Part of a series examining how Abre helps schools with service learning and community service.
Finding the best way to participate and track service learning and community service opportunities can be challenging for students. A unified method to community service saves time, creates efficiencies, and helps with growth outcomes. Abre provides a centralized education platform that supports student growth through service learning and community service.
Abre accomplishes this through three components:
- Communication
- Partner programs
- Portfolios
Communication
We organize communication in Abre through channels. Channels are purposeful and targeted to specific stakeholders, such as students in a particular school building. In this case, we’ve created a communication channel called “Community Service”. We’ve made this channel a requirement for all middle and high school students at Franklin school district. All students see this channel when they log in to Abre.
We use the community service channel to highlight student service and present volunteer opportunities. A school community engagement coordinator or principal posts announcements about service work opportunities in the community. Announcements are grouped by channel.
In the example below, you see an announcement highlighting a volunteer opportunity with Habitat for Humanity.
Partner Programs
Besides communications, how might students learn of community service options?
Our previous post examined how school districts collect all service partners into one catalog. Working with their school counselor, students search the catalog to find opportunities that fit their interests and goals. Partner programs even include metadata that assist in matching an opportunity to a student.
Portfolios
Portfolios empower students to share not only the hours they’ve committed to community service but also to provide reflections on and documentation of their service. These reflections and documentation can be shared with a broader community.
Portfolios feature a multitude of objects, from community service experiences to diploma seals to capstone projects.
A Comprehensive Solution
Abre provides a comprehensive solution to service learning and community service. Schools use Abre to catalog service opportunities, communicate opportunities to students, and invite partners to work with students. Students use Abre to document their hours, reflect on their growth, and share their experiences with a broader audience.