On October 25, 2007 Traverse City Area Public Schools was awarded a 2007 Learn and Serve Program Excellence Award from the Michigan Community Service Commission for its efforts in championing the importance of service-learning.

TCAPS’ 2006-2007 Learn and Serve project involved engaging TCAPS’ youth to design written brochures for the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber plans to distribute the student-produced brochures to youth from outside the area who request information about the region, to families planning vacations, and to employees and businesses considering relocation to the area.

Long Lake, Silver Lake, Norris, and Eastern Elementary Schools participated in the unique academically based outreach project, which was created with curriculum connections for fourth graders offering them a relevant, real world project to enhance their learning of Social Studies through the study of the U.S. States and Michigan in particular. Additionally, the project helped students to further develop their voice through writing opportunities.

Within six months of introducing the brochure concept to the fourth grade students at Eastern Elementary School, the students had written and illustrated two full color brochures, which were then produced and published for use by the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce and the Grand Traverse Convention and Visitors Bureau. Students were so engaged in the project that when they learned the U.S. Governors were invited to Traverse City for the National Governors Conference in July 2007, they decided to write and send personal letters to all fifty State Governors with facts relative to each Governor’s respective state. Additionally, students wanted to share their knowledge and provide information on the Grand Traverse region including all the wonderful things to do when the Governors and their families visited the region. The letters were handwritten by students and decorated in color.

Along with their personal letters and brochures, TCAPS’ students included two books in each package sent directly to each Governor’s home – a book about Michigan and a book about each Governor’s respective state. Local author, Annie DeVries, and her publisher, Sleeping Bear Press, generously donated fifty of DeVries’ Michigan “M is for Mitten” books and a book about each Governor’s state.

The Michigan Community Service Commission’s Learn and Serve Initiative promotes service projects that incorporate relevant service-learning and current curriculum as an ideal method of teaching and learning. The Learn and Serve – Michigan Programming Excellence Awards honor the men and women who employ hard work and creativity to grow and sustain their programs. Awards recognize outstanding progress in the following areas: promoting an ethic of service, involving youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, planning for sustainability, curriculum integration, championing service-learning, and connecting to other school initiatives.

Please contact TCAPS’ Learn and Serve Coordinator, Trish Fiebing, at 933-5654 for further information.