Service, the 4Cs, and Employment Skills

Service,the4Cs,andEmployment Skills
TABLEOFCONTENTS
03 Int roduct ion: What are t he 4Cs?
04 The IPARD/ C model of servicel earning and t he 4Cs.
05 Invest igat ion and ut il izat ion of
crit ical t hinking skil l s.
06 Pl anning and preparat ion:
harnessing creat ive abil it ies.
07 Act ion! Col l aborat ing wit h one's
peers.
08 Ref l ect ing on t he impact of a
project .
09 Demonst rat ing and communicat ing
t he aims of a project .
10 How t o ext end t he 4Cs.
11 What do t he 4Cs mean t o you?
Introduction: What arethe4Cs?
The "4Cs" of deeper learning lie within a set of broader
skills first identified by the National Education Association
in 2002 as being critical to employability in the 21st
century. While the "three Rs" of a classic
skills-oriented education program still lay a
solid foundation, today's rapidly-evolving
Crit ical
world demands a well-developed array of
Thinking / Probl em
abilities to guarantee future success. Among
Sol ving
the top of these skills lie the "4Cs", which
Creat ivit y
have been recognized by the NEA as critical
Col l aborat ion
to any education program in the 21st
century. Confirming that study, a Forbes
Communicat ion
survey emphasized the dramatic rise of each
of the 4Cs among skills desired by
businesses since 1999 as compared to those
same businesses in 1970. We can no longer afford to
consider the 4Cs as just an option when it comes to
enacting education programs in the 21st century.
" We are currently preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist, using technologies
that haven't been invented, in order to solve problems we don't even know are problems yet."
Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod, Shift Happens
3
Incorporatingthe4Csintoa
service-learningproject
The IPARD/ C model of service-l earning:
Invest igat ion: Yout h l earn t o ut il ize probl em sol ving
and crit ical t hinking skil l s.
Pl anning and preparat ion: Where young peopl e
harness creat ive and innovat ive abil it ies.
Act ion! Yout h l earn t o col l aborat e wit h t heir peers en
rout e t o compl et ing t he service-l earning project .
Ref l ect ing: Eval uat ing and improving upon a
yout h-l ed service-l earning project .
Demonst rat ion and Cel ebrat ion: A way f or yout h t o
communicat e t he mission of t he project t o ot hers.
Service-learningandthe4Cs
Service activities provide an excellent
opportunity to integrate the 4Cs in order to
achieve meaningful youth service. In this
resource, you will find a number of examples of
how you can implement the 4Cs into your service
activities to benefit youth in your community.
Commonly, career counselors recommend that
youth volunteer to gain more experience,
responsibility, and skills that transfer into the
working world. When properly integrated, the 4Cs
can complement traditional school subjects as well
as community service.
While every phase of a service learning project will
draw upon most of the critical employability skills,
each point in the IPARD/ C model offers a unique
opportunity to more deeply expand upon one of
the 4Cs. Leaders of a project should try to
incorporate each stage of IPARD/ C for a complete
and meaningful service project. Furthermore, by
emphasizing each skill of the 4Cs at the
appropriate stage, youth service becomes a
powerful tool to develop abilities needed in
college and career.
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Investigation: Utilizingcritical thinkingandproblem
solvingskillstobegintheserviceproject.
What is Crit ical Thinking?
A successful service-learning project depends heavily on the ability
of youth to think critically and solve new and diverse problems
during the investigative phase. Without it, projects lose steam and
young people lose motivation. Crit ical t hinking is defined as the
ability to reason effectively, use systems thinking to analyze
"As an ad v i sor ,
how parts of a whole interact, make judgment decisions
i t 's best t o be ok ay
using evidence, and solve different kinds of unfamiliar
w i t h t h e gr ey an d m u r k y !
problems.
SPOTLIGHTONYOUTH
Several of the GYSD 2015
participants at the United Way of
Greater Toledo identified
I d eas m i gh t n ot becom e
hunger in their community as a
Crit ical Thinking in a Service Project
sol i d i f i ed i n y ou n g m i n d s as
worthwhile and important issue
qu i ck l y as i n ad u l t s."
Rather than dictating who or how youth will serve,
to combat for their project.
