Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Best Practices In Service-Learning At Christian Private Liberal Arts Colleges And Universities, Regan Harwell Schaffer

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to develop a working definition of service-Ieaming, identify the best practices of service-learning in the Christian college context and based upon that information develop a model that could be replicated at similar colleges and universities. To address the research questions, the researcher performed a descriptive study which incorporated the following: (a) examination of the findings of unpublished data from a survey on service-Iearning at 90 Christian colleges and universities and notes from a conference on service-learning at faith-based institutions; (b) conducting a thorough review of the literature on service-learning and the mission and purpose …

The Impact Of Community Service Involvement On Three Measures Of Undergraduate Self-Concept, Joseph B. Berger, Jeffrey F. Milem

Higher Education

The central purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of how community service involvement affects the development of undergraduate self-concept. The findings from this study suggest that the quality of service involvement is more important than the amount of service performed by students.

Teaching The "Heart And Soul" Of Citizenship: Service-Learning As Citizenship Education, Bernadette Sun Chi

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

Troubling trends in political disengagement among young people include decreasing knowledge of and interest in political issues as well as lower rates of voting compared to previous generations. To potentially address this CO~ service-learning has often been promoted in public schools as a means of educating active citizens, among other outcomes.

Despite the expansion of service-learning programs, the relationship between service-learning and citizenship outcomes deserves further study. This dissertation examines the following questions: Do teachers consider "citizenship" an explicit goal for service-learning experiences in K-12 schools? How do teachers and students define what it means to be a "good citizen"? …

Service In A Cultural Immersion Setting: Student Teachers Evaluate "A Sense Of Community", Susan E. Johnstad

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

Classroom demographics in K-12 schools in the U.S. show that students of color represent an increased percentage of those enrolled. and that the number of students whose families are in poverty is on the rise. Yet teaching is a profession long dominated by middle-class individuals of European ancestry. The recruitment of teachers from diverse backgrounds is paramount, but teacher education must also prepare new professionals to meet the needs of students whose backgrounds might be different from their own. Cultural immersion and community-based service learning are two strategies for enhancing multicultural education for preservice teachers.

This is a qualitative case …

Service-Learning Leadership Development (Slld), Valerie Sorgen

Project Summaries

The Service-Learning Leadership Development (SLLD) program is a comprehensive professional development initiative, designed to increase the Service-learning leadership capacity in schools or districts that are committed to: (a) implementing school-wide or grade-wide service-learning, (b) developing new service-learning practice and policy, or (c) improving existing youth service programs to reflect high-quality service-learning practices.

The program is funded by the California Department of Education CalServe Initiatives, as part of a statewide effort to develop effective, replicable models of service-learning professional development (for more information see: http:/ /www.cde.ca.gov/calserve). The SLLD model developed by Youth Community Service, a non-profit based in Palo Alto, California, …

Cityworks Evaluation Summary, Joseph Kahne, Bernadette Chi, Ellen Middaugh

Project Summaries

This report summarizes findings from our study of the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) CityWorks curriculum. This high school government curriculum was designed to respond to growing recognition of the need to promote commitments and capacities associated with civic engagement. Our data consists of pre/post surveys from CityWorks classes and control classrooms. We also observed classrooms and collected interview data through focus groups.

Foundation Resource Guide: A Compilation Of Major Foundations That Sponsor Activities Relevant To College-Community Partnerships, Office Of University Partnerships

Higher Education

This guide was prepared by the Office of University Partnerships (OUP), an office established by HUD in 1994 to encourage and expand the efforts of colleges and universities that are striving to make a difference in their communities. The original version of this publication was developed as a resource for grantees under HUD’s Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC) Program. OUP now administers seven university and college programs serving a broad range of institutions of higher education. The foundations described in this guide are national foundations that likely will fund the kinds of projects OUP grantees are undertaking.

Service Learning's Influence On Multicultural Goals: Among Elite High School Girls: An Interpretative Case Study, Gina Miller Blackburn

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

This qualitative study was designed to explore the experiences of high school girls in a service-learning class that I co-taught with my husband, Jeffrey Stephens. an economics and World Civilizations teacher at the Bayou School. I observed the participants during their three-week service class entitled The Economy's Impact Upon Its Citizenry when they served at a Salvation Anny community center and during their class discussions. I also interviewed all of the students before the class began, three times during the class. and twice after the class was over. The students kept journals throughout the class and wrote a case study …

Empowering Students Through Community Action, Natasha Diane Yanez

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

Service Learning is a pedagogy in which the student must participate directly in a service-oriented project, which addresses a real community need. This study focused on the effect of service learning in the curriculum. Research was conducted over service learning, its implementation, and its effects. In addition, the study looks at how one junior high school implemented service learning into their curriculum and the difficulties involved in creating a more intense program.

