Beyond Service: Using Service Learning as a Career and Workforce Development Strategy

Karin Gratz, Executive Director Petra Duecker, Program Facilitator Vena Namukasa, AmeriCorps VISTA UW-Waukesha

What is Lead to Succeed?

How is LTS Unique & Innovative?

◦ LTS is an INDUSTRY-DRIVEN youth leadership development program in which high school and college students work together on a service-learning project for a local non-profit organization.

Program Goals:  Develop youth leadership skills  Engage students in their learning and planning for future  Create responsible citizens and active community leaders   Expose students to careers and skills employers most demand Encourage post-secondary education opportunities and success

Lead to Succeed At a Glance

The program requires partnerships to be formed between the school district, colleges/universities, non profit organizations, and Workforce Development Agencies/Boards.

The projects are built collaboratively to meet the needs and goals of the key stakeholders: Businesses Post-Secondary Institutions Community Organizations K-12 Schools

Lead to Succeed At a Glance

LTS Formula: A group of 7-15 High School Students + Project Mentors /College Students + A Custom Designed Project for a local Non-profit Organization _________________________________________________ Lead to Succeed = Developing Future Workforce and Community Leaders

Lead to Succeed At a Glance

Leadership Development Skill Lessons Project Implementation Guide Careers/Post Secondary Education

LTS Curriculum

UW-Waukesha Lead to Succeed Projects

Sponsors: UW-Waukesha, School District of Waukesha, Wells Fargo, ProHealth Care, Greater Milwaukee Foundation – Youth in Service Program

~ Research ~ Communication ~ Critical Thinking ~ Marketing ~ The WDC assists job seekers with life-long resources such as career planning, job searching, schooling, economic support and re-training. Project Goals: Develop and promote a half day workshop on social networking (30 second commercial, LinkedIn) for unemployed/underemployed individuals in Waukesha County.

The Workforce Development Center

~ Public Relations ~ Market Researcher ~ Human Resources ~ Instructor ~

~ Observation ~ Social Perceptiveness ~ Decision Making ~ FRIENDS FOR HEALTH IN HAITI ...Improving Health, Changing Lives Friends for Health’s mission is to improve the health status of the people of Haiti, through high-quality health care, provided in a caring, compassionate and respectful manner. • Project Goals: Coordinate a supply drive of backpacks, school supplies, and hygiene items to benefit school • children in Haiti.

Utilize marketing and media to bring attention to the project in the • community.

Find community partners to assist in project support.

Friends for Health in Haiti

~ Marketing ~ Public Relations ~ Advertising ~ Communications ~

~ Coordination ~ Organization ~ Marketing ~ Resourcefulness ~ La Casa's mission is to provide opportunities for low-income individuals to achieve full social and economic participation in society, with emphasis on the Hispanic population.

Project Goals:  Organize book drive so that each student at La Casa, age 6 12 years, will have a new book to take home with them.  Students will be invited to La Casa to have a day of reading with the kids.

La Casa de Esperanza

~ Promoter ~ Teacher ~ Librarian ~ Social Worker ~ Marketing ~

~ Marketing ~ Communication ~ Critical Thinking ~ Flexibility ~ Project Goals: • Build a mini-MRF table for children to use to sort recyclables • Create handouts and additional materials to supplement the table (i.e. coloring sheets or a list of additional games or books) • Create outreach materials to publicize the table to local preschools, libraries, and elementary schools

Waukesha County Recycling

~ Environmental Education ~ Marketing ~ Construction ~

~ Communication ~ Time Management ~ Persuasion ~ The Salvation Army provides emergency lodging, community meals, and family services to community members who need it the most.

Project Goal: Coordinate the 2009 Kettle Campaign Youth Challenge at Waukesha North High School utilizing online social media platforms to advertise and track team progress.

The Salvation Army of Waukesha

~ Event Planning ~ Social Welfare ~ Non-Profit Leadership ~

~ Speaking ~ Creativity ~ Respect ~ Critical Observation ~ Students are coordinating a campaign to help raise awareness about the National Children’s Study in Waukesha.

The National Children’s Study will examine the effects of environmental influences on the health and development of children across the United States. The goal of the Study is to improve the health and well-being of children.

The National Children’s Study

~ Promotional Advertising ~ Marketing ~ Health Care ~

~ Creativity ~ Personnel Management~ Analysis ~ Moorewood Park is a City of Waukesha neighborhood park on the southeast side of Waukesha.

Project Goals: •Build a wood chip trail in Moorewood Park.

  Work with elementary students to create mosaic pieces to bring life to the park trail.

Create MP3 recordings and corresponding stations to make the trail interactive for visitors.

Waukesha Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry

~ Natural Resources Conservation ~ Urban Forestry ~ Park Development ~

Student Leadership Conference

~ School for Urban Planning and Architecture ~ Lead to Succeed would also like to introduce the following projects that have just started in Milwaukee!!!

Gathering Waters Festival: students will create an exhibit featuring green solutions to be displayed at this year’s festival.

Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District: students will create an educational campaign to educate people on how to properly dispose of hazardous household materials.

Layton Boulevard Neighborhood Association: students will obtain and decorate 2-5 rain barrels for neighborhood renovation projects.

Milwaukee Project Sponsors: Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board, Milwaukee Department of City Development/Life Ventures Partnership ~ Neu Life Community Center ~

…Milwaukee Projects Cont’d.

16th Street Community Health Center: students will promote Earth Day events and educate other youth about environmental conditions in the Kinnickinnic River UWM WATER Institute: students will become the media agency in a regional ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) competition event by marketing the event and writing follow up press releases/media stories covering the event.

Milwaukee Sponsors Cont’d: UW-Milwaukee Institute for Service Learning, Milwaukee 7 Water Council

Our Panel Members: Tom Uyehara and Char Zarnoth, IndependenceFirst Wanda Harkins, Wells Fargo Steve Glynn, Spreenkler, LLC Katie Miller, National Children's Study Waukesha County Vanguard Center William Malone, Milwaukee Department of City Development Dr. Julianne Price, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Institute for Service Learning Elizabeth Thelen, WIRED Iniative and iLink, Milwaukee 7 Water Council.

And Now, a word from our Panelists…

1. Find 1 industry or business to partner with.

2. Look for service opportunities students can get involved with in the community.

3. Implement a group project that will benefit a local organization.

4. Identify career skills that were utilized in that project.

5. Integrate these skills into your curriculum/program.

5 Simple Steps to Utilize Service Learning as a Career/Workforce Development Strategy!

For More Information about Lead to Succeed…

Contact: Karin Gratz Community Connections Consulting [email protected]

414-456-1733