Digital Commons Network^™

Making A Case For Collaborative Problem Solving, Christopher T. Gates

Partnerships/Community

As the number and diversity of actors expecting to be part of any community decision increase, so must the process for making those decisions become more open and accessible. Bringing diverse/layers together- finding common ground, defining share interests - is a process of self-realization whereby all community members can discover that they have the talent and ideas necessary to improve community life for themselves and their neighbors.

Involving Older Volunteers, In Public Schools, Kristen J. Amundson

Intergenerational

Each day, 5,000 Americans celebrate their sixty-fifth birthday. As this age group becomes larger, it will also become more powerful. As voters, seniors make up the most conscientious of the voting group in our society.

Researching Student Community Service: An Opportunity To Promote Reflection?, Cecil D. Bradfield, R. Ann Myers

Service Learning, General

In recent years there has been a growing interest in student community service. It is suggested that the students of the 1980's and 90's are returning to an ethic of community service. Organizations have developed to promote service from both the student and the academic perspectives. The Campus Outreach Opportunity League (COOL) is a student movement promoting community service. Campus Compact represents the academic administration interest in promoting student community service with presidents of institutions forming the membership in the organization. A third organization, the National Society of Internships and Experiential Education (NSIEE), includes student community service as a form …

The Role Of Service-Learning In Today's College Curriculum, Dwight E. Giles

Higher Education

When I am given a topic or question to address I find that playing with the topic produces intellectual stimulation, helps to develop a clearer focus for my thoughts, and provides a respectable form of procrastination. This topic has been no exception in providing all three of the above; I'd like to begin by suggesting some ways we might play with the topic together over the next few minutes.

Community Service And Critical Thinking: An Exploratory Analysis Of Collegiate Influences, Eric L. Dey

Higher Education

Interest in encouraging undergraduates to become involved in community service has grown rapidly over the past several years. In addition to the formation of groups such as the Campus Compact, this interest can be seen in the curricula of numerous colleges which have instituted community services requirements for graduation. Interest in critical thinking has increased as well, with widespread agreement among educators that critical thinking should be an important, if not central, goal of education. Although critical thinking has long been valued by educators at all (Siegel, 1980), the importance placed upon the development of critical thinking has recently been …

Occasional Paper No. 091-1: Small Towns Lack Capacity For Successful Development Efforts, B. J. Reed, David F. Paulsen

Publications

Smalltown residents in Nebraska put a high premium on the need for economic development efforts, yet most think their towns' efforts fall short. Some towns, especially the smallest, don't even try to put together a development project. And those that do try often need help of a kind that State and Federal agencies do not offer. Nonetheless, Nebraska is trying some new programs that match State aid with a town's needs and willingness for self-help. Based on a survey of 135 small towns in Nebraska.

Student Involvement In Community Service: Institutional Commitment And The Campus Compact, Alexander W. Astin

Higher Education

Although interest in involving students in community service has been growing rapidly among higher education institutions, there has so far been little systematic study of who the volunteers are and of which institutional practices actually encourage student participation in community service. The study reported here presents some provocative new findings concerning factors that contribute to student participation in, and institutional commitment to community service. The data on which the study is based were recently collected in connection with a large-scale national study of undergraduate education that we have been conducting with support from grants by the Exxon Education Foundation and …

The Next Literacy: Educating Young Americans For Work And Citizenship, David Fleming

Civic Engagement

The emerging global economy presents the American workforce with many challenges. As national economic borders disintegrate and U.S. manufacturing jobs disappear, more and more opportunities are opening up in "complex services" (insurance, engineering, law, finance, computer programming, advertising) and "person-to-person service" (re- . tail, education, health care). Many of these new jobs offer high-skill, high-wage work; unfortunately, the majority of American workers lack the education and training for them. What those workers·are left with are an increasing number of low-skill, low-wage, nonunion jobs. One feature of this economy, then, is a growing split between the few who are benefiting from …

"...Something Shining, Like Gold--But Better." The National Indian Youth Leadership Model: A Manual For Program Leaders, Mcclellan Hall

Tribal Nations Documents

A lot of people are talking about education these days, including President Bush,who recently launched his America 2000 plan here in St. Paul. It hasn't been like this for many years, certainly not during the 1980s when the issue of young people dropping out, pushed out, or bored out was almost invisible on the national agenda.For McClellan Hall, however, concern for how children learn-especially Indian children, has been a lifelong mission. As national interest focuses on education, it is essential that credible voices such as McClellan's, voices which neither claim nor seek a national limelight, be heard amid the current …

