NATIONAL COMMISSION
ON SERVICE-LEARNING

The National Commission on Service-Learning released a report entitled Learning In Deed: The Power of Service-Learning for American Schools that synthesizes the state-of-the-art, summarizes the Commission's recommendations and provides the basis for an intense period of outreach. The Commission was established to bring a new level of public commitment to service-learning by: (1) developing recommendations and an action plan to make service-learning available to all K-12 students and (2) encouraging adoption of service-learning among education leaders and policy makers.

Membership

The Commission's membership includes 18 strategic thinkers and leaders representing key sectors that influence education and public opinion, including K-12 education, higher education, government, business, citizen action, media, entertainment and youth. Each member has been chosen both for his/her leadership ability and interest in service-learning. Under the leadership of Commission Chair Senator John Glenn, members will examine the potential of service-learning to engage young people in their own learning and in the civic life of their communities.

Background

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation launched an initiative in 1998 called Learning In Deed: Making a Difference Through Service-Learning. The National Commission is part of Learning In Deed which was established to broaden the use of service-learning in school districts across America. Learning In Deed builds on the Kellogg Foundation's decade of support for service-learning as a way to engage youth in a powerful way in their learning and their communities.

Through service-learning, youth become both engaged and educated. They are more involved with their studies and motivated to learn, and their sense of civic and social responsibility increases at the same time they are contributing to a bright future for our nation.

As part of Learning In Deed, the National Commission on Service-Learning benefits from the work of other initiative components including a five-state demonstration project, a national research network, and a new membership organization, the National Service-Learning Partnership, dedicated to making service-learning part of every student's education.

The Commission is supported by The John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.