Community Service

National Director of Community Service
Ericka Aiken
Georgetown University Law Center
communityservice@nblsa.org

Community Service Program Objectives

• Develop community service programming that is related to and focused on effective means of "Enhancing the Dream" for a better tomorrow.
• Improve the Chapter of the Year (COY) scoring formula to address inconsistencies in methods of calculating participation and add greater transparency and accountability to the grading process.
• Continue to hold community service events at each national board meeting to affirm the board's commitment to our initiatives.
• Promote a more unified service force by facilitating service initiatives that will be implemented on a national scale.

Community Service Areas of Focus

• Youth Empowerment
• Human Rights Awareness
• Prison Reform/Prisoner Rehabilitation
• International Outreach
• Environmental/Sustainability

National Community Service Initiatives

A Dream Un-Deferred: Youth Empowerment
"What happens to a dream deferred?"...NBLSA recovers it.

All chapters are encouraged to participate in community service projects within the following national schemes:

• Knowledge is Power Series: Chapters are encouraged to participate in tutoring and voter awareness programs for youth in their communities.
• Model Behavior Series: Chapter members are encouraged to serve as mentors to youth in their communities, particularly at-risk and/or disadvantaged youth.
• A Healthier YOUth Series: Chapters are encouraged to host or volunteer for a health awareness event for youth in their communities.
• B.A.N.: Just Say No to Bullying, Abuse & Neglect Series: Chapters are encouraged to host or volunteer for a seminar, symposium, panel, class or conference that addresses the issues of bullying, abuse and/or neglect.

Recovering the Dream of Freedom: Prison Reform & Prisoner Rehabilitation
"Freeing yourself [is] one thing, claiming ownership over that freed self [is] another."
- Toni Morrison

All chapters are encouraged to participate in community service projects within the following national schemes:

• Innocence Project Series: Chapters are encouraged to host an innocence project event in their community that promotes awareness and/or involves fundraising.
• Liberating Minds Series: Chapters are encouraged to volunteer for and/or donate books to programs that provide books to prisoners.
• No Return Series: Chapters are encouraged to educate juvenile offenders on legal issues, such as Fourth Amendment rights and diversion programs. The goal of this series is to reduce recidivism rates among juveniles in hopes that they will not return to the criminal justice system as repeat offenders.

Know Your Rights: Human Rights Awareness
"A right delayed is a right denied."
-- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

All chapters are encouraged to participate in community service projects within the following national schemes:

• Born Free & Equal Series: Chapters are encouraged to educate youth and adults on their basic Human Rights; chapter can utilize the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and local human rights legislation as a teaching tool.

All chapters are encouraged to participate in community service projects within the following national schemes:

• Environmental Awareness Series: Chapters are encouraged to host or participate in an environmental awareness event in their community.
• Captain Planet Series: Chapters are encouraged to participate in sustainability initiatives and/or start such an initiative at their school. For example, a chapter might work to increase the number of recycling bins located on their campus.
• Earth Day: Chapters are encouraged to participate in an Earth Day event. April 22nd.

"I Have a Dream" MLK Day of Service
Dr. King had a dream; NBLSA WILL enhance it.

All chapters should have a service day that is generally committed to service in honor of Dr. King. The intention of the project should be to motivate students to honor the memory and legacy of Dr. King by serving the community.

ROOTS: Founder's Day of Service
All chapters are encouraged to participate in community service projects within the following national schemes:

• Vision: In honor of the vision and our founder, all chapters should observe the day by hosting a service event on the last Saturday of October.
• Hangin' with Mr. Cooper: One of the community service events during the national convention will be chosen by our esteemed founder, A.J. Cooper. Volunteers will have the opportunity to serve the community with Mr. Cooper.