Do Faculty Connect School To Work? Evidence From Community Colleges, Dominic J, Brewer, Maryann Jacobi Gray

Higher Education

Despite an emphasis in recent policy on connecting school to work, relatively little is known about how these connections are made and what they look like. In this article, we explore the relationship between community college faculty and their local labor markets.We use a unique national survey that provides the first systematic data from a large number of faculty on this issue, supplemented by case studies. We show that faculty engage in a range of relatively low-level connecting activities; stronger connections are rare. Faculty receive minimal institutional support for such efforts. There are several important barriers to improving linkages related …

The Volunteer Potential Of First-Time Entering Students: Interest Areas And Incentives, Victoria J. Balenger, William E. Sedlacek

Higher Education

First time entering students at a large, eastern university were given a survey assessing their interest In various campus volunteer opportunities. The relationship between incentives and volunteer interest was also studied. The findings suggested that, generally, students did not differentiate between "serving as a volunteer," "earning course credit as a volunteer," and "earning a monetary award as a volunteer." Overall, students were most interested in volunteering for the homecoming committee and the campus recruitment organization, and least interested in volunteering for the counseling center and the health center. Specific volunteer interests are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical …

Youth Policy Conference: A Summary, Ron Jenkins

Conference Proceedings

On January 25 and 26, 1991 in Eugene, Oregon, approximately 200 people attended an unprecedented state-wide training event.The purpose of the gathering was to discuss and debate the question: How best to promote/increase the participation of youth in Oregon's decision-making activities throughout Oregon.

By design, the conference was an accredited college course, offered by the University of Oregon for approximately 100 of its graduate/undergraduate students. Other attendees were adults and youth affiliated with a variety of Oregon's youth agencies.

Using Law-Related Education As An Intervention With "High-Risk" Youth, Drake Buzzell

Special Topics, General

During these times of scarce resources, policymakers are increasingly devoting more attention to areas where they feel they can make the greatest impact. Many local and state policy discussions are focusing on the relationship of "high-risk" youth, crime, and drug abuse Policymakers as well as social service program directors are particularly interested in the factors contributing to the likelihood that a young person will abuse alcohol or other drugs, and engage in delinquent behavior. We have known for some time that there is a significant correlation between these two behaviors. What is perhaps ironic is that we are back to …

Preliminary Review Of Research In Service Learning, James Krug, Richard J. Kraft

Special Topics, General

The following cursory review is taken from the Literature Review on Service Learning conducted by Mr. James Krug (1991) at the University of Colorado. Mr. Krug's research has been on the effects of service learning on four groups of high school young people: at-risk youth in a special program, student assistants (primarily minority) within the school, nature guides, and tutors at a primary school. Preliminary results indicate that, while all the experimental groups gained on measures of potency, activity involvement in the community, self-concept and other factors, the statistically significant growth at the .01 and .05 levels was found almost …

1990 Census Population Reports: Reports 1-8, Nebraska State Data Center (Nsdc)

Publications

Enclosed for your information is the final1990 population counts of cities, towns and counties from the Census Bureau.

These counts represent the first information that will be released for Nebraska from the 1990 Census. These population counts are also available on the Neb-Index electronic bulletin board.

1990 Census Population Reports: Report 1

Omaha Focus, 91-1, Center For Public Affairs Research (Cpar)

Publications

This issue of Omaha Focus features "The Omaha Housing Authority's Scattered Site Housing Program: Nearby Residents' Perceptions" by William T. Clute from UNO's Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Criminal Justice Policy Focus, Number 91-1, Criminal Justice Policy Research Group

Publications

This issue of Criminal Justice Policy Focus features "Patterns in Omaha's Homicide Rate" by Obie Clayton, Jr. and Vincent Webb from UNO's Department of Criminal Justice.

Criminal Justice Policy Focus, Number 91-3, Criminal Justice Policy Research Group

Publications

This issue of Criminal Justice Policy Focus features "Civilian Review of the Police: A National Survey of the 50 Largest Cities" by Samuel Walker and Vic W. Bumphus from UNO's Department of Criminal Justice.

