Community+Partnerships

=Program Overview=

Although ILC is not a traditional neighborhood school, we are committed to sustaining strong community partnerships both locally and globally. Our learners participate in community service learning projects (CSLP) that are designed to enhance our learners' understanding of their relationship to their community. Learners work with their Group Mentors to design both individual and group CSLP that serve to enhance both the learners and the community. Through the Group Mentoring process, the needs of individual learners as well as the needs of the group are assessed. Group Mentors then work with community activists to create CSLP that meet the needs of both our learners and of the community.

=Program Requirements=

In addition to their core learning hours, all learners must engage in four hours of CSLP every two weeks. Service hours are flexible, allowing learners to committ to weekend or evening projects. All learners must maintain a public access blog of their experiences including personal reflections. Community members are encouraged to contribute their personal reflections to the blog. Group Mentors will design time within the morning mentor sessions for learners to share their blogs with their teammates.

=Examples of Community Service Learning Projects=


 * Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Watershed analysis and clean-up
 * Habitat for Humanity - Building housing
 * Murals - organizing and painting murals to reflect the diversity and strengths of the city
 * Organizing Food Bank distributions
 * Volunteer Instructors for Adult Education (technology, art, and literacy)
 * YWCA

[[file:New Visions 9th Grade Handbook.pdf]]

 * Weblinks**

US Department of Education – Office of Innovation and Improvement [] Harvard Family Research Project: Family Involvement []

SEDL National Center Family and Community Connections with Schools [] National School Board Association [] Understanding the National PTA [] National Parent Information and Resource Center [] National Parent Teachers’ Association [|http://www.pta.org] Joyce Epstein’s Center on School, Family and Community Partnerships

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