Learn and Serve Colorado

Program Contact(s)

Paula Gumina
Phone: 303-866-6861
E-mail: gumina_p@cde.state.co.us

Goals of the Initiative

To provide activities that connect to serving the community with the learning already being done in a school;
To provide hands-on application of knowledge and skills to real life community needs;
To provide service objectives with learning objectives with to change both the recipient’s and the provider’s perspective of community and service.

History Summary

Learn and Serve Colorado has been in existence since 1994 at the CDE. It is funded with formula money through the Corporation for National and Community Service. An application for formula money to provide another three year grant cycle has just been submitted. Currently, six programs are funded including Lake County School District, Campo School District, Denver Public Schools, NE Consortium, Colorado Springs School District 11 and Boulder Valley Schools.

Program Summary

The coming grant cycle will align with other prevention initiatives grants (Expelled and At-Risk Student Services, McKinney Vento Homeless Education and Comprehensive School Health) at the district level to reach more disadvantaged youth populations and to align efforts and resources to focus on student engagement and school attachment as a dropout prevention strategy. Currently, Learn and Serve Colorado provides funding for four districts that target grades 7,8 and 9 participation in service-learning in at least one core curriculum class. The Learn and Serve Colorado program is in the process of organizing a summer institute to bring together the funded grantees’ district level teams to focus on K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice and a Service-Learning 101 training. Technical assistance is provided throughout the year and site visits occur in the spring.

http://www.cde.state.co.us/servicelearning/index.htm