[Image: Tyler Rose, Jake LaCaze, Kelsey Longino, Christian Sparks]At Marthaville Junior High School this year learning was happening beyond the classroom. Lynn LaCaze’s seventh-grade health class partnered with LSU AgCenter 4-H agent Laura Brumbaugh to participate in a service-learning project titled "Safety Crew: Teens Constructing a Safer Tomorrow."
The concept of service learning is a hallmark of the LSU AgCenter’s Louisiana 4-H youth development program. The concept takes community service and makes it become more relevant. It allows youth to take ownership of the project while participating in learning experiences.
According to the Alliance for Service Learning in Education Reform, “Service learning is a method by which young people learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences that meet actual community needs; are coordinated in collaboration with the school and community; are integrated into each young person's academic curriculum; provide the structured time for a young person to think, talk, and write about what he/she did and saw during the actual service activity (reflection); provide young people with opportunities to use newly acquired academic skills and knowledge in real life situations in their own communities; enhance what is taught in the school by extending student learning beyond the classroom; and help to foster the development of a sense of caring for others.”
The seventh-grade students at Marthaville Junior High who participated in the service-learning project were: Ashton Cruse, Charley Desadier, Tyler Dubois, Taylor Ford, Elizabeth Haigh, Hannah Haigh, Hannah Jones, Jacob LaCaze, Sarah Lester, Taylor Lodridge, Kelsey Longino, Jacy Morace, Tyler Rose, Savannah Settle, Shannon Smith, Christian Sparks, Christen Tate, Anthony Thomas and James Walker. Project leaders were Lynn LaCaze, Marthaville Junior High teacher, Melinda Powell, Marthaville Junior High volunteer, and Laura Brumbaugh, LSU AgCenter 4-H agent.
The class performed a needs assessment using a community survey and interviewing the school principal, Terry Williams. From those results they decided that the community collaborator they would partner with would be the fourth- and fifth-grade classes at the elementary school, which is housed on the same campus. The participants decided to use LSU AgCenter safety curriculum to teach weather, hunter, ATV and home-alone safety to address those community concerns identified through their needs assessment. They also collaborated with Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agent B.J. Shoemaker and District 7 Fire Chief Doug Birdwell.
In preparation for teaching the lessons, the students researched their topics, worked in groups to develop their lessons, created displays for their topics and reflected throughout the process on their thoughts, feelings and what they were doing.
Through the lessons taught during three days in April 29 fourth-grade students and 38 fifth-grade students were reached. The lessons included hands-on learning experiences that the service-learning students prepared and taught. These lessons were truly youth led and delivered. On April 27, 2009, the ATV safety lessons were taught by Hannah Jones, Jimbo Walker, Sarah Lester, Charlie Desadier and Anthony Thomas. The lessons included a demonstratio[Image: Jacy Morace]n of the proper gear to wear while riding an ATV. On April 28, 2009, the hunter safety lesson was taught by Shannon Smith, Ashton Cruse, Savannah Settle and Tyler Dubois. During this lesson guest speaker B.J. Shoemaker of Wildlife and Fisheries was invited to speak to the elementary students. The weather and home-alone safety lessons were taught on April 29, 2009. The Weather or Not Safety lesson was taught by Christian Sparks, Kelsey Longino, Jake LaCaze and Tyler Rose. The home-alone safety lesson was taught by Hannah Haigh, Elizabeth Haigh, Jacy Morace, Taylor Lodrige and Christen Tate. During these lessons the Natchitoches Fire Department brought in their safety trailer, where fourth- and fifth-graders were taught about weather and fire safety. District 7 Fire Chief Doug Birdwell, City of Natchitoches Fire Department Driver and Operator Michael Sesvold and Volunteer District 7 Firefighter Richard Bruce all assisted with the safety trailer
At the conclusion of the project students enjoyed a celebration of their efforts. They enjoyed a field trip to Lake Martin for a Swamp Tour in St. Martin parish and an afternoon at the Mall of Acadiana in Lafayette, LA. During the swamp tour the students learned about the development of Lake Martin, the rookery on sight and about the birds and plants found in the swamp. One group even saw 6 alligators while on the tour!
This project allowed youth to become part of the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Youth Development Program as a school enrichment group, a delivery mode of the 4-H program. Through this project these youth not only learned about the importance of safety, they also developed communication skills, learned to work as a team, investigated their feelings and reactions to events and were engaged in meaningful service to their community. The project far reached the expectations of leaders.
[Image: Jimbo Walker]
“To reflect back and remember where we started at and to see the journey of growth for each of these youth is really amazing. It only shows the power of youth and what they are capable of doing if given the opportunity” said LSU AgCenter 4-H Agent Laura Brumbaugh. Lynn LaCaze says, “When I was first approached with this idea I had never really considered integrating service into my curriculum, but from this success I believe in the power of a service learning project.” From the youth that participated in the service learning project, “I liked it and felt that I learned more about my community and way of life.” “It felt great because we got to teach little kids responsibility.” “I feel I learned a lot. Also as future leaders of America we need to participate.” “I felt very good about this project. I felt good about it because I believe the kids that we taught actually learned something.” The quotes were submitted by anonymous surveys.