Summer of Service (SOS) Resource Center

Posted by on April 13, 2009

New Federal Funding for Summer Service Programs!

Last week, Congress passed legislation for an expansion of national service including $20 million for Summer of Service (SOS) programs, an initiative to build a network of intensive summer service opportunities for middle school youth as they prepare to enter high school. A national SOS network would provide young teens with positive experiences that reinforce community connections, enliven their education, and strengthen personal and civic values. At the same time, communities across America might find an important new resource in their own backyards – young people who are ready to serve, if only they are asked and provided the opportunity to do so.

We need your help!

To help support SOS expansion, we are seeking examples of effective practices from the field on how best to integrate service within summer programs involving middle school youth. We are specifically looking for high quality programs targeting authentic community needs through thoughtfully-designed service-learning activities that challenge young people to solve problems, build valuable life skills, reflect critically about their role in society, and pave the way for academic success in high school and beyond.

Join our national collaborative….

Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) with funding from Lumina Foundation is bringing together experts from across the country to help design Summer of Service training and technical assistance materials. Program directors and other practitioners that contribute their success stories will be featured on a special section of the ICP website called SOS Program Insights, multi-media presentations on exemplary programs that can provide best practices. Program Insights will be part of the SOS Resource Center which provides users with information and technical assistance in the design and evaluation of high quality SOS programs. ICP is continuing to develop and expand the Resource Center; new materials can be sent to truitt@icicp.org. Effective practices will also be included in our upcoming SOS Program Design Toolkit publication. In addition, three sites will be offered on-site training to pilot new college access curriculum within their SOS projects.

http://www.icicp.org/ht/d/sp/i/3129/pid/3129

Let’s Get Started!

Please consider serving with our national collaborative to help insure high quality, enriching SOS experiences in every community. As a member of the SOS national collaborative, you will be interviewed via telephone about your programming experiences, asked to share effective practices, and guided through a self-inquiry process that will be uploaded to the Program Insights website. You may also be invited to participate in SOS workgroup sessions in Washington, DC (dates TBD), and to pilot new curricula at your project site.  To join, please complete the following form and email to: ntysvaer@umich.edu. Thanks for your commitment to national service!

YES! Please contact me with more information about ICP’s Summer of Service national training and technical assistance collaborative. I would be willing to (check all that apply):

_____ Share effective practices about summer service-learning programs for middle schoolers

_____ Post information about my program on the Program Insights professional development website

_____ Pilot new college access curriculum at my site

Contact Name:

Organization:

SOS Project Name:

Website:

Email:

Street Address:

City/State/Zip:

Phone:

Fax: