Web Project Review: LOC By the People

BY THE PEOPLE CAMPAIGNS from the Library of Congress is the starting point for the library’s crowdsourcing projects.

Participants of all ages are encouraged to participate in transcribing historical documents as part of the Library of Congress’ BY THE PEOPLE campaigns. Visitors are invited to transcribe, review, and tag digitized images of manuscripts and typed materials from the library’s collections. The purpose of the project is to improve search, readability, and access to historical documents.

Currently campaigns include documents related to Women’s Suffrage, the American Civil War, Walt Whitman, and Abraham Lincoln.

Librarians will find this authentic citizen action project to be an innovative way to involve youth with primary source documents and history. It’s also a useful way to implement and model service learning concepts.

To learn more, go to https://crowd.loc.gov/campaigns-topics/.

Website Review: Generation On

GENERATION ON is a website exploring youth service projects from around the world.

While to website features it’s own projects, the ideas can be applied to any local service learning organization. The website is divided into resources for kids, teens, and adults.

The Kid’s section begins by providing stories about young people doing good in their communities. Next, students can explore a wide range of service areas including animal welfare, bullying and tolerance, literacy, education, environment, citizenship and civic engagement, emergency preparation and response, homelessness and poverty, health and wellness, hunger, senior citizens, peace and kindness, as well as military and veterans. Within each area students can view dozens of project ideas and examples. The resources section provides specific guidelines and fact sheets to help youth better understand the activities involved in service learning. Links are provided to games and interactives that contain background information about many of the topics such as emergency preparedness and environmental issues. Finally, current opportunities are featured to help jumpstart service learning projects.

The Teen’s section contains similar sections to the kid’s area, but includes more depth and age-appropriate activities and project examples. This section also promotes the idea of service clubs and sharing.

Parent, Educator, and Organizations sections provide information about ways to involve youth in service learning projects and detail upcoming activities.

Librarians will find endless ideas for service learning projects at this constantly updated website. A blog and calendar provide easy access to news and information about upcoming opportunities.

To visit the website, go to http://www.generationon.org/.

App Review: Save the Park

SAVE THE PARK is a collaborative game launched to celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service.

Developed by Games for Change, this engaging app is intended to inspire young people and encourage a new generation of park lovers. The game focuses on ways volunteers can take an active role in preserving natural and historic resources.

Players take on the role of a park volunteer and complete tasks within particular settings such as a forest, desert, or coastal area. Information about national parks is woven throughout the game and links are provided to learn about real-world volunteer opportunities.

Librarians will find the game to be a fun way to introduce the concept of volunteerism and community service. Pair the game with a learning center containing books about civic participation. Youth will find the game to be easy and fun, but not much of a challenge.

The Games for Change website includes many other games that might be of interest to young people.

Visit the website at http://www.gamesforchange.org/.

To download the game, go to http://www.gamesforchange.org/savethepark/.

Special Event Website Review: United We Serve

MLK Day of Service on January 19, 2015 is part of the UNITED WE SERVE initiative. Each year, Americans across the county address Dr. Martin Luther Kind Jr.’s call for service. He declared “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is “What are you doing for others?”.

The UNITED WE SERVE website at http://www.serve.gov/ calls all Americans to serve their community. Go to the special initiatives page for information about MLK Day of Service at http://goo.gl/Am3dtk.

The Getting Started page provides suggestions for service projects. Consider a focus on literacy and libraries. For ideas, go tohttp://www.serve.gov/site-page/toolkits. Think about sharing your project idea at AllForGood at http://www.allforgood.org/ and getting others to join you.

Create a MLK Day Challenge area in your library for the month of January. As a school, go to the Make the Pledge page at http://goo.gl/6sg5Ql and commit time to the community. Follow the official blog to see what others are doing at http://nationalservice.tumblr.com/. Share your successes athttp://www.serve.gov/site-page/share.

Scholastic’s The Spirit of Service page athttp://www.scholastic.com/mlkday/ contains lots of lesson plan ideas and activities.

For more information, LIKE the Facebook page athttps://www.facebook.com/mlkday.