The American Sail Training Association (ASTA) is launching a Service Learning (SL) Pilot Program. Service Learning is an education technique that many ASTA member vessels are already engaging in. Essentially, Service Learning involves service connected to a learning objective. In this way, the service learning piece complements the ongoing programming that occurs onboard the vessel.. It does not have to be through a school system. It differs from community service because SL has a learning objective – the service is tied back to something whether it is maritime history, ecology, etc.
The pilot program will involve member vessels documenting their new or existing SL components. The outcome of this project is twofold. First, we will take the documentation from each member and combine it with SL grant information to create a Maritime SL toolkit for our membership. This will be available at this coming fall’s ASTA conference in Charleston. Secondly, the toolkit will allow ASTA to pursue a Federal Learn and Serve Grant.
We invite your organization to join in this program. We are asking member organizations to document their SL component through a narration of the activity, as well as provide testimonials from the program director, students, trainees, etc. The idea of the testimonial is to demonstrate that the SL piece added quality to the overall program. It should be noted that the SL piece does not have to be a central part of the ongoing sail training program, simply a component of the program. Additionally, your organization only needs to be “youth serving” to be a part of this pilot program. Your organization does not have to be directly tied to a school system. Our member organizations are considered “Community Based Organizations” (CBO). As long as there is a “learning objective” that goes along with the service, the activity is considered to be service-learning.
An example of a maritime/sail training SL component:
Trainees document water quality as part of their sail training program. They then submit these samples to the local agency that overseas water quality monitoring. Students are thus giving back to their committee, while learning about water quality and ecology at the same time.
ASTA is working in conjunction with the National Service Learning Partnership (NSLP) based in Washington, D.C. on this pilot program. Cal Pifer will be serving as the program coordinator. He is a former ASTA Intern, and now serves as the ASTA Special Projects Coordinator. In addition to working in the sail training industry, Cal serves on several committees at NSLP and is a former Service Learning program director for a college in Houston, Texas.
We sincerely hope that you will consider participating in this exciting, collaborative pilot program. If you would like to participate, please confirm to Cal Pifer, cal@sailtraining.org at ASTA by Friday, June 30th.
Questions about Service Learning or the pilot program can also be directed to Cal Pifer, or you can also view the SL websites below:
www.servicelearningpartnership.org
www.servicelearning.org
www.nylc.org
|