Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

White Paper On National Service, Stephen R. Mullen

Service Learning, General

President Clinton unveiled his vision of National Service in a speech at Rutgers University on March 1, 1993. It was a watershed moment in the resurgence of volunteerism and community service. This resurgence began about a decade ago, to highlight the need to appreciate our nation's and our communities' most valuable resource - its people. People from diverse agencies and organizations coalesced to ensure our nation's future by teaching the service or volunteer ethic to our youth. The intended purpose was to provide opportunities for young people to contribute to the development of their communities and give appreciation and understanding …

What Do We Know About The Impact Of Field Based Programs On Students?, Janet Eyler, Dwight Giles Jr.

Higher Education

The literature on field based education programs for undergraduates is voluminous, but surprisingly unhelpful in answering the most important question of all, "What difference does it make in the lives of students?" In this presentation we have focused on this largely unanswered question, first (1) examining the goals commonly held for such field experiential approaches as cooperative education, academic internships, field components of classes, and service learning then (2) discussing evidence for impact on students and finally (3) identifying critical gaps in our knowledge of how these programs affect students.

Community Service Promotes, Marlow Ediger

School K-12

School and society are interwoven. not separate entities. Therefore, the goats of schools should be integrated with those of the surrounding community and society as a whole. Middle school student service helps integrate those goals.

Service Learning Belongs, Allen Wutzdorff

Higher Education

he field of service learning is rapidly coming in from the margins of education as we move into the 1990s. Across the country, students and faculty alike are examining the learning potential of what is already a socially positive force. This growth is not unlike the growth of college internship programs in the 1970s and '80s, where increasing numbers of college students majoring in disciplines not traditionally associated with "experiential learning" were given the opportunities to test out and apply their knowledge and abilities in work settings. An important result of this move into the "real world" was, of course, …

Looking For Help Long Overdue: Where Has Higher Education Been?, Robert Wood

Higher Education

For more than a decade, the American public has carped and complained about the condition of American education. Some have gone so far as to wring their hands over the apparent futility of reform efforts. Overall, the nation has found the state of its public elementary and secondary education unacceptable. It has especially lamented the tragic condition of urban public schools, yet it docs not seem to know what to do about it.

Developing Community Partnerships Through Service Learning Programs, Jay Cooper

Partnerships/Community

Community service programs have existed on college campuses for years but did not fully emerge as they have during the past 10 years. More than 700 volunteer programs exist at colleges and universities throughout the country (Fioerchinger, 1991). National organizations such as the Campus Outreach Opportunity League (COOL), the Campus Compact, and the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) have served to stimulate and firmly establish service learning as a movement and an educational priority in this country. In addition to the emergence of college service programs and national organizations, programs such as the National Student Clean-up for Hunger, Into …

Using Csl With Special Education And Reading Resource Students, Barbara Carter Ellis

School K-12

During 1992, as my students and myself created a community service learning opportunity, we were introduced to the fun of researching statistics, to developing our problem-solving skills and to the complexities of geography. But most of all we, as a team, learned ways to improve the ways in which we worked with each other in small groups, in our classrooms and in our community.

Tackling Society's Problems In English Class, Jim Burke

Special Topics, General

A high school teacher's impromptu unit on "Social Problems" gave his students an opportunity to develop their writing skills while expanding their concept of community.

The Domestic Volunteer Service Act Of 1973 (As Of October 1, 1993), U.S. Government

Service Learning, General

(a) Because of the long-standing importance of volunteerism throughout American history, it is the policy of the Congress to foster the tradition of volunteerism through greater involvement on the part of individuals of all ages and backgrounds.

