Service Learning School

"Service Learning School is a micro school which represents the future of education. We are working hand in hand with local community to improve conditions for all humankind." 

~ Jaime Manfra, Service Learning School; Founder

Why Donate? 
The students of SLS have actively served the community for years, passionately completing several community service projects per year. Feeding the homeless, assisting with hospice, volunteering with animal shelters, collecting supplies for impoverished countries, recycling resources to benefit children's hospitals... just to name a few. These kids have invested more time in improving conditions for society than they do at a school desk, and still continue to place above average on annual academic reviews. SLS is working for these families and communties!  SLS doesn't seek to grow, but rather to be a model that is easy to replicate by homeschooling families across the globe.  We are crowd and community funded.  

About us: Service Learning School is a grassroots Micro School initiative, in its 4th year.  We are an education non-profit 501(c)3.  The Service Learning School  model of education, which fuses acadmeic and social development with service to humanity, is rapidly gaining momentum and in order to succeed we are asking for assistance from the community, which the kids and volunteer staff are actively serving.  The time has come to make a real difference.

WHY DONATE?  Donating to Service Learning School is an investment in your community and the future.  We complete monthly service projects, which directly benefit the community. Your donations assist us in completing these projects, and the infused academics, in order to ensure the projects are relevant to the kids. Your donations will allow us to function on a full time basis, and demonstrate how kids can serve and learn in a typical school day!  SLS families are community members, they are the future. We ensure the kids are emotionally, academically and mentally healthy and happy.  Our kids have an understanding of the difference they can make, and the choice is thiers!  Help us show the world that a school environment exists, where children are happy and thriving academcially, psychologically and are learning they can make a difference . In fact, SLS kids are making that difference everyday!

What is Service Learning School?... It's a model of education, which connects a classroom with community and global needs.  We actively plan and execute service projects and we structure academic learning around the service project.   We are a secular and Baha'i inspired group and teaching diversity (including interfaith) is an important part of helping to nurture a world view with SLS families. Unity in diversity is a central tennant of SLS.

A typical day at SLS...
A day at Service Learning School begins with Mindful Meditation. After Mindful Meditation we briefly revisit the Service Project for that month to ensure our focus is clear. We then separate into groups determined by the kids abilities and academic capacity and each group completes an academic lesson which can include physical learning activity, writing, reading, science and/or math depending on the kid's energy or focus levels. Academic activities often correspond to the service project of the month. After the morning lesson, we break for some free time in the grass and lunch, then return to our groups for more lessons. Lessons in the afternoon can involve social emotional learning such as "Dilemmas" where the students role play 4 Dilemma scenarios pertaining to a virtue or good character trait. Peer mentoring is also strong in the afternoon, where the older kids mentor the young ones. At the conclusion of the day, we regroup all of the kids for a few more minutes of mindful mediation.. Other activities include guest speakers on diverse topics of religions, ethnicity, disability, stereotypes etc... (embracing diversity). We also have one field trip a month or outdoor volunteering project.   

About the Founder... I'm currently in my 4th year of part-time college, working towards a Masters in Developmental Psychology and Teacher Certification. I’m a Board Director for Florida Character.org (formerly FICP Florida Intentional Character Partnership).  Florida Character.org is an organization of education professionals, school counselors, professors and teachers who are actively working on integrating character education into public school classrooms.  I was nominated for Florida Character.org Board of Directors based on my work in Service Learning over the past 4 years, and the success of the SLS model.  As part of my role with Florida Character.org, I assist in teaching seminars for Graduate and Undergraduate students on the integration of service learning into public school classrooms. I’ve spoken at the University of Tampa and the Florida Character.org conference 2015.  

SLS is a Different Kind of Learning…It's our hope that this paradigm of education will gain momentum. Service Learning School is much different than Montessori and Waldorf.   We don't do academics linearly or separately, the academic lessons are relevelnt to the service project that month.  By fusing the academics to the service project, we increase the relevance of the academic learning as well lend a deeper meaning and understanding to the projects we are completing.  Our kids have fun completing service projects with their  friends and this method, if done consistently, (which we do) creates a pattern of activity that will lead to service-minded habits in adulthood. Giving back literally becomes a part of who they are and how they think. Helping others becomes a source of joy and self-worth.  When the students complete a project for our local community, we include plenty of field trips, adding levels of relevance to the community. Our motto is "There is always a way to serve and something to learn" so we have a dual appreciation.  The volutneer staff at SLS pour every ounce of energy and resources into SLS because we firmly believe it is one sure way to improve conditions in society. We also firmly believe that connecting with others and serving, where there is a need, is the source of true happiness. When we connect this way with the kids, serving along side them, they're sure to derive peace and joy by assisting others.  Isn't this how a school should be?  A school for the future.

Help Us Grow… Thank you sincerely for your time and consideration.  One thing is sure, we will keep forging ahead and never give up.  The assistance we receive will serve to propel this paradigm of education forward.  As Service Learning School model of education gains momentum, it could change education … and perhaps even the world!   It will, at the very least, definitely change lives!  Onward!  
NOTE:  Your donations are tax deductible. Service Learning School is a registered 501(c)(3).