The end? Well, not exactly. Scratch that - not at all. I thought I was going to be writing about the amazing time I had in Atlanta, Georgia the at the NYLC National Service-Learning Conference. I mean, how pumped up can a person in my line or work feel surrounded by thousands of others who are as excited or even more crazy about service-learning? But there was something in the air the whole time we were celebrating.

The National Youth Service Learning Conference is this week (April 6-9) in Atlanta, Georgia and I will be here soaking up as much as I possibly can over the next few days. There are so many great things about being here already, besides the obvious - it's about 20 degrees warmer than Michigan. So far, the Welcome Celebration last night featured good old southern cuisine (succotash, grits, fried chicken, BBQ sandwiches, fried okra) and brought together literally thousands of service learning advocates and practitioners to network and enjoy themselves. Today we workshop.

Last week I attended a Learn & Serve - Michigan Service Learning Sustainability Symposium with some colleagues. The symposium was intended for K-12 educators and service learning coordinators, but I was ecstatic to go as a representative from higher education because there was so much great information getting spread around!

Today I received a text message from the daughter of a family friend that I think deserves a wider read. To demonstrate a trend in education, sometimes anecdotal evidence can shed light on an issue in ways that thousands of pages of hard evidence can't. Although I read tons of articles on service learning, it's a conversation with a student that really gets my attention.

There is some confusion about the definitions of community service and service learning. The term service learning gets thrown around quite a bit, an educational buzz word at times used to describe virtually anything that involves some type of service to the community. But what are the actual differences?

The Dean of the College of Education at Grand Valley State University holds a Professional Advisory Council (PAC) meeting every two years, inviting superintendants and principals from the tri-county area to help the College of Education with feedback about pre-service teachers. This year’s focus was on service-learning, and as an added bonus, all who participated were able to be a part of a workshop/presentation by international service-learning consultant Cathryn Berger Kaye.

Students and teachers at three Grand Rapids Public Schools worked to give a little warmth to those in need. Along the way, they learned that in order to get a little help, you need communication skills, determination, and the ability to see a project through.

Some younger students may not have much experience with senior citizens beyond their own grandparents. They may also be confused or even frightened when confronted with having to navigate through a retirement community if they are not familiar with their surroundings.

Is service-learning just "One More Thing?" Why can't it be the same thing?

For teachers, adding things to the plate can many times mean cramming things into an already tight space. Imagine the well-worn image of the overfilled suitcase. So when teachers are bombarded with program after program, the mantra becomes: One More Thing.