Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Organizational Context And Young Adult Education In An Urban Service Corps, Robert A. Pence

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

As a medium-sized, state-supported youth corps, the Wisconsin Conservation Corps (WCC) is an established institutional expression of a service corps model that has potential to address some of the educational and economic needs of marginalized young adults from "at-risk" environments. The WCC is a "second chance" work experience program that attempts to prepare 18 to 25 year-old unemployed young adults for employment or continuing education while they complete useful conservation work throughout the state. It is largely a white, male, rural-based program that maintains some crews in the black and Hispanic urban core of Milwaukee. This case study critically examines …

Service-Learning In One State: Results Of The North Carolina Service-Learning Inventory, Diane C. Calleson, Lani G. Parker, Robert C. Serow

Service Learning, General

Recent years have seen greatly expanded interest in service-learning among educators at both the K-12 and college levels. By most accounts, the initiation of service-learning programs and courses has come about in response to a recognized need to provide more effective citizenship education and to do a better job of preparing young people to be active members of their communities (see, for example, Barber). What is less clear, however, is the overall shape and substance of these programs. Because service-learning usually has a strong local component, not very much is known of the broader patterns and trends at the national …

Community Service Learning As Democratic Education In South Africa And The United States, Meta Mendel-Reyes, Jeremy Weinstein

International Service Learning & Community Engagement

This paper describes the development of the first community service learning program for democratic education in South Africa. The Democracy Education Project, which is based on Swarthmore College's innovative Democracy Project, was designed and implemented by a Swanhmore College student working with a high school in a Black community near CapeTown. This case study demonstrates that the successful transposition of a model of community service learning from one country to another requires recognizing the complex relationships among history and culture, and theories and practices of democratic education. It is also crucial to involve the new community as an equal partner …

Internships: Academic Learning Outcomes, Regina Grantz, Marilyn Thomas

Higher Education

Proponents of experiential learning have long recognized the learning benefits students can achieve through internships, service-learning experiences, and co-ops. There are others, however, who see those experiences as "career exploration," "good for the resume," but not integral to academic learning and so, not valid for the earning of academic credit. Even if internships are viewed as a valid component of the learning cycle (Kolb), what do we expect students to learn? How do we articulate outcomes that relate to a student's discipline major or to a liberal arts curriculum? Finally, how can we assess whether a student is meeting the …

Effects Of Participatory Learning Programs In Middle And High School Civic Education, Simon Kim, B. Sue Parks, Marvin Beckerman

School K-12

Introduction of participatory learning program in school civic education increases student awareness and improves communication skills through active participation in community services. Citizen Education Clearing House (CECH) programs which include the election, the Missouri state government, and the metropolitan issues program, enable students to improve their basic knowledge of election procedures and awareness of youth violence. A study of students from different racial and academic backgrounds who participated in these programs, reveals that participation leads to better civic education.

Community Service Throughout A School System, Anne Bishop

Service Learning, General

Teachers crave moments when student interest is high, questions flow freely, and learning is vivid enough to be retained. One such moment occurred when an elementary student in an environmental service project with wetlands volunteers said, "I learned that there are different types of wetlands and ours is a freshwater wetland that we are helping to stay fresh." These moments happen more often when students actively engage in experiences that involve helping others than during lecture, pencil and paper exercises, or assigned reading. Combined, service and learning become uniquely powerful (Kendall 1990). Facts learned in the classroom become a springboard …

Project Northland: Outcomes Of A Communitywide Alcohol Use Prevention Program During Early Adolescence, Cheryl L. Peny, Carolyn L. Williams, Sara Veblen-Mortenson, Traci L. Toomey, Kelli A. Komro, Pamela S. Astine, Paul G. Mcgovern, John R. Finnegan, Jean L. Forster, Alexander C. Wagenaar, Mark Wolfson

Project Summaries

Adolescent drinking and other drug use remain major public health problems in this country, despite some encouraging declines in the prevalence of use.^1-7 Alcohol use among adolescents is widespread (e.g., 88% of 12th graders reported any lifetime use in 1992), even though drinking is illegal for essentially all high school students.³ Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for adolescents,⁸ with one third to one half of such crashes involving alcohol.⁹ Furthermore, early onset of alcohol and tobacco use is a risk factor for progression to more serious forms of drug use.¹⁰

Helping Younger Students: A Cross-Age Tutorial Program, Sandra Harris

Project Summaries

The faculty in Castle Hills Baptist School, with an age-diverse population-225 high school students, 125 middle school students, and 350 elementary students-in three adjoining buildings, became interested in starting a cross-age tutorial program. After reviewing the literature, the faculty recognized the need for careful planning (Rosenshine and Furst 1969); high intensity instruction (Cohen, Kulik, and Kulik 1982); and a structured program ( Graesser and Person 1994). Believing that cross-age tutoring could benefit teachers, younger children, and older students, teachers looked to tutoring to further academic growth and increase interest in academic subjects (Fitz-Gibbon 1977; Yacc and Cannon 1991; Cochran 1993; …

A College-Community Service Program To Improve Student Reading, Antonio M. Eppolito, Stephanie Burt Pelcher, Jim Wright

