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The Northwest Sampler - Oregon
Participating School:
Gig Harbor High School
5101 Rosedale Street, Gig Harbor, WA 98335
Phone: 206/851-6131, fax: 206/858-5656
Contact: Mary Forsyth/Roland MacNichol
Observed Outcomes:
- Students feel good about themselves and the time they give
- Students realize that they can accomplish many things they never thought possible
- Service can often draw students out of their comfort zones and cause them to grow and mature
Keys to Success:
- Organization
- Educating students about service and all it entails
- Letting students have a say in what service they will perform
Program Description:
The service leadership course offered at Gig Harbor High School is based on the premise that young people can make a significant difference in their world through community service and servant leadership. The class is a student-directed educational experience that allows students to pursue individual service activities as well as coordinate a group service project that meets a genuine need. Students are able to choose from a variety of projects to focus on, but they must center on the following four components:
- Leadership (actively involving others in his/her project)
- Servanthood (leading others with a supportive style and demonstrating participation, cooperation, and celebration)
- Self-Evaluation (reflecting on one's work)
- Community Outreach (extending the project outside of one's existing perimeter)
Some projects students can become involved with include:
- Helping with cleaning, food distribution, and child care at a local shelter for the homeless
- Collecting nonessential items (those that food stamps will not purchase) for individuals with AIDS or HIV
- Facilitating the Prison Pet Partnership program, which takes stray dogs to the local women's correctional facility; the dogs are then trained by inmates and given to disabled community members
- Volunteering time at the local Boys and Girls Club
- Writing letters for Amnesty International
- Facilitating Dry Wave, a high school organization that provides alcohol- and drug-free activities for students
In addition to the service leadership course, the school has also integrated service learning throughout all academic content areas
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