Meet Rock Stars and Celebrities at Without Limits!

A few days for professionals from across the country to get together, celebrate, and showcase the best their field has to offer. That could describe the Grammy Awards, the Super Bowl, Fashion Week, or the National Service-Learning Conference. That’s right I said the National Service-Learning Conference!

If you are as committed and passionate about service-learning as I am, the conference is something you look forward to all year just as the professionals in other fields look forward to their signature event. The 2013 event in Denver will be my 15th conference and I think I get more excited every year. I can’t wait to get together with old friends, make new ones, and see what youth and adults have been doing across the country to make communities better while engaging youth in meaningful learning. In addition to a star-studded lineup of exciting workshops there will be awards to recognize the best in our field and the always spectacular Service-Learning Showcase (if you want to meet real rock stars and celebrities take some time to talk to the students sharing their amazing initiatives in the Showcase).  

This year promises to be another wonderful conference and I’m so pleased to again be working with the conference staff to organize the Rookie Series. The Rookie Series is a set of workshops designed specifically for youth and adults new to service-learning. The fun, interactive workshops will cover some of the nationally research-based K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice including:

Understanding and Promoting Youth Voice,

Standards + Service = Curriculum Integration,

Reflection for the Rookie, and

Reciprocal Partnerships: Why Should I Work With You?

A special Immersion Session, IPAR-D Rockin In The House Tonite!, is a double session that will guide rookies thorough the steps of the IPARD process of service-learning. Using a variety of hands-on activities and real life examples, participants will walk away with a strong understanding of the big picture.

One of the things I’m personally most proud of when it comes to the Rookie Series, is that each session is co-facilitated by some of the best youth trainers from across the country. This year the Rookie Series Team includes youth and adults from schools and community organizations in Missouri, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania. They’ll share great resources and activities to help you build a strong foundation for service-learning in your classroom, school, or organization. You will have a chance to meet experts with experience in just about every setting where service-learning takes place: k-12 schools, alternative schools, after-school programs, district-wide implementation, Charter Schools, summer programs, and Higher Ed Institutions.

I hope you will think about joining us at the conference and in the Rookie Series. You can attend one workshop or stay for the entire series! You’ll learn how to meaningfully engage youth in identifying needs, planning projects, building community partnerships, connecting service to curriculum, and reflecting in fun and cognitively challenging ways. One thing is for sure, you will see the power of service-learning “Without Limits.”

Oh wait…did I mention there are door prizes? Can’t wait to see you in Denver!