(b) The purpose of this chapter is to foster and expand voluntary citizen service in communities throughout the Nation in activities designed to help the poor, the disadvantaged, the vulnerable, and the elderly. In carrying out this purpose, the Corporation for National and Community Service shall utilize to the fullest extent the programs authorized under this chapter, coordinate with other Federal, State, and …

"Connections" Volunteer Centers And Schools: Partners For Service-Learning, Volunteer Centers Of Pennsylvania

Partnerships/Community

As interest in school improvement has become an increasingly salient national issue in the 1990's, interest in community service and service-learning as an integral part of education and educational improvement has shown a similar increase. In Pennsylvania, the proportion of school districts offering academic credit for community service has grown from 5% in 1989 to 20% in 1992; the number of school districts requiring community service for graduation has grown from one to seven. A series of national studies and reports including the Carnegie Commission's 'Turning Points," the W. T. Grant Commission's "Forgotten Half," and Dr. Ernest Boyer's influential books.High …

Culture For Service, James P. Brawley, William H. Denton, Beryl Mitchell

Higher Education

Community Service Learning promotes active citizenship and addresses community needs through youth service. It is an educational process which involves young people in their own learning as they give valuable service to the community. Research has shown that numerous benefits accrue from the practice of service learning. Students' level of social responsibility increases, their critical thinking skills improve, and they become more competent in their subject matter. Teachers are able to combine instruction with real-world experiences. Educational institutions are able to link significant academic concerns with major community problems and improve community relationships.

The Service-Learning Scholars Program At The Lowell Bennion Community Service Center, Irene Fisher, Linda Bonar

Higher Education

The creation of the Service-Learning Scholars Program (SLSP) represents the culmination of five years of experiential learning in the University of Utah's Lowell Bennion Community Service Center. The initiation of this program also signals the beginning of the second major growth stage in the integration of community service into the mainstream of this major state university.

Students Teaching Students: A Model For Service And Study, Peter W. Dillon, Robyn Van Riper

Higher Education

When students teach each other, something magic happens. Professors and teachers alike spend much of their time trying to create connecting moments of inspiration when new ideas light up a student's face (Duckworth, 1987). At LEAD USA, a non-profit organization in Williamstown, Massacl1usetts, we have found a way to increase the likelihood of these moments of enlightenment. We call it Students Teaching Students (STS). Students Teaching Students is an innovative curricular model in the tradition of John Dewey and Paulo Freire that provides college students with opportunities to design and teach their own courses for full academic credit.

Challenging College Students' Assumptions About Community Service Tutoring, Jodi L. Borstein

Higher Education

Many adults view community service as a wonderful idea that college students should want to do-or be required to do-as part of their education; yet few have asked why students volunteer for community service. Policymakers and education reformers see student involvement as a way for students to give back to their communities while attending higher education institutions. More than 1,700 tutoring or mentoring programs for at-risk youth are currently operating in institutions of higher education across the country (Tierney & Branch, 1992, p. 1).

Community Colleges: School Community Relationships, David Deckelbaum

Higher Education

The community college functions of community service and continuing education persistently tie the colleges' goals and objectives to their surrounding communities. The community colleges have an opportunity to invest in their own future by embracing and nurturing their relationship with the community. This fostering of an enhanced school- community connection occurs when the colleges involve themselves in the educational, cultural, recreational, and social services of the community. The economic and business links to the community must be strengthened where they already exist and new programs promoted with an eye toward mutually beneficial endeavors.

Teaming Up At Ucla: A Report To The Campus Outreach Opportunity League, Robert D. Shumer, Parvin Kassaie

Higher Education

Do community service. This has been the charge of reports on post-secondary education for the past several years. From the Carnegie report (College: The Undergraduate Experience in Higher Education, 1987) to the passage of "human corps" legislation in California, efforts have been undertaken to expand the number of college students involved in service. Yet students have always done service. Boy Scouts, Key Clubs, Red Cross, fraternities and sororities, undergraduate student projects for the homeless, hungry, and illiterate have .been outlets for service for years. While so many service programs already exist, the real issue is: how do we get a …

Models Of Service And Civic Education: An Occasional Paper Of The Project On Integrating Service And Academic Study, Keith Morton

Higher Education

Citizenship education is generally recognized as the primary reason for supporting service-learning on college campuses. Assumptions about citizenship affect how programs and curricula are structured. An analysis of programs around the country identified four sets of "core assumptions" about civic education that inform service-learning courses and programs. This paper is intended to be useful to faculty designing service-learning courses and to those who want to make explicit multiple frameworks for understanding service experiences.