Using the acronym PARCA is an easy way to remember the five main steps of service learning - preparation, action, reflection, assessment and celebration. Leaving out or cutting a step short can often mean the difference between the success and failure of your work.

Preparation
Readiness. Attempting to engage in service learning without laying the groundwork in the community can be the kiss of death for an initiative. Potential partners who may be interested in working with the school need to be identified. An advisory board (15 people maximum) of stakeholders - parents, students, teachers and administrators and intended partners such as civic groups, businesses, nonprofits, etc. - is a wise idea. Teachers need to be shown that service learning is not an "add on" but can be integrated into any subject area or it can be a separate class. It can be an individual student's independent study or a group class, school or community project. And it is an effective vehicle for interdisciplinary or club work.

Students need to complete self-assessments. They must understand their own needs, feel8ings and work styles in order to work together and relate to the needs of others. Self-report tests and activities in communication and team-building help students gain self-awareness.

Community Needs Assessment. Students can investigate community needs through questionnaires and surveys, media research or brainstorming. This will usually lead to a partnership with one or more local agencies who needs assistance with a particular issue or population. A formal partnership should be developed between the school and various agencies at this time to provide information on participant rights, advocacy issues, orientation/training and observation opportunities necessary for work with a particular agency. Having the students study the group or issue they are to work with makes the service-learning experience more meaningful. To worth with the visually impaired, for example, students must be familiar with the social, emotional, physical, mental, ethical, legal and safety issues confronting this population, as well as applicable licensing laws and regulations.

During the community needs assessment phase, students should become familiar with partner contact information, directions, hours of operation, population served and their major needs and issues, volunteer requirements, scheduling parameters and career opportunities. All this information should be recorded in templates - one for every agency. The templates are filed in numerical order in the "Preparation and Training" section of their portfolios. (See Portfolio Pointers.)

Planning. The next step is to have students use critical thinking skills to determine the needs they wish to address, the types of activities best suited to address these needs and the available resources. It is essential that students be a part of the planning process to gain ownership in the projects or activities. Working with the community partner ensures the congruence of goals and objective of the school and the partner.

Program Management. Once the activities are chosen, a system must be put in place to determine how the program will be managed. Typical questions will arise: What will be done? What are the desired outcomes? How does the activity relate to what is being taught? What are the responsibilities of the school and the partners? What is the timeline? Where will it be done? Has parental permission been obtained? Is transportation required? Who will provide it? What insurance issues need to addressed? What supplies and materials are required and who will provide them? Will necessary training be provided? Will additional funding sources by required? What activities might be planned for the future as a result of this project?

It is particularly important to investigate insurance, liability and transportation issues when students work at sites off the school campus. The school's legal department should review the wording of any written permission form you prepare for students. Requiring a notarized parental signature also strengthens such a document. If students are driving, be sure vehicles are insured and that you have photocopies of their insurance forms.

Action
If given the opportunity, students will surprise everyone - especially themselves - by the exciting things they can do. Even those labeled "at risk" seem to come alive in the right situation. There are three ways to engage in service learning:

• Direct action with a particular population is the ideal. Students develop skills in applied learning situations such as internships, demonstrations through student organization events and other classroom activities. For example, students might assist with the recreational activities in a nursing home, thereby demonstrating their understanding of the rules, regulations, policies and technology affecting the home, its clients and their families. Students also would learn to work collaboratively with other students, support staff, the residents and their families. Students must be monitored closely with the help of field-site personnel.
• Indirect action is appropriate when it is not possible to being the students in contact with those they wish to help. One example would be for students to create educational games for children with special needs. This would help educate the students about the needs and capabilities of this population. In another situation students might create an informational booklet on health-care services in the community. Booklets could then be reproduced for distribution throughout the community. Partners can contribute in-house facilities or financial resources for printing.
• Advocacy is a third type of action. For example, a student might research an issue, such as substance abuse. Using what then have learned they could prepare presentations to legislators and civic groups. Another example: After hearing a presentation on the importance of the early years in the formation of the brain, students might become advocates for quality nurturing. Childcare dos and don'ts might be illustrated through role-playing or puppet shows. Teachers should keep activity records in their grade books in order to document each student's hours of service.

Reflection
In this step, students think about the work they have done, what it means to them, how it made them fell, how t hey applied classroom skills, how might it help them in making a career decision and what new skills have been learned. Journals, essays, displays, presentation and skits are some effective reflection tools. Oral discussions also help to deepen the meaning of the service experience. Reflection should be required after all activities and documented in student's portfolios.

Students' work should be evaluated throughout the program (formative) and at the completion of the work (summative). A national set of measurement standards developed by the Alliance for Service Learning in Education Reform (ASLER Standards) is useful. The effectiveness of existing community partnerships also should be evaluated. It is also good experience for students to work with teachers on this process.

Teacher, field-site, peer and self-evaluation can be used to access student effectiveness in serve learning. It is important for students to assess their work and that of their peers so that they can work toward improving their performance in the future. The portfolios, attendance, field-site preparation and work, journals, logs, guest-speaker reports and research papers are but a few of the items a teacher may use to asses students. These tools also may prove helpful in providing the required documentation to a school system, funding source and community partner.

One of the most important outcomes of the assessment process should be determining the next step. What do we do next? How can we expand and enhance our work? Are we ready to further "step out of the box?"

Finally, it's important to give students, partners and recipients of service the opportunity to recognize one another. Some ways of doing this are recognition ceremonies, thank-you notes, certificates, awards, T-shits, varsity letters and press release. Some students also enjoy serving as emcees of recognition events.

Portfolio Pointers
Portfolios detailing the PARCA steps are useful. For teachers, individual portfolios can help answer the question "How do I grade service learning?" For students, portfolios are useful in college and job interviews. How to get started:

• Divide the portfolio into sections: Preparation, Action, Reflection, Celebration and Assessment.
• Have a table of contents at the beginning of each section and number each entry consecutively.
• Have students work on the entries at home, submit them for grading and then place the graded work in the portfolios. Keep all portfolios in the classroom to prevent loss and wear-and-tear.
  Suggested entries:
• Preparation - resumes, training records, field-site information including brochures or flyers, research papers, questionnaires, surveys and self-assessments.
• Action - activity plans, photos, videos, project samples and any other items, which would illustrate the work completed.
• Reflection - journal pages, reflection sheets, essays and anecdotes.
• Celebration - certificates, thank-you notes, awards, proclamations, news clippings and videos.
• Assessment - student, teacher and field-site evaluations, letters of recommendation, work reviews or performance appraisals.

This article is reprinted with the permission of Volunteer Leadership, a quarterly publication of The Points of Light Foundation, 1400 I St., NW, Washington, DC, 20005. www.pointsoflight telephone: 202.729.8000 Subscription information: gparks@pointsoflight.org.