The National Service-Learning Leader Schools program is a national initiative designed to encourage improved teaching and learning through high-quality service-learning. Through this program, 70 high schools from across the country received recognition for their exemplary integration of student service into the curriculum and the life of the school.

New Jersey was asked to identify five nominees to be considered for this national honor. With this request in mind, we coordinated an outreach to all NJ high schools. Over 400 High Schools were mailed an advisory of the initiative and a state application. The application deadline for New Jersey was February 11, 1999.

Following the deadline, we began the application selection process. Approximately 40 high schools submitted applications. The forty applications were screened and reduced to 20 semifinalists. From the 20 semifinalists a panel of five judges were given the selection criteria and were faced with the challenge of selecting five New Jersey Service-Learning Leader Schools who would be selected as the NJ National Nominees.

The five nominees were required to submit an additional application to the national review panel. The national application included a portfolio representing a compilation of evidence that demonstrated the applicant's commitment to service-learning; that showed its service-learning activities are exemplary, broad-based, and integrated into the curriculum and life of the school; and that the school merited national recognition for its efforts. An orientation for all nominees was held on March 5, 1999, at the State Department of Education in Trenton, NJ. At that time, the national application was disseminated and reviewed.

The national applications were submitted and four out of our five nominees were selected to be National Service-Learning Leader Schools. This was a great honor because NJ was one of only two states with four national honorees.

All of the applicants were added to NJ's national service database. They will receive information such as grant announcements, training opportunities, newsletters and other service-related publications.

On June 11, 1999, New Jersey held a statewide event in order to recognize the semifinalists and finalists for their wonderful work. The recognition event consisted of a Service-Learning Fair. Based on the science fair model, the Service-Learning Fair provided students, teachers and administrators the opportunity to demonstrate school and community pride by creatively displaying their outstanding service-learning projects and explaining their impact on the community.

More than 100 students, teachers, principals, superintendents and other key school administrators joined together to celebrate the accomplishments of New Jersey's Service-Learning Leader Schools honorees. Teachers and administrators took advantage of the opportunity to network and share ideas with their peers. Student participants received much deserved praise for their contributions to their schools and communities. Each school's commitment to service-learning was very evident in their displays. The schools illustrated that their service-learning activities were exemplary, broad-based, integrated into the curriculum and life of the school, and that the school merited recognition for their efforts.