Service Learning Coach

Service-learning is a teaching strategy that connects classroom curriculum with service projects. Service-learning engages students in projects that serve the community while building social, civic, and academic skills.

The Service-Learning Coach is the key player in making service-learning a success. It is the job of the Coach to orchestrate an effective service-learning strategy that includes administration, faculty, students, parents, and community partners taking into consideration the school’s unique community context and organizational structure and opportunities. It is not the job of the Coach to do everything. The Coach is the organizer whose job it is to get other key players engaged in the Service-Learning Initiative. Specific job responsibilities are outlined below:

Together with principal and appropriate faculty and community leaders, develops comprehensive service-learning strategy for school which includes community needs and resource assessment
Builds, cultivates, and sustains relationships with community agencies and organizations and works directly with contact persons to ensure quality service experience for students
Builds partnerships with teachers to develop and coordinate planning for classroom-based service learning projects
Informs staff and students of service opportunities and develops service projects in partnership with teachers and community agencies and organizations
Maintains accurate, updated records on student progress toward completion of service learning graduation requirement
Provides service learning in-service opportunities for school faculty in consultation with Service- Learning Manager
Attends all service-learning professional development activities and coach meetings
Reports directly to the principal or assigned designee

The Office of Social Sciences and Service-Learning recently launched a new initiative moving from a graduation requirement of 40 hours to three projects. A thirteen school cohort is piloting this strategy with their freshmen during the 2010-11 academic year. To learn more about this exciting initiative and how high schools are tying service projects to classroom teaching and learning, contact the Service-Learning Initiative at 773/553-6391.