-Ren ee An d er son ,
instead, make sure to emphasize the variety of options
However, as hunger is a broad
topic to tackle, critical thinking
M i nnesot a Alli a nce
available and what the pros and cons of each option are.
was needed to engineer a project
wi t h Yout h
Adults involved in a youth-led service project should try to
which would have a large impact, while
serve in an advisory role as much as possible. By taking
using limited funding and with the available
ownership over the project and issue, youth will demonstrate why it
materials. During GYSD, some of the youth
is so important to address, why they care about the issue, and how
(pictured above) illustrated the daily
hunger-related issues facing some of Toledo's
they can take action. While youth may easily become enamored with
residents on paper plates. Pictures of these
broad topics, encourage them to start small and be specific whenever
plates were collected and sent to the
possible. According to Carol Ferguson from Postcrashers, adults
Governor of Ohio. Their efforts were
should, "try to strengthen confidence in this stage of the project, as
eventually recognized in a proclamation by
youth aren't expert critical thinkers overnight."
the Ohio Governor to the United Way.
5
SPOTLIGHTONYOUTH
A GYSD pr oject in con ju n ction with th e
M N Al l ian ce with You th wan ted to tack l e
th e poten tial l y disastr ou s effects of
h on eybee popu l ation decl in e on th e
en vir on m en t. Th e pr oject cam e u p with
two cr eative sol u tion s. You th l eader s at
GYSD (pictu r ed bel ow) h el ped devel op a
sh or t awar en ess cam paign wh ich focu sed
on th e con sequ en ces of deter ior atin g
h on ey bee col on ies. In addition ,
vol u n teer s cr eated seed pack ets on GYSD
of h on eybee-fr ien dl y fl ower s for
distr ibu tion to com m u n ity gar den s.
PlanningandPreparation: Harnessingcreativeand
innovativeabilitiesinaservice-learningproject
What is m eant by cr eat ivit y?
If our youth leave school without the ability to create and innovate, they
will be unprepared for the challenges of society and the workforce.
Cr eat ivit y and innovation are defined as abilities needed to create new
and worthwhile ideas, while elaborating, refining, analyzing, and
evaluating original ideas to improve and maximize their impact. Simply
put, creativity and innovation encourage originality, new ideas, and new
ways of doing things.
Cr eat ivit y in a ser vice pr oject
A 2004 study found that developing creative thinking skills in realistic
situations is the most likely scenario through which a young person
develops creative skills. Therefore, throughout the planning and
execution of service in your community, youth can develop creativity skills
by brainstorming new ways to change the status quo on social issues in
their community. Creativity and innovation skills can be developed by
youth throughout the life cycle of a service project whenever they are
given the opportunity to develop original thoughts and then reform their
ideas into action. If youth seem stuck in brainstorming creative ideas,
Quintin Bauer from SOLVE recommends showing them completed
projects of similar scope to help spur breakthrough ideas. Subdividing
workload among different groups in a service project can also promote
new and creative ideas, as smaller voices will be heard more readily in
groups of fever individuals.
6
Q:HOWCANYOUTHLEADCHANGE?
A: THROUGHASAP!
Col l aborat ion in a Service Project
Whether youth are volunteering in their own community or
across the globe, oftentimes they have a unique opportunity to
work alongside people from different backgrounds who have
their own experiences to share. Subdividing youth into different
committees with distinct objectives will encourage youth to
collaborate when re-integrating to complete their project.
Ser vice
Hel ping peers, adul t s, and your
communit y be inf ormed about and
underst and import ant issues in order
t o change behaviors.
Taking act ions t hat direct l y
address a human, communit y, or
environment al need.
Advocacy
As the world continues to grow more globalized, collaboration is
no longer just an option. Fifty years ago, much work was
completed by individuals. Now, most significant work is
accomplished in teams whose members work in various
locations. Furthermore, the ability to collaborate is a requirement
for success largely due to advances in technology and
increasing globalization. Col l aborat ion is defined
?Un d er t h e
as the ability to work effectively and
r i gh t ci r cu m st an ces,
respectfully with diverse teams while
gr ou p s ar e r em ar k abl y
exercising flexibility and willingness to
i n t el l i gen t , an d ar e of t en
compromise. Collaboration also includes the
sm ar t er t h an t h e
ability to assume shared responsibility of
sm ar t est p eop l e i n
t h em ." -Jam es
collaborative work and the capacity to value
Su r ow i eck i
the work of others.
