Vision and Mission

History

Accomplishments

What We Can Do for You

Our Core Values

Staff

Board of Directors

Accomplishments

Since 1990, YSCal has been a pioneer in the area of youth service and service learning, playing a pivotal role in shaping the youth service landscape in California. It continues to advocate for the youth service field, develop leadership, disseminate information and unify diverse groups to take action on youth service and service learning in California.

The following are just a few examples of YSCal’s tremendous contribution to this effort:

• Helped pass the first bill that provided government funds for youth service — YSCal represented California at a national and state level to develop the National Service Acts of 1990 and 1993, as well as in a state commission which is set up to access these funds for California. The Service Act of 1990 was the first national bill to provide funding for AmeriCorps, the national service program that allows people of all ages and backgrounds to earn help paying for education in exchange for a year of service. This bill was a critical milestone for youth service because funding gave rise to programs such as Learn and Serve America, and gave more legitimacy to the youth service effort!

• Houses the nationally recognized Service Learning 2000 Center, which continues to set the standard for service learning best practices and training today— YSCal’s Service Learning 2000 Center provides best practice materials and training to service learning practitioners (over 10,000) throughout California and the U.S. This information is commonly regarded as the highest quality material available on service learning. YSCal also supports a statewide network of leaders who work with school districts and community-based organizations to promote service learning statewide.

• Ensured service learning would be part of California’s new holiday honoring Cesar Chavez - In honor of the Cesar Chavez holiday, the government will provide an estimated $5 million in grants to support service learning programs. To ensure a high quality, meaningful service learning experience, YSCal lent its support in two key ways. First, it collaborated with the state commission to expand the types of organizations eligible for the grants. Though originally limited to a few associations, YSCal helped broaden eligibility to include schools, volunteer centers, and other organizations focused on service learning. YSCal also took an active role with the California Department of Education in developing a structured, proven curricula as a model for the service learning projects that will be supported by these grants.

• Helped develop a generation of youth leaders - YSCal created Youth California Action Network (YouthCAN), a statewide network of 20-30 high school service leaders who learn leadership skills and promote youth service in their communities and statewide. One of these outstanding leaders served as member of the group that developed the State Superintendent Task Force Report on Servic Learning. Having received her college degree, this former youth leader has become a YSCal staff member.

• Fostered dialogue and information sharing events - YSCal has convened over 5,000 volunteers, volunteer managers, youth service leaders, and other stakeholders for sharing of resources and knowledge and discussion of key issues. It has convened five statewide conferences brought the National service learning Conference to California in 1999, setting a record for attendance with over 2,000 attendees.

• Provided leadership to the community at large - YSCal commissioned and disseminated more than twenty reports, evaluations and papers designed to advance the field, in addition to informing the field through a bi-weekly briefings. YSCal distributes these briefings to an audience that has tripled in four years.

• We are grateful to the following foundations, businesses and organizations, for their financial support:
• American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
• California Department of Education/CalServe Intiative
• Corporation for National and Community Service
• Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Foundation
• Farmers Insurance
• GO SERV
• The Hearst Foundation
• National Youth Leadership Council
• Points of Light Foundation
• Shinnyo-En Foundation
• State Farm Insurance
• The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation