Information for Community Groups

The following resources are for building service-learning opportunities between community partners and service-learning practitioners.

Building Community through Service-Learning: The Role of the Community Partner (16 pages, 528K pdf) explains the role of the community partner in school-based service learning and includes a how-to guide. An issue paper on the website of the Education Commission of the States.

Partnerships by Design (56 pages, 872K pdf) is a practical, realistic tool, focused on working with families and the community, that provides easy-to-read information and an efficient planning process. It contains simple forms, worksheets, and activities that help schools and organizations write their own school-family-community partnership plan. Partnerships by Design also includes "Ideas for Action" – hints, tips, and practical suggestions for putting the plans into action. On the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory website.

Building Effective Partnerships for Service Learning (4-page pdf) is a concise resource that offers tips and resources for creating community partnerships. From the Points of Light Foundation, on the National Service-Learning Partnership website.

Partner Power and Service-Learning: Manual for Community-Based Organizations to Work with Schools and Service-Learning for Community Based Organizations (25-page pdf) is a resource to help community-based organizations support service-learning. Provided by Serve Minnesota, on the National Service-Learning Partnership website.