July 2013 Legend: Karen Crosby
It’s that time again! The nominations are in, the selection committee and Lifetime Legends have cast their votes, and today we are proud to announce our RecognizeGood Legend for the month of July 2013 – Karen Crosby of Georgetown, TX!
Karen’s effort and dedication to the students in her community through multiple service initiatives resulted in her nomination. One notable project was the facilitation and implementation of the national “service learning” model at Williamson County Juvenile Center. Although service-learning has many definitions and established quality standards, service-learning experiences share five major attributes:
- Students have a strong voice in determining the actions they want to take and in implementing their plans.
- Service-learning aligns with the curriculum.
- Students partner with others to take action.
- Students reflect on their experiences in multiple ways before, during, and after performing the service.
- Service-learning is of sufficient duration to allow students to meet community needs and also achieve learning objectives.
Regarding the effect of the service learning model on herself as an instructor, Karen says:
“Service learning has changed my life more than I could have ever expected! So much is said about the students’ lives changing, but I think my life has changed even more. Each time I see a student get excited about a project, feel great about themselves and become more engaged in school – how can that not have a profound effect on me? Each time a student changes, it changes me a little too. I have hundreds of life changes each year. The mutual respect that my students and I gain from our projects is one of the greatest honors I could ever receive. To be a part of the incredible collaborative efforts of our school district, our community, our churches and our businesses for our student’s projects has made me so proud to live in Georgetown, Texas. I have the best job in the world!”
Karen has also facilitated the launch of a program within Georgetown ISD called THE LOCKER (formerly Eagle Locker). Supervised by GISD, student-athletes maintain this special program as a means of serving their fellow students in need. Purchased items are kept in a secure space and are discreetly available, free of charge, to students in need. THE LOCKER is now available on seven GISD campuses.