It was discovered that service learning was often not integrated into the curriculum as expected, teachers often did not require students to reflect on their experiences, and teachers …

Impacts And Effects Of Service-Learning On High School Students, Bryan Richard Rossi

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

In the ten years this researcher has spent preparing to complete the requirements for a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Administration, he has come to see some of the transformations society and education have gone through. This has been fascinating to examine in parallel the educational transformations and human development of work and research in various schools. On the one hand, there have been the developments of the "macro-education" world through the Department of Children, Families and Learning, the state legislature, the news media, and the role of the university in education policy. On the other hand, there have been …

Support For K-12 Service-Learning Practice: A Brief Review Of The Research, Shelley Billig

Special Topics, General

Each year, more K-12 schools and districts are adopting service-learning as an educational reform strategy to help students achieve :important educational goals. The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that service-learning is being practiced in. more than one-third of all public schools in the United States and in about half of all public high schools. The 1999 National Student. Service-Learning and Community Service Survey found that rates of participation in service-learning progressively increase across grade levels. Passion for the practice of service-learning sometimes reaches evangelical proportions. However, by its nature, the practice of service-learning varies widely, and even ardent practitioners …

Outcomes In Research In Out-Of-School Time Program Design, Nancy Peter

Project Summaries

Overview
• "After-school programs keep children of all ages safe and out of trouble." (Safe and Smart)¹
• "Community-based youth development programs promote positive academic and social outcomes among teenagers."(Children's Aid Society) ²
• "Children who spend time in after-school programs are better behaved and more respectful toward others." (The After-School Corporation) ³
• "After-school programs have been shown to reduce the use of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol among adolescents. "(The After-School Corporation) ⁴
• "Quality youth development programs can cut crime immediately and transform this prime time for juvenile crime into hours of academic enrichment, wholesome fun and …

Got Math? Implementation Guide, Margo Shea, Christopher Nye

Curriculum

For many kids math is like spinach--something to be avoided if possible. This may well be because they see learning math as a rather abstract process, cut off from the real world. For many teachers, with large classes and pressure to prepare for standardized tests, opportunities to individualize math instruction and to experiment with creative group activities that bring math alive remain out of reach. As a result of these and other factors, across the nation our children's math achievement levels remain pretty disappointing.

Got Math?, an out-of-school-time mentoring program for third through fifth graders, is one model that aims …

Service Learning As Scholarship In Teacher Education, Alice M. Buchanan, Shelia C. Baldwin, Mary E. Rudisill

Service Learning, General

This article describes how two teacher education service-learning programs illustrate alternative interpretations of scholarship. A tutoring-mentoring program in a teaching oriented masters institution and a motor skill development program in a land grant doctoral-research institution are described relative to how each illustrates forms of scholarship as interpreted by Boyer ( 1990). We discuss how these forms of scholarship the scholarship of discovery, integration, teaching, and application--relate to stated institutional mission and evaluation practices. Service-learning experiences for preservice teachers can have the multiple benefits of promoting an ethic of service and social responsibility, demonstrating excellence in teacher education, and exemplifying scholarly …

Service-Learning Reference For Senior Corps Directors, National Dropout Prevention Center

Guides

Service-learning is defined as a method:

a) under which participants learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences that meet actual community needs that are coordinated in collaboration with the community;

b) that is integrated with specific learning objectives and provides structured time for participants to think, talk, or write about what they did and saw during the actual service activity;

c) that provides participants with opportunities to use newly acquired skills and knowledge in real-life situations in their own communities; and

d) that enhances what is done in a program by extending participant learning beyond the …

Building Citizenship: Service-Learning And Student Learning, William D. Morgan

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

Even the most casual observer of the American news media could walk away with the impression that there are hosts of negative trends, ranging from a drop in the percentage of people who vote, to an increase in political alienation. Some of these are the result of marketing efforts conducted by groups who have a vested interest in making things look worse, and some of this may be the result of the type of news that is covered, with the guiding philosophical perspective being "if it bleeds it leads." Nonetheless, these problems are real. As Jim Wallis (1994) notes, '''Things …

Enhancing Student Development In Service-Learning With Performance-Based Assessment Rubrics, Paula M. Vaughn

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

This study examined issues regarding the educational development of students in service-learning programs using sets of performance-based assessment rubrics and other assessment techniques. In particular, this study employed the Service-Learning Assessment Toolkit (SLAT). a compilation of instruments, measures, and guidelines developed by the researcher. The SLAT captured students' educational development through a variety of data sources and measured development across six target constructs: career exploration, civic participation, and academic, ethical, personal and social growth.

