Guiding Educational Change

Our services are tailored to meet the needs of schools, school districts, state and regional agencies and out of school settings.
Awareness Workshop

Designed to help educators develop a basic understanding the KIDS award winning service-learning model. Through interactive games and visuals, participants will learn the difference between community based learning, community service, and service-learning, and why service-learning is an effective teaching strategy.

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Awareness Workshop

Overview

Designed to help educators develop a basic understanding of KIDS Consortium's award winning service-learning model. Through interactive games and visuals, participants will learn the difference between community based learning, community service, and service-learning, and why service-learning is an effective teaching strategy. Participants will leave with enthusiasm to begin a KIDS service-learning project in their school and/or community.

Target Audience and Workshop Length:

One to four hour workshop designed for educators, administrators, community partners and parents new to our service-learning model.

Participants will:

  • Understand the difference between our model of service-learning and other community-oriented educational experiences
  • Understand the importance of community partnership(s), student ownership, and connections to learning objectives that define a quality service-learning project
  • Learn about a variety of service-learning projects
  • Communicate the impacts of service-learning on students, teachers, and communities

Download a PDF Brouchure - Harkins Consulting Awareness Workshop
Planning and Implementing Workshop

Designed to prepare educators to implement a high quality service-learning project using tools and strategies from our KIDS As Planners Guidebook. During this workshop participants will have time to plan how to integrate service-learning in to their teaching environment and receive feedback on their ideas.

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Planning and Implementing Workshop

Overview

Designed to prepare educators to implement a high quality service-learning project using tools and strategies from our KIDS As Planners Guidebook.

During this workshop participants will have time to plan how to integrate service-learning in to their teaching environment and receive feedback on their ideas.

We can work with you to tailor this session around a specific content area (e.g. language arts, STEM) or a theme (e.g. health, environment).

* Prerequisite: Service-Learning Awareness training or equivalent.

Target Audience and Workshop Length:

One-day workshop designed for educators and administrators new to our service-learning model.

* (If prerequisite Awareness Training is needed, can be combined to extend training to one and half days to two days)

Participants will:

  • Identify a high quality service-learning project
  • Create a plan that incorporates service-learning into their teaching environment
  • Implement a high quality service-learning project for diverse learners
  • Build a collaborative environment in their teaching and learning communities
  • Facilitate reflective activities responsive to student learning styles

Download a PDF Brouchure - Harkins Consulting Awareness Workshop
Blending STEM Instruction with Service-Learning Workshop

KIDS Consortium and Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance have partnered to integrate expertise in service-learning and curriculum topic study to help teachers transform schools into authentic STEM/ service-learning environments.

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Blending STEM Instruction with Service-Learning Workshop

Overview

KIDSConsortium and Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance have partnered to integrate expertise in service-learning and curriculum topic study to help teachers transform schools into authentic STEM/ service-learning environments.Curriculum Topic Study (CTS) is a National Science Foundation {NSF) funded project that developed a systematic approach to help K-12 educators deepen their understanding of the science topics they teach.CTSbuilds a bridge between STEM standards, research on student learning, and opportunities for students to learn through improved teacher practice.

This workshop is designed to prepare educatorsto plan and implement a high quality STEM service-learning project, using tools and strategies from our KIDSAs Planners Guidebook and Curriculum Topic Study (CTS) materials.Participants will also have an opportunity to develop plans that integrate CTSand service-learning into their teaching environment and receivefeedback on their ideas.

Target Audience and Workshop Length:

Two-day workshop designed for educators and administrators new to our service-learning model and/or CTS.

Participants will:

  • Identify a high quality service-learning project that meets national standards(K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice and National Science Standards)
  • Learn about CTS as a way to build teacher understanding of what,how and why to teach particular topics in STEM content areas
  • Practice using CTS by conducting a study of the key ideas pertaining to data Apply the CTS process to topics participants currently teach
  • Implement a high quality service-learning project for diverse learners
  • Build a collaborative environment
  • Incorporate reflective activities responsive to student learning styles
  • Create a plan for implementing high quality STEM service-learning Improve plans through feedback from peers
Summer Institutes

Based on the award winning KIDS model of service-learning, discover the steps in creating a quality service-learning experience in partnership with students and community organizations.

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Summer Institutes

Overview

Based on the award winning KIDS model of service-learning, discover the steps in creating a quality service-learning experience in partnership with students and community organizations. This institute will be an interactive, collaborative learning experience. Institute participants will develop project ideas integrated with curriculum requirements and assessment models, and practice strategies to build a collaborative environment in the classroom and help students reflect on and celebrate their work.

Goals

Educators will leave the institute with an understanding of the steps in the KIDS model and a wealth of resources and strategies for designing, implementing, and assessing quality service-learning projects with young people in grades K-12.

Target Audience and Workshop Length:

Four day institutes are designed for educators and administrators new to our model, as well as, experienced service-learning practitioners who wish to expand their "toolbox" and reinvigorate their practice.

Participants will:

  • Gain an understanding of service-learning and its basic components
  • Learn how service-learning differs from community service and community-based learning
  • Develop a basic understanding of the steps involved in a quality service-learning project
  • Discover strategies that support youth voice in all aspects of project planning and implementation
  • Learn about current research on service-learning and its impacts on students, teachers, and communities
  • Learn techniques for building a collaborative environment in the classroom
  • Learn about building partnerships and utilizing school and community resources
  • Develop a deeper understanding of the role of reflection
  • Become familiar with resources available locally and nationally to support service-learning
  • Begin planning a KIDS model service-learning project

Download a PDF Brouchure - Harkins Consulting Summer Institutes
Reflective Practice Session

Designed to help educators reflect on the quality of their service-learning projects based on the National Standards for Quality Service-Learning Practice.

