If your historic preservation group has a specific project need that would be suitable for a student, you might consider filling that need with a unique type of collaboration: service-learning. A service-learning project combines classroom instruction with community service. In a service-learning collaboration, the partners are diverse: young people, educators, families, community members, nonprofit organizations, and businesses.

Develop a Service-Learning Project

A service-learning project must be capable of satisfying a clear community need. For example, history teachers throughout the country have used service-learning projects to help reverse negative trends in young peoples' understanding of (and interest in) American history. You and your partners should design the project on your common goals. Your group could look at examples of other successful service-learning projects and volunteerism conducted by local teachers and schools.

Work with Service-Learning Partners

To ensure the most successful service-learning experience, your partnership must be mutually beneficial to all participants. Each partner's value should be understood and respected throughout the project. Also, encourage frequent communication among all parties.

Your group should find out these two key things about your potential partner-educators:

• What the educators are hoping to get out of the partnership.
• How this project will help the educators address a current educational challenge.

In turn, educators will consider your group's history. You should be prepared to share the following information:

• How frequently your group has partnered or worked with schools.
• Whether you consider your past experiences with schools a success.
• In what ways children or young people have been a part of your group's programming.
• What your group stands to gain from the collaboration.
• How the service-learning project fits in with your group's goals.
• What problems your group aims to solve with the collaboration.

Find Service-Learning Resources in Wisconsin

Service-learning programs in Wisconsin exist at both the K-12 and college levels. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (PDF, 100 KB) supports service-learning partnerships as one method of improving education statewide.

The state's service-learning coordinator, Teri Dary, uses social media tools to share information about service-learning activities. For example:

• Dary maintains a Twitter account where she regularly comments on her work.
• Dary's consulting group maintains a blog with helpful information for people considering service-learning projects.
• Dary was recently featured in a YouTube video.

Some University of Wisconsin campuses maintain a service-learning office and offer service-learning courses for academic credit. The University of Wisconsin Colleges and University of Wisconsin-Extension provide a rich web-based resource on service-learning. One of the featured service-learning success stories (PDF, 85 KB) involved UW-Platteville students working on the village of Potosi's revitalization efforts.

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