Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development
Goonegreen project at a time Service Learning Action Guide
(This could totally be your club.)
Take it to the next step.
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SERVICE-LEARNING IS MORE THAN VOLUNTEERISM. It is the blending of both service and learning in such a way that both occur and are enriched by each other. Service-learning projects emphasize the process of learning and planning, as well as the actual service itself.
Be responsible. Be the revolution of responsibility. do awesome things. What exactly is the Go Green project? It’s about being a responsible steward of our resources. Each club is encouraged to plan an innovative service-learning project promoting “going green.”
Go green. Think “being green” doesn’t apply to your project? Think again. Science, Technology, Fabrics and Fashion, Food, Animal Science, Health & Fitness, Horticulture, Child Care, Leadership, Citizenship... EVERY project area is involved in resource use and sustainability. We have some ideas to get your brain working on page 5.
Wait! The fine print. This is a “light” version of the Service Learning Action Guide. If you are seeking the beginning of the whole shebang and where this all got started, go to the Oklahoma 4-H website at http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu.
Goonegreen project at a time
read this. (Please) In positive youth development, youth and adults rely on each other in youth-adult partnerships and participate in experiential learning. Read these definitions so you can be an expert about service learning! Youth Development: Youth development’s philosophy involves families and communities. It supports healthy development in an environmental context. Young people are not “clients” in this model but partners. Their families are not incidental to the process, their neighbors are not indifferent bystanders, and other community resources are not ignored. See 4H•VOL•114 for further explanations of youth development. Youth-Adult Partnership (YAP): The developmental needs of young people can be met through opportunities to work in meaningful roles together with adults on issues of importance to young people’s lives. Studies have shown that youth, adults and institutions benefit when young people are involved in the decision-making role in communities and organizations. The key to this partnership is an adult viewing youth as a valuable resource who have ideas, experiences, and assets that will contribute to the betterment of the organization. For a Youth-Adult Partnership to emerge, adults cannot view youth as an object to be dealt with or as recipients of programs provided. See 4H·VOL·117 for further explanations of Youth-Adult Partnerships. Experiential Learning: When this model is used, youth both experience and process the activity. They learn from thoughts and ideas about the experience. Each step contributes to their learning. The steps involved in experiential learning include:
1. Participants experience the activity - perform or do it. 2. Participants share the experience by describing what happened to them. 3. Participants process the experience to determine what was most important and identify common themes and experiences. 4. Participants generalize from the experience and relate it to their daily lives. 5. Participants apply what they learned to a new situation.
Service Learning: Service-learning provides students with the opportunity to use newly acquired skills and knowledge in real life situations in their own communities. In addition, these experiences assist in the development of a sense of caring for others and empower youth with the belief that they can make a difference in their communities and world. See 4H·VOL·119 for further explanations of Service Learning.
The challenge
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The time is... today. No, not really. The time is National 4-H Week, October 2-8, 2011. The challenge is to submit your supercalifragalisticexpialidocious service learning idea by National 4-H Week. This does not mean you will COMPLETE your service learning project by that week - it just means you’ll have the plan for what you’re doing. (But if you do the service learning project DURING National 4-H Week, you get gold stars.) Basically, National 4-H Week is YOUR kickoff to your Go Green: One Project at a Time initiative. Can’t think of something “new” to create? Innovate! What projects are already going on in your county? How can you innovate what’s already happening? How can you apply the concept of “Go Green” to your current 4-H projects that will educate your community and maybe even solve a problem? It’s not necessary to start all over with something — just find ways to flex, adapt, and innovate current things you’re doing.
Are you ready? Let’s Do this. • Check out “How to Be Awesome” on page 6. Step 1: Prepare! • Submit your idea via the Go Green form at http://is.gd/GoGreen. Idea not perfected yet? That’s OK. Just give us an idea of what you plan on doing! This is not competitive... it is cooperative. • ACT! Get out there and wow your community with your 4-H skills. • Reflect. How do you want to tell your story? Essay? Blog? Photos? Scrapbook? Posterous? Facebook? (Make sure you’re old enough to have a Facebook page and your club leaders are OK with having info on Facebook.) Check out the list of resources on page 7 of non-traditional ways to tell everyone about what you’ve done. • Celebrate your accomplishments. • Continue sharing your story.