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Reflective Practice Sessions

Overview

Designed to help educators reflect onthe quality of their service-learning projects based on the National Standards for Quality Service-Learning Practice.

These standards cover: Meaningful Service; Youth Voice, Links to Curriculum; Reflection; Partnerships; Diversity; Progress Monitoring; and Intensity and Duration.

Target Audience and Workshop Length:

Half-day or evening workshop designed for educators who have, or are currently implementing service-learning projects.

Participants will:

  • Review the National Standards for Quality Service-Learning Practice
  • Self-assess practice to identify strengths and areas in need of improvement
  • Provide and receive feedback from peers, while learning and using best practice processes for small group reflection
Coaching Sessions

Our experienced Education Consultants are available to coach K-12 educators who are planning or implementing service-learning projects.

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Reflective Practice Sessions

Overview

Our experienced Education Consultants are available to coach K-12 educators who are planning or implementing service-learning projects.Common topics might include, but are not limited to:

  • Curriculum
  • Instruction or assessment planning
  • Strategies for developing authentic student engagement/voice
  • Working effectively with community partners
  • Engaging students in meaningful reflection
  • Developing a collaborativeworking environment in the classroom

Target Audience and Workshop Length:

Sessions are designed for any K-12 educator or team of educators. Times can be scheduled to meet the needs of individuals (e.g. half-day sessions, planning periods during the school day, or after school).

Participants will:

  • Work with coach to design specific and personalized outcomes.

Download a PDF Brouchure - Harkins Consulting Coaching Sessions
Sustainability Planning Seminar

This two-part Seminar is designed to help teams of local school and community leaders explore the essential elements of service-learning sustainability and engage in a collaborative planning process to identify and implement strategies to sustain service-learning.

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Sustainability Planning Seminar

Overview

This two-part Seminar is designed to help teams of local school and community leaders explore the essential elements of service-learning sustainability and engage in a collaborative planning process to identify and implement strategies to sustain service-learning.

PART I:

PART I is designed to introduce leaders to structures and policies in their schools and communities that affect change and can be leveraged to sustain service-learning.
Through interactive and collaborative activities, participants learn strategies that can be used to create a local leadership team and an action plan.

PART II:

PART II is a follow-up seminar designed to help local leaders articulate their progress, reflect, celebrate successes, and determine next stepstoward sustaining service-learning in schools and communities.

Target Audience and Workshop Length:

PART I is a two-day seminar designed for service-learning advocates and leaders (e.g. curriculum coordinator(s), building administrator(s), representative teacher(s), representative student(s), community partner(s), and/or volunteer coordinator(s),etc.).

PART II is a one-day follow-up seminar for Part I participants, typically scheduled 6 to 9 months after Part I.

Participants will:

  • Explore the essential elements of sustainability: Professional Development; Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment; Leadership; and School-Community Partnerships
  • Learn practices and polices implemented by other communities in their efforts to sustain service-learning
  • Learn a process with specific tools and strategies to sustain service-learning in their communities Assemble a guiding team of leaders
  • Build common language that should be used in schools and communities for both service-learning and strategic planning
  • Understand Best Practices for high quality service-learning (KIDS Model/National Standards)
  • Explore and gain lessons learned about how your communities have implemented service-learning and related initiatives to date (barriers/opportunities/successes)
  • Conduct a self-assessment on elements of sustainability in your schools and communities
  • Chart a vision of service-learning for your community
  • Learn to use action planning templates
  • Identify resources needed to move for ward with sustainability work
  • Have time to plan next steps (short and long term) in sustaining service-learning Receive peer and facilitator feedback on plans
  • Receive peer and facilitator feedback on plans
Social Emotional Learning

This Seminar is designed to  help participants think about what Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is and how it is important to teach these skills to students when expecting them to collaborate in projects. Participants will look at how to design activities to support intentional connections to SEL outcomes and integration in academic instruction.

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Sustainability Planning Seminar

Overview

This two-part Seminar is designed to help teams of local school and community leaders explore the essential elements of service-learning sustainability and engage in a collaborative planning process to identify and implement strategies to sustain service-learning.

PART I:

PART I is designed to introduce leaders to structures and policies in their schools and communities that affect change and can be leveraged to sustain service-learning.
Through interactive and collaborative activities, participants learn strategies that can be used to create a local leadership team and an action plan.

PART II:

PART II is a follow-up seminar designed to help local leaders articulate their progress, reflect, celebrate successes, and determine next stepstoward sustaining service-learning in schools and communities.

Target Audience and Workshop Length:

PART I is a two-day seminar designed for service-learning advocates and leaders (e.g. curriculum coordinator(s), building administrator(s), representative teacher(s), representative student(s), community partner(s), and/or volunteer coordinator(s),etc.).

PART II is a one-day follow-up seminar for Part I participants, typically scheduled 6 to 9 months after Part I.

Participants will:

  • Explore the essential elements of sustainability: Professional Development; Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment; Leadership; and School-Community Partnerships
  • Learn practices and polices implemented by other communities in their efforts to sustain service-learning
  • Learn a process with specific tools and strategies to sustain service-learning in their communities Assemble a guiding team of leaders
  • Build common language that should be used in schools and communities for both service-learning and strategic planning
  • Understand Best Practices for high quality service-learning (KIDS Model/National Standards)
  • Explore and gain lessons learned about how your communities have implemented service-learning and related initiatives to date (barriers/opportunities/successes)
  • Conduct a self-assessment on elements of sustainability in your schools and communities
  • Chart a vision of service-learning for your community
  • Learn to use action planning templates
  • Identify resources needed to move for ward with sustainability work
  • Have time to plan next steps (short and long term) in sustaining service-learning Receive peer and facilitator feedback on plans
  • Receive peer and facilitator feedback on plans
Request for Services

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