[Image: service learning group]On Monday, February 18, 2008, a team from Pointe Coupee 4-H participated in the State 4-H Service Learning Training in Port Allen. Alanna Williams, PCC 4-H’er, Katherine Robillard, FRA 4-H’er, Lisa James, Parent Volunteer, and Layne Langley, 4-H Agent, made up the team that attended the training. The training was conducted by State 4-H Specialists, 4-H Agents, and a 4-H teen volunteer.
During the training, teams learned how to incorporate youth voice in their projects and programs and create community ownership in service learning projects. They also learned how to conduct a needs assessment and complete pre-service reflection before starting a service learning project.
The presenters used group activities and hands-on activities to teach the service learning cycle and components. Teams were showed how to plan and prepare for service learning and what constitutes meaningful service. Teams also received resources on reflecting after service projects and gained tips on evaluating programs. The training ended with information on celebrating, recognizing, and reporting results from service learning projects. Before the training ended, parish teams completed a training evaluation.