Phil ant hr opy
What does it mean f or yout h t o col l aborat e?
AWARENESS
Action! Collaboratingwithpeerstocompletethe
service-learningproject
Using young voices and joining
ot hers t o promot e sol ut ions t hat
change pol icies and l aws.
Giving and generat ing f unds and
in-kind resources t o meet an
import ant social need.
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REFLECTIONSHOULDBE...
Continuous: Make reflection a "before,
during, and after" experience.
Reflection: Assessingtheimpact of aproject onself,
others,andthecommunity
Why is ref l ect ion so import ant ?
Connected: Link service in the community
with other structured learning (i.e. formal
classroom education). This can help bridge
gaps between abstract issues and concrete
experience.
Reflection is a continual process present in all phases of a
service-learning project and, as such, the reflection process will
incorporate each of the 4Cs. Recent research by the Harvard Business
School reflects the long-held belief that learning is best
"We
accomplished through reflection. Thus, reflection at each part of
Challenging: Pose questions
do not learn from
the service-learning process is critical to bolster development
and ideas that are unfamiliar or
experience ... we learn
of the 4Cs. Even after a service event, youth can develop
thought-provoking for deeper
from reflecting on
consideration by youth.
critical thinking skills by thinking about how the project
experience."
related to them, their community, and their future. Reflection
Contextualized: All types of
prompts creative processes in young minds to improve upon
- American education
reflection are not equal. Make
the project in the future and requires communication to
sure reflection activities are
reformer John
appropriate, meaningful, and that
convey those thoughts to others to achieve project goals.
Dewey
they relate to the service experience
as much as possible.
WATCH:
CREATIVE WAYS
TO REFLECT
YouTube, Vine, or Inst agram cont est s
Creat ive writ ing assignment s
Creat ing poet ry or writ ing a song about an
experience
Invit ing an expert t o your cl assroom f or
organizat ion t o speak about an issue of int erest
Yout h in
Oswego,
Il l inois
publ ished a
video on
YouTube as a
way t o ref l ect
on t heir GYSD
project .
8
Demonstratingthegoalsof aproject toothersand
celebratingyouthservicethroughcommunication.
What is Communicat ion?
As we move further into the 21st century, the amount of
communication present in our lives will only continue to increase.
Communicat ion is defined as the ability to clearly articulate
thought and ideas using oral, written, and non verbal skills while
also listening effectively by deciphering meaning. Youth in the
21st century will need to utilize multiple mediums of technology
to convey thoughts as well as understand messages
communicated by others.
Communicat ion in a service project
Throughout the life cycle of a service project, communication is
essential for all parties involved including project managers,
volunteers, and the population being served. In a service project,
communication is critical for volunteers to work together to
achieve a common goal. Often, youth will hone communication
skills by inviting others to join them in service through social
media or in person. After a project has completed, youth can
easily find ways to communicate their project and its aims to their
peers. This can be done through small, individual efforts or
through larger, organization-wide celebrations of multiple
projects and their participants. Through communication, a service
project can display its achievements to youth and adults alike and
inspire other individuals to serve through future opportunities.
HOWDOOUREXPERTSDEMONSTRATE
ANDCELEBRATE?
Unit ed Way of Great er Tol edo: Youth asked
for recognition by the city council of their
service project efforts in the official minutes.
Mil waukee Non-prof it Cent er: Participants in
Global Youth Service Day will receive t-shirts
to demonstrate that they were part of a
massive youth-led service accomplishment.
Minnesot a Al l iance wit h Yout h: Leaders of
several exemplary projects (pictured above)
were asked to create presentations and
speak at the Alliance's Minnesota Youth
Council.
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Extendingthe4Cs
CRITICAL THINKING
COLLABORATION
What issues may arise with the
expansion of a small or
localized project?
How will youth activate and
mobilize the increased
number of participants
needed for a larger project?
Let YSAhelp
prolonga
service-learning
project...
For another day:
MLK Day of Service
The 4Cs are readil y devel oped
t hrough a service l earning project , but t o
cement t hese skil l s wit hin our yout h, we
must be ready t o make t he appl icat ion of
t he 4Cs part of an ongoing process.
Ext ending a service l earning project
of f ers many point s at which yout h can
cont inue t o ut il ize t he 4Cs.
