Learn and Serve America

File:LearnAndServeAmerica.png

the LSA logo

Learn and Serve America (LSA) is a United States government program under the authority of the Corporation For National and Community Service. Its mission is to provide opportunities for students nationwide to participate in service learning projects, and to gain valuable experience while helping communities. It sponsors the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

Programs

Learn and Serve America's budget was primarily distributed to K-12 and higher education institutions, as well as community organizations, upon request, in the form of grants. Of the money earmarked for grants, approximately half was distributed on an as-needed basis, while the other half was divided among organizations that requested funding. The rest of the LSA budget went towards programs run directly by Learn and Serve America, which included the Presidential Freedom Scholarships.

History

Learn and Serve America grew from Serve America, a program created under the National and Community Service Act of 1990. When the Corporation for National and Community Service was created in 1993, Serve America was reformed as Learn and Serve America. http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/factsheet_lsa.pdf In 2011 the United States House Appropriations Committee included a recommendation that eliminated entire budget for the Learn and Serve America program. As a result, Learn & Serve America program within the Corporation for National and Community Service,which funded service learning in k-12 schools for 21 years was completely eliminated. http://strongerdemocracy.org/2011/04/12/details-of-budget-compromise-released/ http://www.nylc.org/news/signatures-and-calls-needed-today-learn-and-serve-america-precipice-elimination

See also

• Service-learning
• National service

External links

• Learn and Serve America's home page
• Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse