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March 2024
March 2024
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Last March 11, 2024, the teachers and staff of DIS had a service-learning workshop entitled “Advancing Service Learning”. This event was proposed to advance and integrate the aspect of service-learning into our curriculum. Service-learning, as a pedagogy, allows teachers and students to draw meaningful connections between study and service, identifying the needs of their community and addressing concerns based on their capacities. It undergoes a dynamic process that begins with investigation, preparation, and action which are simultaneously reinforced by reflection and demonstration.
The Dominicans know this as the 'Salamanca Process' which is basically: Study (interaction phase), research (clarification phase), analysis (questioning phase), and action (design phase). Experiences that are deepened through constant study and reflection enhance lessons that are taught in the classroom. These, then, become highly valued and life-long lessons.
It was suggested that we invite a Subject Matter Expert (SME) to go about the idea of service-learning in preparation for its full implementation. This is aligned with our goal to reach out to communities and to exhibit concrete forms of kindness in our effort to become positive contributors to society. This does not veer far from the Dominican pillar of service.
The goals of the conference/workshop are to (1) equip teachers and students with the tools/skills to transform classroom learning into meaningful service; (2) enhance student engagement in and out of the classroom; (3) help in the formation of a strong and positive school culture that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
Cathryn Berger Kaye is one of the leading proponents of service-learning. She is a leader in providing educational opportunities in the areas of service-learning, social-emotional learning, and development around leadership among others. She is well-established in the field. The DIS has been using her textbook as its main reference for its Grade 12 Community Service Project. Considering our Dominican charism and the need to intensify community development programs, having her in person will only benefit the school in the long run.
As president of CBK Associates and ABCD Books, she travels globally providing professional and organizational development, keynotes, in-depth institutes, and exceptional education and learning resources. She authored The Complete Guide to Service Learning and A Kids in Action workbook series. She has written two books, GOING BLUE: A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers & Wetlands, and Make a Splash! A Kids Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, & Wetlands with environmental advocate Philippe Cousteau.
Her program “Strategies for Success: A Learning Curriculum that Serves” has been implemented with over 50,000 students in the Los Angeles Unified School District; a new version emphasizing 21st-century skills is being implemented in Singapore, North Carolina, and with the Cherokee Nation.
The program ended with the distribution of certificates to all the participants.