COMMUNICATION
CREATIVITY
Will youth in a larger project be
able to communicate with each
other in the same ways?
How can youth keep projects
fresh, attractive, and exciting?
9/11 Day of Service
Global Youth Service Day
For awholemonth:
Classrooms with a Cause
For anentiresemester (or longer):
Semester of Service
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What dothe4Csmeantoyou: ayouthperspective
Howdidoneof the4Cshelpyour project?
Tweet @
YouthServiceyour thoughtsonthe4Cs!
"Col l abor at i on t r u l y i s t h e k ey t o su ccess.
I 'v e d i scov er ed t h at i t 's v i r t u al l y i m p ossi bl e
t o su cceed by y ou r sel f becau se ev er y bod y
p ossesses t h ei r ow n u n i qu e set of st r en gt h s.
By r ecogn i zi n g t h e f act t h at a com m u n i t y i s
i n f i n i t el y m or e p ow er f u l t h an an
i n d i v i d u al , w e w er e abl e t o accom p l i sh so
m u ch m or e t h an w e ev er cou l d h av e al on e. "
-Josh K ap l an , Fou n d er of GOAL S
?BycommunicatingandsharingideasI wasableto...
...expan d m y pr ogr am even fu r th er. I m et with th e K-8 STEM
Coor din ator for Pitt Cou n ty. H e witn essed fir sth an d th e
su ccess of th e existin g sch ool s in th e pr ogr am an d h as acted
as an am bassador to expan d th e River Gu ar dian s W ater
pr oject h el pin g to iden tify teach er s an d sch ool s th at cou l d
ben efit an d al so m axim ize par ticipation . "
Above: Yout h part icipat ing in a GOALS event , a unif ied soccer
program f or young peopl e wit h int el l ect ual disabil it ies.
-Jaein Yoon , River Gu ar dian s W ater Pr oject
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FURTHERRESOURCES:
N at i on al Resear ch Cou n ci l
"Dev el op i n g Tr an sf er abl e K n ow l ed ge
an d Sk i l l s i n t h e 21st Cen t u r y "
N at i on al Ed u cat i on Associ at i on
"An Ed u cat or ?s Gu i d e t o t h e ?Fou r Cs?
You t h Ser v i ce Am er i ca
"Th e 4Cs an d Col l ege an d Car eer
Read i n ess"
"STEM est er of Ser v i ce - Car eer an d
W or k p l ace Read i n ess Sk i l l s"
S
PECIALTHANKS:
An d r ew Sp ei d el l - Geor get ow n Un i v er si t y
YSA's Lead Agen cies ar e th e l eader s
of Gl obal You th Ser vice Day in th eir
com m u n ities acr oss th e Un ited
States. As a you th -ser vin g
or gan ization , th ey ar e r espon sibl e
for en gagin g h u n dr eds to th ou san ds
of you n g peopl e in a GYSD even t
ever y year th r ou gh th eir coal ition of
l ocal par tn er s. In cor por ated in th is
r esou r ce was th eir sh ar ed
exper ien ce with im pl em en tin g th e
4Cs in ser vice activities. Th eir in pu t
offer s an in val u abl e per spective for
both YSA an d th e br oader Gl obal
You th Ser vice Networ k .
Ren ee An d er son - M i nnesot a Alli a nce wi t h
Yout h
Qu i n t i n Bau er - SOLVE Or geon
Am y Dav i d son - Volunt eer M a con
Gr ace M ar t i n an d Am an d a H ow ar d - Uni t ed
Wa y of Gr ea t er Toledo
Jess Tabbu t t - N on-pr ofi t Cent er of
M i lwa ukee
Rebecca H aav i k - Dulut h YM CA
YSA is al ways in ter ested in h ear in g abou t n ew an d cr eative ways in wh ich you r
or gan ization im pl em en ts th e 4Cs of em pl oym en t sk il l s in to ser vice-l ear n in g
pr ogr am m in g. If you wan t to sh ar e you r exper tise, pl ease don 't h esitate to
con tact YSA. Th is r esou r ce is in ten ded to be a wor k in g docu m en t wh ich gr ows
with th e sh ar ed pr actices of ou r l ead agen cies.
Em ail th e par tn er sh ips team at ou tr each @ ysa.or g with an y addition al
in for m ation fr om you r or gan ization .