Introduction to Learn & Serve

Learn and Serve Idaho provides young people with opportunities to serve Idaho by connecting community service with academic learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility. Grantees create new service learning programs, replicate existing models, and train staff, faculty, adult volunteers, and students in service learning. Participants are K-12, school-age youth.

Eligible applicants are Idaho K-12 schools of any grade span. Grantee schools must be committed to service learning as a teaching/learning strategy and as an integral component of education.

The vision of Learn and Serve Idaho is to assist schools in implementing site-based programs of service learning through policy, practice, and capacity building. Learn and Serve Idaho provides financial and technical assistance to schools as they develop and implement policies and supportive structures at all levels, while reducing barriers to the institutionalization of service learning.

The overarching goals of this project are to:

Increase the integration of quality service-learning practices in Idaho's K-12 schools;
Develop appropriate models of service-learning for schools that are also aligned with state-mandated educational standards and benchmarks;
Increase youth choice and leadership in school and community problem solving.
Develop collaborative partnerships with the local community agencies to support high quality meaningful service experiences.

Learn and Serve Idaho engages students in structured, hands-on service projects that meet community needs and at the same time, helps participants develop personal, civic, and academic skills. Programs provide high quality service-learning opportunities for elementary and secondary school students. School-based service learning seeks to integrate a community service philosophy and activities into academic curricula. In school-based service learning, classroom studies complement community experiences and enable students to reflect upon and take action in addressing community needs.