The Jack and Harriet Rosenfeld Foundation Program in Jewish Education, School of Education, University of Miami and The Friedman Commission for Jewish Education presented a two-day seminar, "Service is Learning," recently, for Arthur I. Meyer Academy faculty and middle school students.
Service Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.
Former classroom teacher and expert Service Learning trainer, Cathryn Berger Kaye, took part in the seminar, spending one day training teachers in the concept and another day working directly with middle students. Kaye is the author of "The Complete Guide to Service Learning: Proven, Practical Ways to Engage Students in Civic Responsibility, Academic Curriculum & Social Action."
"Ms. Kaye worked directly with 24 Meyer middle school students showing us all the power of what students can do to change the world while simultaneously 'learning their 3Rs,'" Lynne Lieberman, acting executive director of the CJE, said.
"[She] helped the students acquire their own voice for choosing and integrating service into their schoolwork with an exciting, high energy activity using inspiring quotes," she noted. "This seminar was one of the most inspiring and well conducted trainings we have ever done."
The goal was "to bring a top quality, best practices teacher training seminar to our community which is meaningful and relevant for our children and their achievement and well-being," Lieberman noted.
How exactly does Service Learning work?
"Well developed service learning curriculum can take the problem of hunger, for example, and follow an inquiry and learning activity process weaving through each of the subject areas (math, social studies, science, language arts, etc.) such that the students learn the root origins of hunger in a location, how the geography, climate, education level, economy, politics, impact the availability of quality food, the results of this impact, how to change them and, or alleviate them," Lieberman said.
The University of Miami, School of Education, has established a program in Jewish Education based on a grant from the Jack and Harriet Rosenfeld Foundation Program in Jewish Education and with the support of trustees Lynn Fromberg and Jay Kaufman.
"One of the goals of this program is to provide a myriad of opportunities to support and enhance learning in the Jewish day schools and religious schools in South Florida in the form of workshops, seminars, and institutes," Anita Meinbach, clinical assistant professor, University of Miami Department of Teaching and Learning, said.
"In planning these learning opportunities, our mission is to present research based ideas, strategies, and curriculum designs which are dynamic, rigorous, and innovative. The two day workshop was truly life changing and life affirming," she noted.
"In our Jewish Day Schools we plan a Mitzvah Day, but I believe this needs to be every day. It needs to become a part of our lives and how we see the world and our place in it. Service Learning affords us the opportunity to instill in our students the principles on which Judaism is founded, values such as tikkun olam (to repair the world), social activism and Gemilut Hasadim — Acts of Loving Kindness."
Marilyn LeRoy, new Meyer Academy principal for grades 1-5, said the seminar had an "impact" on the students.
"I have never seen such enthusiasm, such energy for a new way of integrating curriculum and service to others," she said. "The kids sparkled. There was something in the air."
Haley Lickstein, an 8th grade student at the West Palm Beach school, echoed those sentiments.
"I absolutely loved it," she said. "I thought it was a great opportunity to learn about how to be an inspiration and effective leader in your community."
Instructor and author Cathryn Berger Kaye works with a group of middle school ages students at the Arthur I. Meyer Jewish Academy in West Palm Beach on how to create and facilitate community service projects. (Staff photo/Matt Dean / August 11, 2010)