Criminal Justice Policy Focus, Number 91-2, Criminal Justice Policy Research Group

Publications

This issue of Criminal Justice Policy Focus features "Alcohol Use As A Contributor To Homicide: A Longitudinal Study Of Alcohol Use And Homicide in Omaha, Nebrawska: 1975-1989" by Obie Clayton, Jr. and Vincent Webb from UNO's Department of Criminal Justice.

A Study Of The Impact Of Educational Reform On At-Risk Students In Texas, Texas Education Agency

School K-12

This report was prepared by the Texas Education Agency's Division of Program Evaluation in an effort to provide preliminary information about the impact of educational reform on at-risk students in Texas.

National Youth Service: A Democratic Institution For The 21st Century, National Service Secretariat

Conference Proceedings

Proceedings from a conference to explore issues in moving toward a new institution for national youth service are presented in this booklet. Chapter 1 presents a historical overview of youth participation in the United States, focusing on trends in the labor market, schooling, incarceration, and social problems. The assertion is made that due to population and technological influences on labor supply and demand, schools no longer effectively socialize or control youth. Therefore, the development of alternative institutions, such as a diverse and voluntary national youth service,must be considered. Chapter 2 defines a national youth service as the manifestation of mutual …

Graduate Academic Catalog (1991-1992), University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Graduate Catalogs

This Graduate Catalog is provided by the Graduate Faculty of the University of Nebraska at Omaha in the hope that it will be a source of information to you on the graduate programs available through our University. We are proud of our University and of its programs. We encourage you to become acquainted with us and with the many sources available to the community through the University.

The lamp of learning which you see on this page is the symbol of the scholarship and creative activity which characterizes every graduate program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. It is …

Reflection: At The Heart Of Experiential Learning, Robert D. Shumer

Evaluation/Reflection

Life is nothing but a series bf experiences. Many experiences pass us by, quickly forgotten. Others make an impact, for some reason, and we remember them well. How we deal with our experiences measures how much we can learn from them: whether we think or reflect on what has happened determines if an experience will be lasting and rewarding or simply slip into oblivion.

Field Experience And Cooperative Education; Similarities And Differences, Joyce K. Fletcher

Service Learning, General

Of all of the benefits associated with experiential education, those related to student development are of the most interest to educators. Those of us who work with students do not need to be convinced of the positive impact work experience has on participants. Anecdotally we share with one another our success stories - stories of individual students who have grown, matured, gained self-confidence or a new sense of direction and purpose because of exposure to what we like to call the real world. Yet, we recognize that these outcomes are not guaranteed, and that in fact, not all students achieve …

Community-Based Learning: A Study Of A Model Dropout Prevention Program, Robert D. Shumer

School K-12

Dropout prevention is a major concern of school districts throughout the country. In Los Angeles it is estimated that 39% of students fail to graduate from high school. Nationwide, the rate is not too much different, especially in inner city communities where large numbers of Hispanic and African-American youth attend school. While dropout rates have been traditionally high for decades, people continue to ask, why? Many billions of dollars have been spent trying to answer this question and many programs have been developed which attempt to address some of these problems. No one has come up with a comprehensive answer …

Democracy's Next Generation, Donna Fowler

Civic Engagement

A recent study conducted for People For the American Way recommends three ways schools can help students develop the values and habits of responsible citizenship.

Educating For Social Responsibility, Sheldon Berman

Service Learning, General

Schools must help students fight their feelings of powerlessness by developing their sense of community and their confidence that they can make a difference in the world.

Youth Policy: The Monthly Report On National Youth Programs And Issues (October/November 1990), Youth Policy Institute

Special Topics, General

This report features California Gets a "D"; 90% of American Students Don't Pass?; Volunteerism Up; Is Poverty a Reality in America?; and Girl Scouts: Programs Help Youth at Risk.

Fact Book 1990, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Fact Book

This ninth edition of the University of Nebraska at Omaha Fact Book has been designed to present a variety of information and data, about the University, in a concise, easily used format. I hope this provides a profile of UNO that will expand your understanding of our institution.

Recording The Vietnam War: Photographic Coverage In Newsmagazines From 1964 To 1973, Charlotte Niemeyer

Student Work

Written, verbal and visual accounts of man's destructive measures on one another do not seen to detour the violence of war. Yet it is the visual images of a war that have best brought home the reality of war to the American public. This thesis focused on the Vietnam war, the first war where motion and still photography played a decisive part in the outcome of the war.