Until its first major cut in Fiscal Year 2006, Learn and Serve America had been flat-funded at $43 million for more than a decade. While the real value of this "traditional level" level has declined with inflation, the service-learning field has fought to sustain progress through training, sharing best practices, and educating new audiences about the effectiveness of service-learning as a teaching and learning approach.
However, the major cut down to $37.1 million in Fiscal Year 2006 put in jeopardy the sustainability of service-learning programs across the country. Now, in Fiscal Year 2007, Learn and Serve America is frozen at this reduced level and faces an additional crisis in the Administration's Budget Request for another cut to $32.1 million for Fiscal Year 2008. (See a chart showing the approptiations history of Learn and Serve America.) If adopted, this additional cut could mean:
- A 14% funding cut of $5 million;
- More than 195,000 youth losing the opportunity to serve through Learn and Serve America;
- A loss of $66 million in services to communities; and
- A loss of 3.7 million service hours to communities.
If these cuts continue, there will be further negative implications. Learn and Serve America's statute dictates that if its total appropriation drops below a threshold of approximately $31 million, the formula grants allocated to each state education agency for school-based service-learning would converted into competitive grants. Breaking the threshold would mean that all states would no longer be guaranteed a Learn and Serve America grants allocation.
For more information and updates, visit www.servicelearningunited.org or check back at YSA's Advocacy Page.
