared how service-learning is impacting their communities, institutions, and students.We spoke about UCBC and how service-learning is a change agent in our context. I was impressed to hear that service-learning is gaining popularity with educators, youth, and leaders in the Middle East. One young leader said, "After the Arab spring people in my country are starting to respect youth and their perspective...before they didn't consider our opinions. Now we can be involved...".
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| Honore presents on a panel at the 6th Annual Service-Learning World Forum |
Founder, Jim Kielsmeir (pictured above) reiterated the aforementioned when he spoke about the concept of contribution. He insists that when youth participate in solving the problems in their community there is an intrinsic gain for the individual, group, and larger society. He told a moving story about a seven year old girl involved in a service project with teens who generously entertained the idea that her participation was critical to the outcome of the task. She exclaimed, "They needed my help!" It was obvious that she couldn't truly be of assistance. However, Dr. Kielsmeir insists that, "people of all ages need to be needed...all people can contribute meaning, purpose, direction. Wholeness comes from contribution."
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| Honore plants a tree |
During the conference Dr. Kielsmeier, Honore, and I were a part of a service project replacing trees in a local park. On a dreary, cold, rainy day we rolled up our sleeves with approximately 15 youth, members of the Iowa Conservation Corps, and NYLC staff to plant two trees. During the planting we were taught the quote, "No one stands so tall as when they stoop low to plant a tree under whose shade they will never sit." I love this idea: that greatness is found in working for the benefit of others...even if we never witness how our work impacted others.
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| Removing the burlap from the tree base |
By: Chelsie Frank, UCBC Service-Learning Coordinator
