community collaboration for learning and change
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Community Collaboration for Learning and Change. Annabel Lucy Smith, Consultant, The American School in London www. annabelsmith.org. The Model Academic, Experiential, Collaborative. www. annabelsmith.org. Why (now)?. Equip young people to live a good life. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Annabel Lucy Smith, Consultant,The American School in London
www. annabelsmith.org
Community Collaboration for Learning and Change
The ModelAcademic, Experiential, Collaborative
www. annabelsmith.org
Equip young people to live a good life.Widespread emphasis on global, character, leadership.Need to fulfill school mission / motto.Questions of identity, individual & community; TCKs.College Admissions.Skills delivery – no more powerful medium. Academically
challenging - Nobel Laureates. Community-building inside school & out. Escape the pressure of grades and academic achievement.New model, & role models, of social entrepreneurship.Shifting learning to new venues; technology to connect.Reality as hook for passion & purpose: everyone does best work
& likes themselves.
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Why (now)?
Combine academic and experiential learning.Collaborate and partner.Engage all students in global learning and the urgent
issues of the day.Mainstream all programs, make them rigorous, intentional
and progressive.Join the dots to maximize existing programs, resources
and people.Rethink community service as community learning,
community interaction and community partnership.Redefine community as an asset rather than a deficit.Create a portfolio of sustained local and global community
partnerships.
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Key Approaches I
Link global and local community interaction directly to curriculum.
Create intentional shared language.Emphasize student leadership and student voice.Develop tools for evaluation, feedback and record-
keeping.Understand that we can do harm as well as good.Story telling, witnessing and community mapping.Celebrate relationships, share experiences, create
publications.Making ‘the other’ real.Project-based, NOT counting hours.
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Key Approaches II
Map your local community – who lives there, what are their stories?
Presume nothing. Ask, listen & talk. Recognize and encourage expertise in others.
Focus on people, they’re the point.Remember you’re working with vulnerable people.Be thoughtful and careful. Do no harm.Use athletic model: seasons, coaches, parent
evenings, emotional support; celebration.Reflect, record, talk it out, celebrate, find the
learning, evaluate. Have kids teach one another.Develop a code of conduct.
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Community Partnerships
Believe in a single story or reinforce stereotypes..Take people out of their context. Paint walls other people can paint for wages. Wear your sunglasses, sanitize your hands, get
your phone out, just hang with your friends.Expect it to be quick or easy or to always run on
time.Do hit and run, voluntourism, tokenism or trophies. Pay anyone or give students credit.Apologize.
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Community Partnerships: what not to do
Dedicated tracks, electives or Foundations courses.English / Social Studies, Science, Math, Languages, Art
& Design etc. Assembly speakers / guests to reinforce.Storytelling & witnessing.Germantown Academy electives.Taft: Service Learning class, Senior Projects, Global
Scholars Program. ASL: Foundations, SL program in MS + class, electives
– Global Issues, Alternatives (Experiential Education week)
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Linking to Curriculum
Case Study 1:
Taft Service Learning Elective
• Community-based once a week, classroom-based 3 times a week.• Orientation to neighborhood.• Orientation from Head of School.• Weekly briefing from social worker.• Collaboration with teachers.• Project-based triangular partnership. with another Taft partner.• Visits from local government experts.• Regular journaling & project-based assessment.
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“Countries plagued by civil war and the Aids epidemic in Africa seem to need our attention so much more than Children’s Community School, but in reality we cannot solve the problems of Africa or even the city of Waterbury on our own. That has been the most difficult concept to grasp: how limited we are…” Barry Clarke ‘09
“Before class I never appreciated how important it is to take initiative. It only takes one person to start a movement. Knowing the problem is the first step toward serving, and I believe that in class we have learned the problem and are ready to find our way to help.” Julie Foote ‘09
“Although we assisted with physical tasks, like serving meals and organizing the food storage, the biggest help was probably in just making a personal connection with people who came there for a meal. It seemed to really brighten their day to have someone acknowledge them and talk with them. A lot of these people seemed really lonely.” Sam McGoldrick ’09 www. annabelsmith.org
Taft and Children’s Community School
Plan
Act
Reflect
Share
ASL MS Service Learning Program
• 5th Grade Homelessness
• 6th Grade Clean Water
• 7th Grade Human Rights
• 8th Grade Micro-Finance
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Year 1 Pilot:
173 Students; 9 3-season 24 Coaches; 8 3- season 16 Projects 12 Partner Organizations
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The American School in London: Community Opportunities
ASL Local Community Partners Year 1
Kilburn Park SchoolThe Winchester ProjectDoorstep Homeless
Families ShelterWestminster Refugee
Consortium St John’s HospiceWhizz Kidz
St John’s Wood Adventure Playground
SparksSolace Women’s AidQuintin Kynaston SchoolRight to PlaySwiss Cottage School
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Protesting 60-80% cuts
ASL and The Winch
“I enjoyed being able
to connect with the kids and seeing them open up and start to trust me” 11th grade boy
“It made me really step back and take a look outside just the ASL community”12th grade girl
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ASL and QKRobotics
Green Cities
Cooking Club
Joint School Councils
Right to Play Basketball
Triangular with Winch – Harlem Learning Journey
Multiple points of contact
“I loved getting to know QK students and being able to form my own opinions on the school.” 10th grade girl
“My favorite part was creating friendships and finding an alliance between ASL and QK.”12th grade girl
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Learning together in another venue: Students from 2 schools &
a community centre visit New York
http://vimeo.com/33226212
ASL, The Winch and QKThe Harlem Learning Journey
Ask. Have a plan. Collectively, identify: goals, reasonable timeframe, success
criteria. Develop appropriate tools for assessment – digital passport,
experiential cv, Senior Projects. Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate: regular feedback from all
participants. Organize data, share & celebrate. Make changes & adapt. Recognize young people & community members as experts. Track impacts in other venues.
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How do we know if it’s working?(Where’s the learning & change?)
Audit Join the dots. Talk with community leaders, identify potential, mutually-
beneficial partnerships & projects. Pilot. Expand to the willing. No need for huge up-front spending. Move towards tipping point – create opportunities to share
this work – publication, film, testimony. Bring parents in early, get everyone together, partners,
students, coaches, parents. Participants become advocates; peer learning. Develop school signature approaches & partnerships.
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In Short..
“Nothing human is foreign to me”
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Terence: