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THE ATLANTA SERVICE LEARNING EXPERIMENT
A Proposal For A Conference
prepared by
Joe D. Kimmins
Office of Public Affairs/South Region
Peace Corps
Portions of this paper were developed
from materials prepared by William R.
Ramsay of the Southern Regional Education
Board, by Dr. Edward Holmes of Emory
University, by Sam Williams of the Atlanta
Urban Corps, and others.
Atlanta, Georgia April 23, 1969
What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing.
ARISTOTLE
THE ATLANTA SERVICE LEARNING EXPERIMENT
A Proposal For A Conference
The Atlanta area today is alive with the activities of many agencies,
institutions, and individuals concerned with the full development of the
area's human and economic resources, These activities cut across tradi-
tional academic and bureaucratic categories and across traditional social
and political organizations and are marked by new alliances including
black and white, young and old, powerful and powerless. One of the new
allianees with great potential is the combining of community experience
with education. "Service-learning" implies an involvement of students,
faculty and practitioner in an arrangement which results in both service
to the community and learning by all participants.
Recognizing that such an arrangement requires this cooperative action,
and raises difficult questions that pertain to both education and community
development, it is felt by many that some agent should exist to serve as
a link between the various people and organizations concerned, and as 4
repository of new experiences. But such an agent does not now exist, which
merely reflects the fact that the activities mentioned cut across traditional
organizations of men and thought.
Therefore, it is proposed to convene a Conference of interested
individuals who represent the agencies, institutions, and other organi-
zations that are affected by or involved in the development of both
community and human resources.
The Conference will focus on the concept of service-learning for
five basic reasons, simply stated:
l.
2.
Programs of all kinds are proliferating in response
to pressing societal and human needs;
Existing development agencies need additional man-
power ;
Students have expressed a desire for more "relevant"
educational experiences, and are a large pool of
well-trained, oft-unused manpower}5
Educational institutions are reaching out into the
community for ways to become more vitally involved
in its affairs; and
The human and institutional resources exist side-by-side
in Atlanta with progressive attitudes which, properly
coordinated, can achieve a broad program of student
intern involvement in service-learning opportunities
existing in this metropolitan area.
The Conference shall be convened for a nine-month period,
extending from April through December, 1969,
Its purpose shall be:
to combine the resources of institutions and agencies concerned
with the relationships between service experience and higher
education in an exploration and development of a conceptual
framework and practical model for service learning programs
for universities and communities.
The Conference will provide a structure for reflection and exchange
among participants in various community and educational programs over
the nine-months period. Careful study combined with actual involvement
in programs will result in a comprehensive picture and plan for service-
learning in community and on campus.
Participation in the Conference will be extended to any agency or
organization whose activities have a bearing on the component concerns
of service-learning, or which has a vested interest in the successful
outcome of an experimental program in service-learning.
In the Atlanta area, where the Conference will have its focus, it
is envisioned that the following groups or institutions will be well-
represented in the body of Conference participants:
Students
There are more than 30,000 college or university students
in Atlanta area institutions
Educational Institutions
Agnes Scott College, Clark College, Emory University,
Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State College,
Morehouse University, Morris Brown College, Spelman
College, Oglethorpe College, and the University of Georgia
Governments
The City of Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb Counties, the
State of Georgia, and the Federal Government as repre-
sented by regional headquarters of HEW, HUD, CSC, OEO
Peace Corps, VISTA, and others
Other Institutions and Organizations
The Atlanta Urban Corps, the Georgia Municipal Association,
the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Southern
Education Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Southern
Consortium on International Education, the YWCA, the Concerned
Citizens of Atlanta, and many others from the public and private
sector
Operation and Function of the Conference on Service-Learning
Any experiment, and especially one dealing with an indistinct,
newly-conceived project such as the Atlanta Service-learning Experiment,
comprises many component concerns, The concept of service-learning
involves many functions which are not easily compartmentalized. However,
the following are seen as fairly distinct components of the service-learning
idea:
1. the service dimension of service-learning
2. the learning dimension of service-learning
3. curriculum design
4. inter-institutional relationships
5. institutional and agency structure, or re-structure, for
service-learning
6. financial resources and needs
7. yvresearch, of university, community, and agency resources
8. models and programs, existing and foreseen
9. @ guiding philosophy for service-learning programs
For the working study of these concerns, it is proposed that the
Conference create work groups, each undertaking to explore in depth and
produce a report on their assigned area. The collected reports from
the work groups would be presented in December 1969 at the summary meeting
of the Conference.
To assist the work groups and the conferees in their study, two
methods would be employed in addition to work group meetings.
I. A Practical Laboratory: the Atlanta Urban Corps
An on-going practical implementation of the service-learning
concept on as wide a basis as possible in the Atlanta area
during the summer of 1969 is already begun, under the sponsorship
of several groups (joining to form an Atlanta Urban Corps). This
operation shall serve as a practical laboratory, whereby the
Conference, through observation and conclusions, shall work towards
a continuing service-learning program for the Atlanta area.
Furthermore, the Conference will serve as the repository of infor-
mation gained through experience with Atlanta area service-learning
experiments.
Similarly, the Conference, because of the collective expertise of
its participants, will be a major resource to service-learning groups
throughout the summer of 1969. The participants pledge to commit as
much of their creativity, time, and resources as possible to the
successful completion of a summer of experimentation in service-
learning.
II. Monthly Conventions of the Conference
Monthly sessions of the entire Conference will be convened, at each
of which one or more of the component concerns will be the topic of
study. Each work group will have an opportunity to "chair" a session
of the Conference, and guide the discussion as it sees fit to focus
the attention of the entire Conference on its particular component
of service-learning. Each work group will organize its assigned
session, calling in whatever additional resource people needed to
explore the topic of concern.
The Work Groups
The Conference will function primarily through its work groups. ‘Their
membership will be drawn from the body of Conference participants. Work
groups will marshall the available resources, implement the ideas and con-
cepts, guide the progress of the Experiment, coordinate its operations,
study its component concerns, and make recommendations based upon their
experiences towards the creation of a comprehensive model and a continuing
operation in Atlanta,
Individuals, appointed from the Conference participants, will be desig-
nated Chairmen of the work groups. ‘The Chairmen will see his work group's
assignment is successfully studied and reported to the Conference. Chair-
men will have as co-workers other participants in the Conference who agree
to serve on his work group.
It is proposed that the following work groups be formed:
1. A Service Work Group
2. <A LIearning Work Group
, 3. A Curriculum and Inter-Institutional Work Group
4, A Research Work Group
5. A Financial Work Group
6. A Models and Programs Work Group
7. A Guidance Work Group (a steering committee)
The membership of the Guidance Work Group shall consist of the Chair-
men of the other six work groups, and the Director of the Conference, ‘The
membership of the other work groups will be resolved at the April 30, 1969,
Conference Convention.
Although the Chairman of a particular work group will inevitably
represent one of the participating agencies or institutions of the Conference,
this does not imply domination of that work group's study by the viewpoint
or vested interests of the Chairman's agency or institution. It is assumed
that the membership of any particular work group will consist of individuals
from several participating agencies or groups, as their interests and man-
power resources allow.
A Timetable
It is ervisioned that the Conference be convened on a monthly basis,
beginning in April 1969. Following is a suggested timetable for Conference
consideration of the components of service-learning:
April 1969: first Conference Convention; orientation,
general discussion of the Conference proposal and the
agenda; and assignment of work group chairs and member-
ship
May 1969: a general meeting on Service-Iearning and the
Atlanta Experiment; a national meeting of concerned people
with the Atlanta participants, to generate national and
community interest and to publicly initiate the Conference
June 1969: a discussion of service and learning
July 1969: a discussion of financial needs and resources
August 1969: a discussion of curricula, and inter-institu-
tional relationships
September 1969: a discussion of research considerations
October 1969: a discussion of models and programs
November 1969: a discussion of the philosophy of service-
learning, and preparation for final reports
December 1969: a summary meeting
Conelusion
Although admittedly imperfect, as is the nature of foresightful
programs, it is believed that the structure outlined in this paper will
at least get the Atlanta Service-Learning Experiment under way in a
reasonably workable fashion. It is intended that the reader view all
the above as designed for flexibility. Needs will undoubtedly be met
on an ad hoc basis as we learn of them.
But this is a start. We commit ourselves as individual and group
participants in a large-scale, serious approach to meeting important and
immediate needs of society. We, like the students who undertake service-
learning, must learn by doing.
* eX
The following information is provided as background to this
proposal:
I. The February 1969 Emory Conference on Service-Learning
II. The Atlanta Urban Corps
III. Developments in Curriculum Design at Emory University
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
I. The Emory Conference
On February 28, 1969, more than two dozen men and one woman, representing
educational institutions, government, and other agencies, met together for
one afternoon at Emory University. Under the leadership of William Ramsay
of the Southern Regional Education Board, they initiated a discussion of
several aspects of service performed by individuals in the public interest,
and of the educational dimensions of that service, Models for the service
concept were as varied as the SREB intern and the volunteer in Feace Corps
or VISTA.
Participants in the Emory Conference agreed that such service both
contributes to the community, welfare and the students’ education, and
that it should be encouraged on a large and institutional scale.
Indeed, many participants felt that it is not only in the general
interest to encourage such commitment, but imperative to do so.
They agreed further that programs could and should be created by colleges
and universities to encourage the student population to commit itself in
greater percentages to national or international service with strong educa-
, tional support. It was suggested that the agencies and institutions
represented a the Emory Conference had the necessary power and resources
to create such programs in Atlanta.
As the day's discussion progressed, it became clear that the concerns
of the participants were far broader than service-learning alone. According
to their individual viewpoint, different participants felt that the concept
of service-learning carried the seeds of solution to many modern problems.
Simply stated, some of them are:
student demands for more "relevant" educational
experiences during the college years (a concern
for the active student)
society’s needs for large numbers of concerned
people who are willing to give of themselves to
solve great problems...and the lack of such nun-
bers (a concern for the passive student)
polarization of the attitudes of racial, ethnic,
economic, and national groups, demanding increased
inter-cultural, or cross-cultural, experiences
both within and between nations (the issue of
peace )
the insensitivity of established institutions
to pressing needs for change; and the slow pace
of institutional change versus the accelerating
rate of social change and needs (the "Establish-
ment")
disagreement, especially by the young, with current
social ordering of priorities in America (the crisis
of values )
It is noteworthy, too, that many modern spokesmen have eloquently
addressed themselves to the same concerns, Four significant recent
statements follow:
Governor Daniel Evans, in his Keynote Address to the 1968 Republican
Convention:
The voice of youth has served notice that
satisfaction can't be measured alone in
dollars; that there is a need for service and
contribution beyond the attainment of material
success, If these goals require an investment
in patience, then let us invest; if they require
money, then let us spend.
Donald J. Eberly, Executive Director of the National Service
Secretariat:
»..Organizations should offer young people
opportunities to perform needed tasks con-
tributing to the welfare of others; to com-
municate across racial, social, and economic
barriers; to develop a sense of self-worth
and civic pride; to get involved; and to learn
while serving.
President Richard Nixon, in a radio address on October 17, 1968,
during his campaign for the presidency:
the
+-.school administrators (must) wake up to
the healthy new needs of student participation
and incorporate that activity into the learning
process,
Mark R. Killingsworth, a Rhodes scholar in economics at Oxford, in
NEW YORK TIMES of February 15, 1969:
-..the National Commission on Technology, Automation
and Economic Progress has estimated that the country
needs some 5,3 million extra workers to bring public
services -- medical care, education, welfare and home
care, public protection, urban renewal and sanitation
-- up to ‘acceptable’ levels.
The energy and moral commitment of a generation which
has already won civil rights victories, gotten long-
overdue educational reforms and blown a closed political
process wide open is still available. When will we
decide we want it?
The Emory Conference participants, and others who will join the
Atlanta Experiment as it evolves, take heart in the nationwide movement
of thought that supports our sense of dedication and commitment.
This sense of dedication and commitment to action was the overriding
result of the Emory Conference. The participants called upon Bill Ramsay
of SREB to work with an ad hoc committee toward the creation of some
operating framework that would marshall the resources in Atlanta to the
ends discussed.
They also felt that the City of Atlanta should be the focus and limit
of experimentation at this time, with the idea that what is attempted here
will be done in an atmosphere of open experimentation, searching for ideas
of value for other cities, states, or regions. We should seek to learn
not only what can be done here, but what can be done anywhere. Practicality
demands an initial attempt of experimentally manageable scope. Also, it
was felt that necessary resources exist in Atlanta, obviating the necessity
to search far and wide for distant resources and support.
II. The Atlanta Urban Corps
(From THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, Saturday, November 30, 1968 : )
"Atlanta city government hopes to have an Urban Corps of up to 100
college interns working for and with it by the spring semester.
"Dan Sweat, governmental liaison director at City Hall, said Friday
that the city is seeking to employ 100 under the federal College Work
Study Program, and already is negotiating with college officials.
"Sam Williams, president of the Georgia Tech student body last year,
brought the attention of Sweat and Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr., to the success
of the New York intern program last spring."
In the five-month interim since the publication of this article, an
Atlanta Urban Corps has come into being. It is under the directorship of
Mr. Williams, through a cooperative arrangement between the Atlanta Children
and Youth Services Council of the City and the Southern Regional Education
Board.
Currently, the Urban Corps, with a strong student participation element,
is engaged in the following operations :.
1. Recruitment of student interns for summer, 1969, from Atlanta cam-
puses through a student member College Relations Board,
2. Development of internship positions to meet agency manpower needs in
the Atlanta area, Interviews are being conducted by students with
department and agency heads to establish valid intern positions to
be filled this summer. It is expected that up to three hundred
positions will be available for placement.
3. A search is underway to locate individuals to fill approximately
thirty-three permanent and temporary staff positions needed to
manage and operate the Urban Corps.
Of the Urban Corps, Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr., has said:
"Our young people and our cities can no longer afford to be strangers.
The Urban Corps offers to students a chance to be in the mainstream of
Atlanta's problems and potentials."
Descriptive and publicity materials, and the charter of the Urban Corps
will be available at the April 30, 1969, convention of the Conference for
examination by the participants.
III. Developments in Curriculum Design at Emory University
Dr. Edward Holmes, Assistant Dean of the General College, Emory
University; and Phillip Ruopp, Director of Institutional Relations, Peace
Corps, on April 9, 1969, met with department chairmen and faculty members
in social sciences and romance languages to survey existing resources at
Emory for developing service-learning programs, Beyond the single concern
of university en cHiees: they explored the possibility of creating a program
of Subjects in domestic and international affairs that would encourage and
prepare the student for service in Peace Corps, VISTA, or Teacher Corps,
or in other related voluntary service,
Conversations on that day between Holmes, Ruopp, and Bill Ramsay of
SREB led to a decision to pursue the question of Atlanta area resources
relevant to such a program, and to a proposal for a resource survey.
Accordingly, on April 15, 1969, Holmes met with Robert C, Nelson,
Director of the Southern Regional Office of Public Affairs, Peace Corps,
to discuss in detail what such a survey would involve in terms of personnel
for a contract between Peace Corps and the Southern Consortium for Inter-
national Education, for Peace Corps to provide funds for such a survey.
The following members of the Consortium read and agreed unanimously
to the proposed contract: Dean Charles Lester, Emory University; Dr. George
Parthemos of the University of Georgia; Dr. Robert Stemke, Georgia Institute
of Technology; Dean Richard Barksdale, Atlanta University; and Dr. Ernest
Ogrum, Georgia State College. On April 18, 1969, Dr. C. C. Murray, Acting
Director of the Consortium, signed the proposal and sent it to Peace Corps
in Washington, D. C,
Dr. Sanford Atwood, President of Emory University, has agreed to
provide office space for the survey in the Center for Social Research,
Atlanta area educators are presently being contacted for references for a
qualified individual to undertake the survey; Peace Corps approval of the
contract is expected soon,
Dr. Holmes expresses his hope for the survey in these terms:
"If this proposal is successful, a constellation
of interests and resources will converge to make an
outstanding improvement in the Consortium schools
through the internship program with national and local
agencies. By pooling all these resources, we can have a
major impact on the awareness of problems and the pursuit
of the solution to these problems, and on the discovery
and application of manpower resources.
"The human problems of our time must be treated in a
serious way with all available resources in order to
point toward a future devoid of destructive elements
standing in the way of human development. "