Higher Education

Service learning at LeMoyne College extends the learning of undergraduate students in teacher education beyond the college classroom while fulfilling an education department's practicum requirement by assisting in the improvement of elementary students' reading comprehension skills. A partnership created among Blue Cross-Blue Shield Insurance Company of Central New York-whose corporate sponsorship covers the cost of transporting tutors from the college campus to the elementary school Elmwood Elementary School of The Syracuse City School District, and Le Moyne College (BEL) provides a tutoring program for third graders who have been judged by their teachers to be less-skilled readers than many of …

Origins, Evolution, And Progress: Reflections On A Movement, Goodwin Liu

Higher Education

This article traces the evolution of the community service movement on college campuses over the past 10 years. The author also analyzes the development of the movement through three conceptual strands -- student leadership, institutional support, and service learning -- weaving them into a narrative of the recent decade.

Naming And Framing Service Learning: A Taxonomy And Four Levels Of Value, James Robertson Price Iii, John S. Martello

Higher Education

Service learning draws upon some of the noblest intentions of American higher education: its goal is to develop an educated and engaged citizenry willing and able to address society's ills. This idea of service learning resonates deeply with the felt needs of our time, and perhaps nowhere more keenly than in the urban locations of metropolitan colleges and universities. Consequently, service learning is perhaps the fastest growing and the most promising movement within higher education today.

Serving In One's Own Community: Taking A Second Look At Our Assumptions About Community Service Education, Marie Kennedy, Molly Mead

Higher Education

What difference does it make if the students in a comm.unity service education project are from the communities being served? On the basis of over 20 years of experience, the authors warn that superficial conclusions about who the students are can easily interfere with effective teaching of such projects. They also develop their approach to community service education: community empowerment through action research. Those most affected by the conditions being researched must be involved in posing the research questions, determining how the results of the research will be used, and mobilizing for change-oriented action.

Reflection Activities For The College Classroom, Julie A. Hatcher, Robert G. Bringle

Evaluation/Reflection

As educators committed to strengthening the integration of service into academic study, we have provided this booklet of reflection activities as our first attempt to consolidate the collective wisdom on reflection activities that can be used in college classrooms.

In The National Interest: Community College And Their Community Service Are Vital To Democracy, Hugh Baily

Higher Education

Let me get right to the point and give you a sense of why the Corporation for National Service sees Community Colleges as such critical partners in our effort. Your students across the country have been engaged in community service for many years. Indeed, during the past decade we have seen a resurgence of grassroots activity that helped catapult the issue of service onto the national agenda. Now we are asking institutions of higher education and their students to continue their leadership and involvement.

Communal Participatory Action Research As A Strategy For Improving Universities And The Social Sciences: Penn's Work With The West Philadelphia Improvement Corps As A Case Study, Lee Benson, Ira Harkavy, John Puckett

Higher Education

As the 20th century closes, a key question is: What can the social sciences do to help solve the problems of our society and world? The authors identify the principal causes of the crisis in the university and the social sciences to be intellectual fragmentation and a structural contradiction that is built into the American research university. They then propose a radical reorientation of American universities toward helping solve real-world problems-particularly those in a university's local community. The authors suggest that such an orientation can be achieved through communal participatory action research projects designed to help change society. This research …

School-To-Work And Service-Learning, The National School-To-Work Learning And Information Center

School K-12

School-to-work systems show young people how their classroom experiences relate to their work and to their lives, typically through internships, apprenticeships, or other work-based learning experiences. Other methods of positive youth development, such as service-learning, can also provide opportunities for the real world application of classroom-developed skills. As a work-based learning component in a school-to-work system, service-learning extends learning beyond the classroom into real world contexts where young people acquire not only basic math, science, English, and communication skills, but also broader problem-solving and decision-making skills. However, instead of focusing primarily on occupational skills sought by employers, service-learning addresses community …

Youth Development/Youth Service Status Report, Minnesota Children

School K-12

During the 1994-1995 school year, over 80% of Minnesota's school districts chose to participate in Youth Development/Youth Service that has been an integral part of Community Education since 1987. Out of the 365 operating school districts in Minnesota, 290 districts applied for and received the $1.00 per capita authorized by the Minnesota State Legislature to "implement a Youth Development Plan approved by the (local) school board and to provide a youth service program."

Working At Learning, Education Week

Special Topics, General

School-to-work, community service, and service-learning programs teach students to learn by doing. But are schools the right place for them?

Combining Service And Learning On Campus And In The Community, Barry Checkoway

Service Learning, General

Student workshops are valuable resources for combining service and learning. The challenge, Mr. Checkoway points out, is to recognize their limitations, integrate them with other courses in the curriculum, and find ways to improve their quality.

Summary Of Major Findings: Learn And Serve America, Higher Education, Maryann Jacobi Gray, Elizabeth Henegan Ondaatje, Sandra Geschwind, Abby Robyn, Stephen P. Klein

Project Summaries

This report provides an overview of results from the first year evaluation of Learn and Serve America, Higher Education (LSAHE), an initiative of the Corporation for National Service (CNS). The evaluation assessed the impacts of LSAHE on communities, students, and institutions in fiscal year 1995.

