42 USC 12563 - Innovative and community-based service-learning programs and research

View all text of Part III [§ 12653k - § 12653k]

§ 12563. Innovative and community-based service-learning programs and research

(a) DefinitionsIn this part:

(1) Eligible entity

(2) Eligible partnershipThe term “eligible partnership” means a partnership that—

(A) shall include—

(i) 1 or more community-based entities that have demonstrated records of success in carrying out service-learning programs with economically disadvantaged students, and that meet such criteria as the Chief Executive Officer may establish; and

(ii) a local educational agency for which—(I) a high number or percentage, as determined by the Corporation, of the students served by the agency are economically disadvantaged students; and(II) the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (as defined in section 7801 of title 20) for the secondary school students served by the agency is less than 70 percent; and

(B) may also include—

(i) a local government agency that is not described in subparagraph (A);

(ii) the office of the chief executive officer of a unit of general local government;

(iii) an institution of higher education;

(iv) a State Commission or State educational agency; or

(v) more than 1 local educational agency described in subclause (I).1

1 So in original. Clause (v) does not contain subclauses.

(3) Youth engagement zone

(4) Youth engagement zone programThe term “youth engagement zone program” means a service-learning program in which members of an eligible partnership collaborate to provide coordinated school-based or community-based service-learning opportunities—

(A) in order to address a specific community challenge;

(B) for an increasing percentage of out-of-school youth and secondary school students served by a local educational agency; and

(i) not less than 90 percent of such students participate in service-learning activities as part of the program; or

(ii) service-learning is a part of the curriculum in all of the secondary schools served by the local educational agency.

(b) General authority

(1) integrate service-learning programs into the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (referred to in this part as “STEM”) curricula at the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, or postbaccalaureate levels in coordination with practicing or retired STEM professionals;

(2) involve students in service-learning programs focusing on energy conservation in their community, including conducting educational outreach on energy conservation and working to improve energy efficiency in low-income housing and in public spaces;

(3) involve students in service-learning programs in emergency and disaster preparedness;

(4) involve students in service-learning programs aimed at improving access to and obtaining the benefits from computers and other emerging technologies, including improving such access for individuals with disabilities, in low-income or rural communities, in senior centers and communities, in schools, in libraries, and in other public spaces;

(5) involve high school age youth in the mentoring of middle school youth while involving all participants in service-learning to seek to meet unmet human, educational, environmental, public safety, or emergency and disaster preparedness needs in their community;

(6) conduct research and evaluations on service-learning, including service-learning in middle schools, and disseminate such research and evaluations widely;

(7) conduct innovative and creative activities as described in section 12523(a) of this title;

(8) establish or implement summer of service programs (giving priority to programs that enroll youth who will be enrolled in any of grades 6 through 9 at the end of the summer concerned) during the summer months (including recruiting, training, and placing service-learning coordinators)—

(A) for youth who will be enrolled in any of grades 6 through 12 at the end of the summer concerned; and

(B) for community-based service-learning projects—

(i) that shall—(I) meet unmet human, educational, environmental (including energy conservation and stewardship), and emergency and disaster preparedness and other public safety needs; and(II) be intensive, structured, supervised, and designed to produce identifiable improvements to the community;

(ii) that may include the extension of academic year service-learning programs into the summer months; and

(iii) under which a student who completes 100 hours of service as described in ,

(9) establish or implement youth engagement zone programs in youth engagement zones, for students in secondary schools served by local educational agencies for which a majority of such students do not participate in service-learning activities that are—

(A) carried out by eligible partnerships; and

(B) designed to—

(i) involve all students in secondary schools served by the local educational agency in service-learning to address a specific community challenge;

(ii) improve student engagement, including student attendance and student behavior, and student achievement, graduation rates, and college-going rates at secondary schools; and

(iii) involve an increasing percentage of students in secondary school and out-of-school youth in the community in school-based or community-based service-learning activities each year, with the goal of involving all students in secondary schools served by the local educational agency and involving an increasing percentage of the out-of-school youth in service-learning activities; and

(10) conduct semester of service programs that—

(A) provide opportunities for secondary school students to participate in a semester of coordinated school-based or community-based service-learning opportunities for a minimum of 70 hours (of which at least a third will be spent participating in field-based activities) over a semester, to address specific community challenges;

(B) engage as participants high percentages or numbers of economically disadvantaged students;

(C) allow participants to receive academic credit, for the time spent in the classroom and in the field for the program, that is equivalent to the academic credit for any class of equivalent length and with an equivalent time commitment; and

(D) ensure that the classroom-based instruction component of the program is integrated into the academic program of the local educational agency involved; and

(11) carry out any other innovative service-learning programs or research that the Corporation considers appropriate.

(d) Applications

(e) PriorityIn making grants under this part, the Corporation shall give priority to applicants proposing to—

(1) involve students and community stakeholders in the design and implementation of service-learning programs carried out using funds received under this part;

(2) implement service-learning programs in low-income or rural communities; and

(3) utilize adult volunteers, including tapping the resources of retired and retiring adults, in the planning and implementation of service-learning programs.

(f) Requirements

(1) Term

(2) Collaboration encouraged

(3) Evaluation

(Pub. L. 101–610, title I, § 119, as added Pub. L. 111–13, title I, § 1204, Apr. 21, 2009, 123 Stat. 1479; amended Pub. L. 114–95, title IX, § 9215(bbb)(3), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2185.)