1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; integrating service learning into Minnesota's education 
1.3 	system; establishing an evidence-based service-learning technical assistance and 
1.4 	grant program; appropriating money;amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 
1.5 	124D.50, by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
1.6 	Statutes, chapter 124D.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 124D.50, is amended by adding a subdivision 
1.9 	to read:
1.10 		Subd. 2a.Service-learning specialist; service-learning work. (a) The commissioner 
1.11 	must create a service-learning specialist position in the department to expand evidence-based 
1.12 	service learning; coordinate service-learning grants under section 124D.501; and provide 
1.13 	technical assistance to school districts; charter schools; schools; tribal contract or grant 
1.14 	schools eligible for state aid under section 124D.83; and school programs and their 
1.15 	community-based partners, including nonprofit organizations, community education 
1.16 	programs, state or federal agencies, and political subdivisions.
1.17 	(b) The commissioner may provide or may contract for specialized expertise in school- 
1.18 	and community-based service-learning best practices, professional development or training, 
1.19 	service-learning research or evaluation, or development of service-learning communities.

1.20 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2021.

1.21 	Sec. 2. [124D.501] INNOVATIVE INCUBATOR SERVICE-LEARNING GRANTS.
1.22 		Subdivision 1.Establishment; eligibility criteria; application requirements.  (a) A 
1.23 	five-year technical assistance and grant program is established to initiate or expand and 
2.1 	strengthen innovative service-learning opportunities for students in kindergarten through 
2.2 	grade 12; increase student engagement and academic achievement; close the academic 
2.3 	achievement gap and the community, college, and career opportunity gaps; and create a 
2.4 	positive school climate and safer schools and communities.
2.5 	(b) At least one public school teacher, administrator, or program staff member and at 
2.6 	least one service-learning specialist, service-learning coordinator, curriculum specialist, or 
2.7 	other qualified employee designated to develop and share expertise in implementing 
2.8 	service-learning best practices who are employed at a public school, tribal contract school, 
2.9 	or charter school must work with students to form a student-adult partnership. The partnership 
2.10 	must include at least one community-based organization, community education program, 
2.11 	state or federal agency, or political subdivision. The partnership may invite other individuals 
2.12 	or entities, such as a postsecondary faculty member or institution, parent, other community 
2.13 	member, local business or business organization, or local media representative to become 
2.14 	a partner or participate with the partnership, consistent with this paragraph. Before developing 
2.15 	and submitting a grant application to the department, a participating student must work with 
2.16 	at least one adult who is part of the initial partnership to identify a need or opportunity to 
2.17 	pursue through a service-learning partnership and invite at least one partner to collaborate 
2.18 	in developing and submitting a grant application. The fiscal agent for the grant is a school 
2.19 	district, charter school, or tribal contract school that is a member of the partnership or has 
2.20 	a school or school program that is a member of the partnership.
2.21 	(c) An eligible service-learning partnership receiving an innovation service-learning 
2.22 	grant must:
2.23 	(1) include at least two or more enrolled students; two or more school employees in 
2.24 	accordance with paragraph (b); and an eligible community-based organization, community 
2.25 	education program, state or federal agency, or political subdivision; and
2.26 	(2) assist students to:
2.27 	(i) actively participate in service-learning experiences that meet identified student and 
2.28 	community needs or opportunities;
2.29 	(ii) operate collaboratively with service-learning partnership members;
2.30 	(iii) align service-learning experiences with at least one state or local academic standard, 
2.31 	which may include a local career and technical education standard;
2.32 	(iv) apply students' knowledge and skills in their community and help solve community 
2.33 	problems or address community opportunities;
3.1 	(v) foster students' civic engagement; and
3.2 	(vi) explore or pursue career pathways and support career and college readiness.
3.3 	(d) A school district member in a partnership may participate in the partnership through 
3.4 	a community education program established under section 124D.19.
3.5 	(e) An eligible partnership interested in receiving a grant must apply to the commissioner 
3.6 	of education in the form and manner determined by the commissioner. The partnership must 
3.7 	work with a district, charter school, public school, tribal contract school, or public school 
3.8 	program. Consistent with this subdivision, the application must describe the partnership 
3.9 	plan to:
