Culminating Project Resources
for Districts

Guides

• Community Service in Senior Culminating Projects: An Exploratory Study (PDF)
• A District Planning Guide: Developing Civically Rich Culminating Projects (PDF)
• District Lessons published by National Service-Learning Partnership (PDF)
• Maryland State’s Resources for School Districts (PDF)
• Administrative Tip Sheets: Project Service Leadership (PDF)
• Safety and Liability Tip Sheet (PDF)

Links

Project Citizen
This federally-funded civic program enables students to examine a local public policy issue and proposes action to promote positive action. Project Citizen hosts an annual state and national competition where students showcase their work. Check out this Washington state-supported organization.

Do Something: Path to Change
The Path to Change is a unique five-step process that teaches youth how to problem solve and create community change. The steps include: identifying an issue, quantifying the potential impact of change, developing and implementing a specific plan and analyzing the results against the plan. Do Something provides training for adults who will serve as Community Coaches for students.

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
Everyone’s Guide to Successful Project Planning ~ Tools for Youth from Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory is designed to guide young people through the planning stages of youth-driven community service projects and to ensure that service-learning is linked with academics. The guide includes a separate guide for facilitators that provides hints and strategies to help young people get started, tailor the tools to their needs, and document and reflect on their projects. $21 for set of two, $10.30 for student guide, $13.35 for facilitator guide. Contact: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, products@nwrel.org, (503) 275-0458.

FarWest EDGE
Senior Project in Focus: An Album of Close Ups is edited by FarWest EDGE (Energetic Designs for Growth in Education) $21.95 plus $3 shipping. Contact: FarWest EDGE, (541) 770-9483

Book: Independent Projects Step by Step: A Handbook for Senior Projects, Graduation Projects, Culminating Projects. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2000. ISBN: 0810837854

Organizations

Project Service Leadership
12703 NW 20th Avenue
Vancouver, WA 98685
Provides training and support for schools and districts implementing service-learning.
Contact: Kate McPherson, (360) 576-5070

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
101 SW Main Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97204-3297

Provides research and development assistance to education, government, community agencies, business and labor.

Youth Voice + Classroom Curriculum
Web sites endorsed by the National Association of State Legislators

• FacingTheFuture.org
• TeachersCorner.org
• choices.edu

Additional Web sites:

Student Service Awards
Kindergartners through college students can earn a President’s Student Service Award when they give 100 hours of service to their communities. The site gives details on this award and a related scholarship program.