Civic and District Leaders Recognized for their Support of Service-Learning
Saint Paul, Minn. (September 25, 2012) — The National Youth Leadership Council thanks North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan (D) and Representative Howard Coble (R) for convening a Capitol Hill Briefing, as well as Guilford County Schools, and all of the panelists who participated in the event on Thursday, September 13, 2012.
The briefing, which focused on how the third largest school district in North Carolina has achieved high levels of academic success by implementing a character development and service-learning initiative, featured a panel of speakers including Guilford County Schools Superintendent Maurice Green, high school students Tyler Hardin and Alhosainy Altaher, and representatives from GCS, NYLC, Communities in Schools, and the U.S. Department of Education.
In her statement, Senator Hagan stated, “We all know and agree that education reform is one of the highest priorities in the nation. What I hope you hear today is how service-learning can be a critical tool in accomplishing that reform by improving student achievement, especially in lower-performing schools.”
The North Carolina district serves more than 72,000 students and ranks among the 50 largest districts nationally. Out of 13 schools in North Carolina to achieve 100-percent graduation rates in 2011, eight were in Guilford County. The 2011 school year also saw the highest level of collegiate financial scholarships awarded to students with more than $120 million in scholarship funds.
“We wanted to get to a place where all of our young people understood their place in the world and how they can make an impact,” explains Green. Service-learning is a way of teaching that helps students use what they are learning in the classroom to solve community problems. Since 2010, NYLC has provided district-wide trainings to teachers and high school students to become service-learning leaders, and is using lessons learned in GCS to help transform other school districts across the United States.
“Students in classrooms today, and all young people, have the ingenuity, passion, and creativity to make positive change in the education system, and should be valued as such,” said NYLC CEO Kelita Bak. “We are proud to partner with Guilford County Schools and are grateful to Senator Hagan, Representative Coble, and each of the leaders on our panel who are proving every day through their support that this vision for change is possible.”
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About the National Youth Leadership Council
At the National Youth Leadership Council, we strive for a world where all young people are valued and called on to lead. With passion, creativity, and ingenuity, young people can address world issues while strengthening academic outcomes through service-learning. To that end, we provide programs and services that develop young leaders, support educators, and advance the field of service-learning. Visit www.nylc.org to learn more about NYLC and service-learning.
