October 2000 
Eureka High receives presidential honors for service-learning
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R epresentatives from Eureka Senior High School recently received the nation's highest honors for excellence in service-learning. Eureka Senior High School's team received the Presidential Award on June 16 during ceremonies in Washington, D.C. at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. School representatives attending the ceremonies were Marge Crichton, Special Projects counselor; Patty Moore, Project Serve coordinator; Fran Taplin, board member; Michael Kellogg, teacher; and Kathleen Salter, teacher. "The opportunity to network with other Leader Schools in service- learning was invigorating and allowed us to feel validated and motivated to continue to improve and refine our service-learning program," said Crichton. Eureka High School is an outstanding service-learning school for all students, and service-learning is found both inside and outside the curriculum. Service-learning is supported by district strategic planning and by a wide-range of community partners. Students are encouraged to participate in all of their four years at Eureka High. As a National Service-Learning Leader School, Eureka High School will share its service-learning successes with other schools. This may include hosting visitors to its campus, training peers, or promoting service-learning through conferences, in publications, or even on-line. Service-learning is a fast-growing phenomenon in America's schools. It combines academics with community service in a way that benefits students, teaches civic responsibility, and strengthens communities. Service-learning provides real-world connections and helps learners see the relevance of their studies. According to U.S. Department of Education, in 1984, only 27 percent of all high schools had school- fostered community service projects and only 9 percent offered service- learning. By the 1998-99 school year, those numbers rose to a remarkable 83 percent and 46 percent, respectively. The same survey reports that 38 percent of middle schools are also engaging in service-learning.
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