Louise Chapman has led Learn & Serve K-12 efforts in Daytona Beach, Florida, for over 18 years and engaged tens of thousands of students in service-learning.  While a science teacher at Mainland High School, she (with her students) designed and implemented an extraordinary interdisciplinary environmental service-learning project at a county park.  Students laid out 15 miles of trails, built bridges and observation towers, conducted high-tech flora and fauna studies, removed acres of invasive trees, restored natural water flows, gave tours, and taught science lessons to other students at the site.  Over time, Louise’s irresistible leadership (you simply cannot say “no” to someone with this much passion and energy for kids!), got teachers from nearly every discipline at the school involved, and over 1,000 students participated each year from classes in art (portraits of plants and animals), shop (building structures), music (writing songs about the project), culinary arts (making meals from native plants), English (descriptions and guidebooks), technology (mapping and websites), history, science, etc.  She secured significant donations from local partnerships she developed.  Through Louise’s efforts, Mainland was designated Florida’s first National Service-Learning Leader School.

Becoming the district’s service-learning coordinator, Louise then developed the extraordinary Volusia County Schools Environmental Service Learning Legacy Project Learn & Serve (VCS ESLLP L&S).  Surmounting a mountain of bureaucracy, she got the county to designate three different properties (with coastal, forest, & scrub habitats) as environmental service-learning sites.  Over two dozen schools now bring students to the three sites every week to conduct a wide variety of environmental service-learning projects in the areas of biology, environmental science, chemistry, physics, and the scientific process.  Activities include monitoring wetlands, planting container gardens, trail management, using alternative energy sources, and using technology to monitor water quality.  The current Adopt an Estuary project has students use GPS to measure temperature, pH, and salinity, observe water clarity, and identify plants and animals in the estuary.  It provides valuable data to the county.  See images at web link below.

As a result of Louise’s dedication, students are more aware of the environment and also teach lessons to other students and teachers, passing on their knowledge and increasing environmental awareness. After working at the sites, students have started environmental projects at their schools including recycling, wetland monitoring, and collecting money and food for the local Humane Society.  Students also enlist local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, church groups, and environmental clubs to help with large projects such as building boardwalks and installing informational kiosks at the sites.  These projects are directed, chosen and completed by students using the service learning steps.  Over one million service hours have been provided.  Louise’s focus on environmental service learning has even led a number of her former students to become biologists and science teachers themselves. Though Louise’s inspired leadership, environmental service-learning has spread like a positive virus in Volusia County.  Nearly every student in the district now has multiple opportunities to learn by serving.