Eligibility Criteria

To apply for the Service Learning Homegrown Project Grant, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Grade Level: Open to K–12 students enrolled in public, private, or charter schools located in Louisiana or Mississippi.
• Subject Area Flexibility: Projects may be developed within any academic subject area (e.g., science, social studies, English language arts, mathematics, the arts, STEM, career and technical education).
• Integration with Classroom Learning: Projects must be tied directly to an existing school course or classroom-based curriculum. This ensures that learning objectives and service components are aligned with educational standards.
• Exclusion of Extracurricular-Only Activities: Grant funds may not be used for extracurricular clubs, after-school programs, or community service activities conducted solely by student organizations without direct classroom integration.
• Service Learning Alignment: Projects must demonstrate a clear connection between academic content and real-world service, addressing a genuine community need while fostering student learning, leadership, and civic engagement.
• Inclusive Participation: Applications should encourage equitable student involvement, ensuring diverse perspectives and voices are represented in project planning and implementation.
• Capacity to Implement: Applicants (teachers, school staff, or educational leaders) should have the ability to design, coordinate, and assess a project that integrates both academic and service goals. Previous service learning experience is not required—support and resources are available for first-time grantees.
• Commitment to Reflection and Evaluation: Projects must include a plan for student reflection (journals, presentations, discussions) and an evaluation process to measure both community impact and learning outcomes.
• Potential for Growth: Priority may be given to projects that demonstrate potential to expand, replicate, or inspire long-term service learning initiatives within the school or district.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES

Program Requirements and Guidelines

• Service Learning Alignment: All projects must adhere to the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) definition and standards of service learning, integrating academic learning with meaningful community service.

• IPARD Model Compliance: Projects must follow the NYLC IPARD model — Investigation, Preparation, Action, Reflection, and Demonstration — as the guiding framework for planning and execution.

  Classroom Integration: Projects must be tied to classroom-based learning objectives and not serve as extracurricular or opt-in volunteer activities. Full class participation is required.

  Community Partnership: Each funded project must include a formal partnership with at least one service organization (e.g., a nonprofit, local government agency, or another school) to strengthen community connections and impact.