(Washington, DC) Serve DC, Executive Office of the Mayor, announces the recipients of the Summer 2007 Learn and Serve America (LSA) Community-Based Grant Competition.  Grants have been awarded to seven DC community-based organizations to develop service-learning programs that engage youth in addressing community needs through service.  The seven new LSA Community-Based sub-grantees are CentroNia; Ethiopian Community Service and Development Council Inc.; Fihankra Akoma Ntoaso; Heads Up; Higher Achievement; The Scholarship Academy; and The Shakespeare Theatre.

The Community-Based LSA grants will support summer service-learning initiatives that emphasize authentic youth civic engagement and enable students to meet local environmental, educational, public safety, homeland security, and other community needs.  Service-learning is integrated into educational learning and engages students in critical thinking, problem-solving, and experiential education opportunities.  

Learn and Serve America (LSA) is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service that supports service-learning in K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and community-based organizations.  Serve DC, the DC Commission on National and Community Service, administers LSA grants to District of Columbia K-12 schools and community-based organizations to support and expand service-learning opportunities for DC youth.  Currently, Serve DC manages a portfolio of twenty-one Learn and Serve sub-grantees which includes seven LSA School-Based sites, three LSA Homeland Security School-Based sites, four LSA Community-Based sites, and seven summer Community-Based sites. 

For additional information about Serve DC’s Learn and Serve America program please contact Kristen Henry, Learn and Serve Coordinator, at 202-727-8003.