On- and Off-Site Service-Learning Projects Announced for Our World, Our Future

Each year at the National Service-Learning Conference®, attendees participate in dozens of on-and off-site service-learning projects. Since September, local planning committee members have been setting the groundwork for these projects to take place during the 2012 conference, Our World, Our Future.

On-site projects will take place on starting Wednesday, April 11 and run through Friday, April 13 in the exhibit hall at the Minneapolis Convention Center, and off-site projects will take place at various locations around the Saint Paul and Minneapolis metro area. On Saturday, April 14, conference attendees will participate in “Serve and Celebrate”  — a day that will include off-site projects as well as a celebration for Global Youth Service Day at the Mall of America.

This year’s on-site projects include:

• Tents of Witness: Genocide and Conflict: Visit this multimedia exhibit featuring tents simulating a refugee camp.
• Message in a Bottle: Help create a visual installation to represent marine pollution and learn how to reduce it.
• Stitch and Sew Dolls of Love: Make dolls that will be used by hospital staff when explaining medical treatments to children after upsetting experiences.
• Bring Care to the Community: Make a craft for men and women living in retirement communities.
• Button Up to Eliminate Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus: Assist Kiwanis International in eradicating MNT in 14 countries. Create a button, wear it, and share the story with others.
• Blockheads: Help dye and package blocks to for children in Haiti.
• Water Bottle Sculpture with Minneapolis Park Board: Help promote recycling by assisting a local artist in creating a water bottle sculpture.
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving: Create materials to raise awareness about teen driver safety.
• The Literacy Project: Sharing the World through Reading: Donate a book or create a bookmark to help promote global literacy.
• Recycling the Gap: Create an art project using recycled materials to represent the achievement gap.
• Cultivating Community Gardens: Help create a community gardening resource guide to be shared nationwide.

This year’s off-site projects include:

• Service-Learning in Saint Paul: Tour the city of Saint Paul by visiting several schools and learning about what local youth are doing in service-learning.
• Eco Education’s Toxic Tour: Visit toxic sites for the purpose of exploring environmental racism, justice and land use and learn how these issues affect youth.
• Serve and Celebrate: Participate in one of several locations in the Frogtown neighborhood in Saint Paul.

Register today for the 23rd Annual National Service-Learning Conference and youthrive PeaceJam Leadership Conference, Our World, Our Future, to take part in these unique opportunities.

Photo: 2011 conference attendees take part in off-site service project.