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Let's
take a walk around the project.
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Youth gain a broad base of experience through local service-learning
projects. Take a look at how students at the Alternative Learning Center in east
Austin are getting hands-on educational experience.
LifeWorks became a community partner with the eastside school in the fall of
2003. "We didn't know what to expect since this was new to us, but we were eager
to see how we could help."
Youth Excellence 
The roots of the ALC Greenhouse Project began in 2002 when a federally funded
service-learning grant provided funds to purchase the modular kit. When
LifeWorks Institute arrived on the scene at the beginning of school, 2004, we
saw piles of materials.
When new people come into a culture it takes time to create relationships and
trust. We didn't know anyone in the school, and they didn't know us. Our desire
to serve youth is what sustains us and assists in expanding our patience!
"Strangers can create powerful relationships that are forever remembered" we
told ourselves over and again.
So there they were with a pile of stuff that was supposed to transform into a
greenhouse by the end of the school year. Yikes! The brains began to swirl as
the team met school staff and began to get the lay of the land.
Things can come together in weird ways. We counted our blessings and asked
for help! We collaborated with teachers about how to choose students who would
be taken out of classes. Teachers wanted to ensure the time spent out of the
classroom would be beneficial to their students.
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Service
Learning in Action |
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 Planning, calculating, drilling, cutting.....
Middle school and high school students got alot of hands-on learning at the
Alternative Learning Center in northeast Austin.
Remember how it is to learn something new--something entirely foreign to your
way of thinking? That is the opportunity youth have at the ALC. They gained
real-life experience as they contributed to the construction of an on-campus
greenhouse, and growing plants.
It is not easy for the youth, the teachers or the mentors. Watching young
people hold a drill for the first time, seeing the struggle of learning
something foreign, letting them make mistakes requires patience. Stanley Smith
knows the importance of respecting youth. 
He can tell many stories of how youth who have little self confidence and
self esteem can find strength within as they use their hands and bodies in
purposeful ways. "For me, it's less about teaching youth to respect their elders
as it is to show them what it is feels like to be respected." That is an
experience not soon forgotten. Building on that understanding, it takes time and
consistency for youth to learn about trust of an adult.
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Aubrey's
Tree |
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 It was a crisp February day. A local nursery had
donated fruit trees for the students to plant. In my role as the plant lady, I
gathered four interested students that would rather be outside digging holes
than being inside.
With an impromtu permaculture lesson to help students choose a site for the
trees, Aubrey took the only pear tree to plant in view from the front of the
school. While digging the hole, Aubrey was happy and focused. Worms, grubs,
ants, beetles...so much going on right under his feet. Once the hole was deep
enough we planted Aubrey's tree.
As things often happen with 13 year olds, Aubrey got distracted....calling
out to girls leaving school early. Ms. Johnson, his teacher, told him he needed
to go inside. Not without a struggle. Aubrey went over to the tree and sat on it
breaking it nearly in half. 
I saw the damage and knew the tree would die. The other youth made a splint,
tied the tree up and told the tree we wanted it to live. The next day Aubrey
apologized. He commented, '"The tree has been through a rough time. I caused the
pain and want to make it right. It deserves a second chance." The tree made it.
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Mentoring Serves All of Us |
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 We define mentoring as a dedicated relationship
between mentee and mentor that defines and co- creates success over and over
again. Success might be showing up on time for class 5 days in a row, or working
towards a scholarship.
Service learning provides a focal point for youth to experience group
mentoring. Students still get plenty of one-to-one time, and they get to have
fun with their peers.
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Meet Our
CommunityTeam |
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| Denise Scioli, special ed teacher at the ALC; Caroline
Manfredo, teaching assistant at the ALC; Oakley Barber, teacher at the ALC;
Stanley K. Smith, greenhouse project supervisor, LifeWorks Institute; Dana
Ellinger, 'the plant lady" LifeWorks Institute; Chef Marko, expert in how to put
plants and food together, LifeWorks Institute.
Our other community partner was Youthworks, Paul Bond and Lea Wentworth. And
a cast of many who donated construction expertise, plants, volunteer time and
compassion beyond belief. Multitudes of thanks to Austin's Service Learning team
and Wanda Holland who has a heart as big as Texas!
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