Challenge Week, October 5-12, sponsored by National Service Learning Partnership, is a concentrated week of special events and community outreach activities designed to raise awareness and build support for service- learning. Maryland is a partner in Learn and Serve Challenge Week.

Maryland remains the only State in the nation with service learning as a graduation requirement. Every student must complete 75 service-learning hours en route to a Maryland high school diploma. The 59,000 students in the Class of 2008 completed over four million hours of service.

“Service-learning has literally changed the lives of some of our students,” said State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick. “In addition to reading and arithmetic, Maryland students have learned a little bit about their role in the community and in the State.”

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has issued a proclamation designating Oct. 5-12 as Learn and Serve Challenge Week throughout Maryland.

“Research has show that service-learning has an enduring positive impact on students’ academic achievement, personal and social development, and civic engagement, particularly among students from disadvantaged backgrounds,” the proclamation says. “Young people will benefit greatly from expanded opportunities to engage in service learning.”

Maryland schools are involved in a variety of activities to celebrate Challenge Week. For example:

• Students at Duval High School in Prince George’s County will be taking part in a beautification and organic gardening project.
  
  
• Students at Rising Sun Middle School in Cecil County are working on a single-stream recycling program, spotlighting the correct way to recycle used items.
  
  
• St. Mary’s County Public School students are involved in a Harvest for the Hungry food drive.
  
  
• Ridge Ruxton School students in Baltimore County are collecting cans from other schools and organizations in the community and bringing them to the school to clean, crush, bag, and deliver to a local recycling center.

All 24 local school systems have developed individualized service-learning implementation plans that map out how students are engaged in service-learning experiences. To varying degrees, service learning activities can be found across grades kindergarten through 12 and have been incorporated into virtually every content area.