Service Learning K-12 Certificate of Completion - Program Courses

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Course Descriptions

Each course is interactive with readings, discussion, experiential projects, assignments, live chats, and reflection. It's up to you to set your study routine and decide when it works best for you to log in within the weekly commitment required to participate in discussion threads and to meet assignment deadlines.

Pick and choose which courses you want, or take all four to become an expert with a certificate of completion. Courses may be taken in any order. Generally, we offer one course per quarter (10 weeks).

ELP 410/510 High Quality Service Learning (3 credits)
Service-learning is an effective instructional approach which helps students learn and apply academic skills to real problems. This instruction makes it more likely that students retain and apply what they learn. Therefore, as students make valuable contributions to their community, they also begin to assume a more active, responsible role in the community and develop a stronger sense of purpose and belonging. Learn the elements of effective service-learning practice and practical ways to incorporate these elements into your classroom. This course is recommended for K-12 educators interested in working in schools, and youth workers or others interested in the technique will also find relevancy.

ELP 410/510 Authentic Service Learning Practice: Standards and Partnerships (3 credits)
No one can succeed alone. Service-learning creates opportunities for collaboration among schools, students, and community partners. Students see themselves as an integral part of an effective community, experiencing curricular learning objectives as they meet community goals. Explore how to create a standards-based lesson plan that meets the extended application requirements of Oregon's Diploma. Bringing together K-12 curriculum with community organizations and agencies to build a partnership, teachers learn how organizations work, their goals, and measures of success. All involved will understand how to work together to create high-quality and high-impact service-learning opportunities. The result: curriculum-based learning meeting real community needs.

ELP 410/510 Sustaining Service-Learning through Resources, Leadership and Marketing (3 credits)
You create a stellar service-learning curriculum. It is connected to your content standards and it is changing students' lives and the life of the community. But how do you keep up the momentum? Explore how to raise resources in the community to provide sustainability. Whether it is grant funding, in-kind donations, or expertise, resources are needed to sustain and expand. Another key component to sustainability is telling the story of your service-learning successes. Writing press releases, documenting stories, and visually capturing projects are all strategies to tell your success story to the community, your legislators, and funders.

ELP 410/510 Youth Voice: Mobilizing The Next Generation Through Service Learning (3 credits)
Youth are not leaders of tomorrow - they are the leaders of today! Facilitating youth leadership results in powerful learning outcomes for the students. From elementary grades through college, studies show when young people are involved and engaged academic learning increases, and leadership skills and civic leadership emerge. Outline the theory and practice of engaging youth as leaders. From successful youth movements to current youth leadership models, gain the skills to make sure youth are the leaders of today.

For more information, please contact Kerry Goldstein at 503-725-8321 or kerrygoldstein@pdx.edu.