Goonegreen project at a time
Kickstarters Brainstorming Supplies – paper and marker In small groups of 3-4 – You have 5 minutes to brainstorm as many 4-H ideas as possible related to “Go GREEN.” NO ideas are BAD ideas. Make a list of EVERY idea mentioned. The group is now to organize the projects under headings: Individual Responsibility Family Responsibility Club/School Responsibility Community Responsibility After they have worked for awhile ask if there is a pattern emerging. They should be finding that the projects could fit under all or most headings. Have the group narrow the list to the top three they think members of their “club” would be interested in and could blend with practically anyone’s project area and/or improve the quality of life for a family. Encourage them to take these ideas back to the club and develop programming for club meetings which will complement the Go GREEN project planned and carried out by the club. Ideas, ideas, ideas Education · Energy Audit – individual and family awareness about simple energy conservation practices · Water Quality – educating the public about this precious natural resource and conservation practices · Recycling electronics, plastics, fabrics and other household goods · Solar and Wind Energy Environment · Improving parks or public grounds · Sampling, monitoring and mapping natural resources · Weather proofing a home or business · Clean air - second hand smoke, air pollution, etc. · Home Grounds - lawn care, composting, xeriscaping, proper use and disposal of chemicals, vermiculture · Urban and Rural Wildlife Habitat · Agronomy – minimal and no till, drought tolerant varieties of crops · Animal Science – animal waste, disposal, housing, water Human Needs · Weather proofing a home for low-income housing/elderly · Planting trees for shade and windbreaks · Clothing-Staying warm or cool with less energy, repurposing, recycling · Food- Community Gardens, composting · Green Space – parks and recreation areas Public Safety · Illegal dump sites · Water conservation/pollution · Carbon Footprint · Hunting and Fishing
How to be awesome
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Prepare.
• Determine a “need.” • As a club, brainstorm needs in your community. Explore all ideas that are suggested. • Learn about the “need” and what the club can do to meet the need or some portion of the need. • Find the skills or acquire the knowledge necessary to plan and complete the service. • Find resources (AKA: People!) to assist you in your project. • Plan and complete your service learning project. • Celebrate and share the story.
Act! Youth and adults apply knowledge, information and skills to the plan. Ideas: Displays, poster, handouts, window painting, renovations, building equipment, workday, demonstrations, small-scale replicas, videos, brochures, booths, expositions, share-fairs, One day 4-H (Texas), Day of Service
Reflect. Think about and record what you learned. Why is it important? How did you feel about it? What was a success? What was a failure? (Did you know? FAIL is just an acronym for First Attempt In Learning!) Ideas: Discussion, debriefing, photos/pictures, reading, writing/poetry/stories, diaries/logs, art, displays, blogs, creative expression, videos, story boards, podcasts - more ideas are on page 7!
Celebrate! Go crazy about all the awesome accomplishments you’ve made.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. I need more info first. Need more time? Invite your State 4-H Leadership Council Cluster Representative to present a traveling workshop during the fall 2011 or spring of 2012 for volunteers and youth. The workshop will provide an overview of the program and time for Q&A.
Goonegreen project at a time
Show It Off Oklahoma 4-H Recognition
Submit your project details using the online form (we’ll update this document and provide a link) or your creative blog, report, website - whatever you choose to do! - of the project start to finish. The State Leadership Council will recognize the club with a certificate. Reports are due to your district office no later than June 1, 2012. Video submissions will be featured on the Oklahoma 4-H YouTube Channel, Oklahoma 4-H website, and social media outlets! National 4-H Recognition Submit your Revolution of Responsibility story to the National 4-H Council and you may just end up with YOUR story posted to their Revolution of Responsibility website!
What tools could I use?
Note: Some of these require the user be at least 13 years of age or older due to COPA rules. Please ensure an adult is monitoring any work completed online. AniMoto • h ttp://www.animoto.com • Video slideshows Facebook • http://www.facebook.com • Create a Facebook page for your project! Glogster • http://www.glogster.com • Digital poster creation KidBlog • http://www.kidblog.com • Blog LittleBirdTales • http://www.littlebirdtales.com/ • Audio story capturing Paper.Li • http://www.paper.li • Online news aggregator PikiWiki • http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/10things.jsp • Wiki-based platform Posterous • http://www.posterous.com • Online blog/sharing Prezi • http://www.prezi.com • Interactive presentations Projeqt • http://www.projeqt.com • Creative storytelling platform SimpleBooklet • http://simplebooklet.com/ • Create digital brochures, pamphlets and more to share online Slideshare • http://www.slideshare.net • Online presentations Storify • http://www.storify.com • Make stories using your social media efforts StoryJumper • http://www.storyjumper.com • Kids can publish an e-book Tumblr • http://www.tumblr.com • Online sharing platform Vimeo • http://www.vimeo.com • Video sharing platform VoiceThread • http://www.voicethread.com • Presentation site allowing you to add voice narration to your story WordPress • http://www.wordpress.com • Blog
In a Not-so-Nutty Shell
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1. Get your club together. 2. Brainstorm. Formulate a plan. 3. Submit it by October 8, online, at http://is.gd/GoGreen. 4. Act. Put the plan into action. 5. Reflect. 6. Tell your service learning story to everyone! Including your District Specialist. By June 1, 2012. 7. Celebrate your accomplishments.
Goonegreen project at a time