3.10 	(1) incorporate student-designed and student-led service learning into the school 
3.11 	curriculum or specific courses or across subject areas;
3.12 	(2) provide students with instruction and experiences using service-learning best practices 
3.13 	during the regular school day with an option to supplement their service-learning experiences 
3.14 	outside of the school day;
3.15 	(3) align service-learning experiences with at least one state or local academic standard, 
3.16 	which may include a local career or technical education standard, and at least one goal of 
3.17 	the world's best workforce in accordance with section 120B.11 or the state plan submitted 
3.18 	and approved under the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary 
3.19 	Education Act;
3.20 	(4) make implementing service-learning best practices an educational priority;
3.21 	(5) provide student-designed, student-led service-learning experiences that help meet 
3.22 	community needs or develop community opportunities; and
3.23 	(6) identify at least one public school teacher, administrator, or program staff member 
3.24 	and at least one service-learning specialist, service-learning coordinator, curriculum specialist, 
3.25 	or other qualified employee designated to develop and share expertise in implementing 
3.26 	service-learning best practices to work with students to form a student-adult partnership 
3.27 	that includes at least one community-based organization, community education program, 
3.28 	state or federal agency, or political subdivision.
3.29 		Subd. 2.Innovation grants. The commissioner of education must annually award up 
3.30 	to 32 grants of up to $50,000 each to allow eligible partnerships, equitably distributed 
3.31 	throughout Minnesota by congressional district, to provide student-designed, student-led 
3.32 	service-learning opportunities consistent with this section. The commissioner may designate 
3.33 	start-up or leader grant categories with differentiated maximum grant dollar amounts up to 
4.1 	$50,000. A grantee designated as leader grantee may be required to meet additional leader 
4.2 	grant requirements as established by the commissioner in the grant application criteria 
4.3 	developed by the commissioner. The commissioner may renew a grant annually as 
4.4 	appropriated funds are available and consistent with the grant criteria established in this 
4.5 	section and other criteria the commissioner may establish for grant eligibility or for renewing 
4.6 	a grant. In order to receive a grant, a partnership must provide a 50 percent match in funds 
4.7 	or in-kind contributions unless the commissioner waives the match requirement for an 
4.8 	applicant serving a high number of students whose families meet federal poverty guidelines. 
4.9 	A partnership grantee must allocate the grant amount according to its grant application. The 
4.10 	partnership must convey 50 percent of the actual grant amount to at least one 
4.11 	community-based organization, community education program, state or federal agency, or 
4.12 	political subdivision to help implement or defray the direct costs of carrying out the 
4.13 	service-learning strategies and activities described in the partnership's grant application.
4.14 		Subd. 3.Evaluation. The commissioner of education must evaluate innovative, incubator, 
4.15 	service-learning awarded grants based on the educational and developmental outcomes of 
4.16 	participating students and on member districts' progress toward meeting at least one goal 
4.17 	of the world's best workforce goals in accordance with section 120B.11 or the state plan 
4.18 	submitted and approved under the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and 
4.19 	Secondary Education Act. The commissioner must evaluate the success of service-learning 
4.20 	grants based on the community outcomes achieved through student service-learning 
4.21 	experiences and the corresponding student service activities. The commissioner must submit 
4.22 	a report on participating student and community outcomes under this section to the legislative 
4.23 	committees with jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education by February 15, 
4.24 	2028.

4.25 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2021.

4.26 	Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION.
 4.27 		Subdivision 1.Department of Education. The sums indicated in this section are 
4.28 	appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal years 
4.29 	designated.
4.30 		Subd. 2.Service-learning specialist; service-learning work. (a) For the service-learning 
4.31 	specialist position at the Department of Education under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.50, 
4.32 	subdivision 2a, and for related service-learning work under Minnesota Statutes, section 
4.33 	124D.501:

5.1		$
	250,000
	.....
	2022
	
5.2		$
	250,000
	.....
	2023
	
5.3 	(b) The base for fiscal year 2024 is $250,000.
5.4 		Subd. 3.Innovative service-learning grants. (a) For innovative service-learning grants 
5.5 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.501:

5.6		$
	800,000
	.....
	2022
	
5.7		$
	800,000
	.....
	2023
	
5.8 	(b) The base for fiscal year 2024 is $800,000.