In India / A Bold Experiment In Teaching Values, Carolyn Cottom

International Service Learning & Community Engagement

A religiously diverse school has proven that teachers can instill both personal and social virtues and a desire to excel, and that academic excellence flows from character development.

Evaluation Of Learn And Serve America, Higher Education: First Year Report, Volume I, Maryann Jacobi Gray, Sandra Geschwind, Elizabeth Henegan Ondaatje, Abby Robyn, Stephen P. Klein, Linda J. Sax, Alexander W. Astin, Helen S. Astin, Tessa Kaganoff, Kathy Rosenblatt

Evaluation/Reflection

This report presents evaluation results for the first year of the Learn and Serve America, Higher Education (LSAHE) initiative, sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNS). It addresses impacts of LSAHE on communities, higher education institutions, and service providers.

Linking Learning And Service: Lessons From Service Learning Programs In Pennsylvania, Carl I. Fertman

Service Learning, General

Service is part of most schools. School staff and students participate in car washes, bake sales, dances, read-a-thons, and SK races to raise money for national and local groups and community-based organizations. Other students and teachers provide thousands of hours of more direct service, working at hospitals, providing support services at the Special Olympics, cleaning parks, assisting at shelters and food banks, providing tutoring services, running hotlines, and visiting the elderly. Young people and their teachers can also be found speaking at public hearings, serving on policy boards, and visiting elected officials to talk about the needs of the community.

Reflections On Evaluation Of Service-Learning Programs, Maryann Jacobi Gray

Evaluation/Reflection

Somewhere between a thorn in the side and a bloom on the rose of service-learning is evaluation. Whatever one's personal attitude toward evaluation, pressures to demonstrate effectiveness are increasing for practitioners and proponents of service-learning at the postsecondary level. This article describes the factors driving interest in assessing program outcomes and reviews some of the challenges facing evaluators of service-learning programs. Although this discussion focuses on the higher education environment, many of the principles examined are also applicable to high school and middle school programs.

Service Learning: Why Community Colleges?, Lynn Barnett

Higher Education

More than any other segment of American higher education, community colleges play a unique role in their own communities. The AACC is sponsoring several community-building and service learning projects at community college campuses across the nation.

Citizenship, Community Service, And University--Based Community Schools, Marie K. Bogle, Ira Harkavy

Higher Education

In the October 6, 1995 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education, Alexander W. Astin discussed why "student interest and engagement in politics are at an all time low." Astin's explanation placed responsibility squarely (and in our judgement appropriately) at the feet of the American university. Despite their traditionally professed mission to promote good citizenship, universities have devoted few resources to that mission and performed it badly. Why has this occurred? Astin's answer was simple and direct- higher education has

Integrating Service Into A Multicultural Writing Curriculum, Robert Franco

Diversity

In 1986, the American Association of Community Colleges brought together nineteen distinguished leaders in higher education to produce Building Communities: A Vision For a New Century. Their mission statement focused on excessive fragmentation, cultural separation, and racial tension in local communities ·across America. It emphasized that many neighborhoods and families had lost their cohesiveness and that an atomistic individualism was on the rise (Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, 1988).

Swat Team Formed To Lead Service Learning, Lexington Community College

Project Summaries

Lexington CC's SWAT team is poised to lead the community in "learning through service." SWAT-the Service Work and Training Team-is made up of 10 LCC students who represent each division. Team members. who act as service providers and college ambassadors, are, from left (front row), Chanda Barlow, Terra Greer, Sean Corbin, Yevette Relford; (back row) Hendrick Floyd, Greg Williams, Rod Givens, Chris Cofher and Misty Sullivan. Charlene Walker, center, coordinator of the SWAT team, said the group will assist the college with recruiting and with · the Leadership Education Odyssey (LEO) project. They are available for projects at area hospitals, …

Proceedings From The Service Learning Summit - September 9-10, 1995, Dale A. Blythe, Candyce Kroenke

Conference Proceedings

There is great promise and significant challenges to sustaining and expanding service learning--both as a method of teaching and a method of educational reform. While the practitioners that use service learning are convinced of its benefits to youth, it has been difficult to substantiate claimed outcomes, particularly those related to academic achievement. There are problems in the depth of practice, the depth of research, and the expectations for outcomes.

The purpose of the Summit was to get people together to share, from their own perspectives, their expectations of service learning, its impact, and what they think is needed to make …

Service Learning Coursebook • Ill Mathematics, Benjamin Winchester

Guides

The Mathematics Discipline of the University of Minnesota, Morris has moved into the forefront of its academic excellence with the addition of a service learning component in its curriculum. Three professors, Dr. Jon Anderson, Dr. Peh Ng and Dr. Engin Sungur recently received SEAMS (Science, Engineering, Architecture, Mathematics and Computer Science) Mini Grants from Minnesota Campus Compact in 1996. These grants challenge the faculty to find innovative ways to address community/environmental hazards and concerns while enhancing students academic and civic understanding.