The researcher used a naturalistic inquiry and data was collected and analyzed based on a two-group scenario, instructor and student. The research data identified whether the …

The Sustaining Factors Of Service-Learning At A National Leader School: A Case Study, Bruce J. Pontbriand

Thesis, Dissertations, Student Creative Activity, and Scholarship

This case study examines the sustaining factors of a fully implemented and nationally recognized high school service-learning program. More specifically, it investigates why Community Service Learning has sustained itself for nine years at a New England high school recognized as a National Service-Learning Leader School by the Corporation for National Service. The study describes the process of adoption, design, implementation, and paths to institutionalization. It also considers the organizational conditions that promoted institutionalization at this site. The research approach was primarily qualitative. The study exposes the broad narrative of the case from the perspective off Our data sources: observations, documents …

Connecting The Classroom And The Community: Service-Learning Programs Allow Students To Apply Real-World Experience With Classroom Studyblack Issues In Higher Education, Phaedra Brotherton

Higher Education

The events of Sept. 11 have been credited with awakening a desire for many to do something meaningful and give back to their communities. But for the past decade, a growing number of institutions of higher education have been doing their part in developing civic-minded citizens through service-learning programs that allow students to earn credit for performing community service.

A Way With Words: A Unique Approach To Literacy And Career Development, Allyson D. Brathwaite

Special Topics, General

This article describes a unique collaboration between the Career Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia Public Schools and the community. A WAY WITH WORDS is an "America Reads" community literacy program that has enriched the educational experience of graduate, undergraduate and K-5 students since 1996. Teams of undergraduate volunteers led by graduate students in Counseling Psychology and Educational Leadership (ELPA) tutor local children in an effort to increase literacy. The teams interact and communicate with children, parents, teachers and principals as they serve during school and in after-school programs that they co create with school administrators and community members. …

Meeting Ncate Standards Through Service-Learning: Dispositions, National Service-Learning In Teacher Education Partnership

Service Learning, General

The University of Idaho, Division of Teacher Education, is refocusing its teacher certification program to reflect national standards and place P-12 students at the center of preservice learning. The integration of service-learning into course work throughout the program ensures that a community of learners will be developed both in academic settings and in society.

Navigating The Shoals Of Civic Education With Service-Learning: Ethical, Moral, And Political Constraints On Transformative Education, Don Hill

Civic Engagement

American democracy is threatened by an accelerating trend of disengagement from the fundamental responsibilities of citizenship.This disengagement is growing in all segments of society but is most pronounced in youth and young adults which makes it even more troubling. Many thoughtful educators argue persuasively that high quality service-learning can and should become a resource for tackling this problem, that it can stimulate youth to become active democratic citizens.They are, in my judgment, correct, but navigating the shoals of civic education with service-learning is difficult.

Service Learning As A Transition Into Foundation Field, Nancy P. Kropf, Mininder Tracey

SW Publications

Service learning is a pedagogical method to bridge classroom and community experiences for students. Although social work education has historically emphasized this connection through internship experiences, service learning can fill a different function within the curriculum. This article proposes a service learning experience to assist graduate students with the transition into their foundation field placement. Beneficial outcomes of using service learning as an educational bridge are discussed for students, faculty, and the social work program.

Eleven Principles Of Effective Character Education, Tom Lickona, Eric Schaps, Catherine Lewis

Special Topics, General

There is no single script for effective character education, but there are some important basic principles. The following eleven principles serve as criteria that schools and other groups can use to plan a character education effort and to evaluate available character education programs, books, and curriculum resources.

Executive Summary - The Philadelphia Freedom Schools Junior Leader Project, Shelley H. Billig

Special Topics, General

The Philadelphia Freedom Schools Junior Leader Project is a bold initiative to foster leadership and civic engagement for young people in the Philadelphia School District. Beginning in 1999, the school district project was developed to help young African American and other high school students to become strong leaders in their schools and communities. The Junior Leader project recruited freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in high school to learn about their heritage; work with young children to help them gain academic skills; participate in meaningful dialogue about social justice; learn and engage in community action strategies; develop leadership skills; and create pathways …

Meeting Ncate Standards Through Service-Learning: Professional Knowledge & Skills, National Service-Learning In Teacher Education Partnership

Service Learning, General

Community service has a long-standing tradition in the mission and purpose of California Lutheran University. Believing that the adoption of academic service-learning as an innovative and effective instructional strategy can enhance and enrich the teaching and learning experiences of both Faculty and students, in 1994, the School of Education included service-learning as a required assignment in several courses in the Teacher Preparation Program.

Serving Safely: A Risk Management Resource For College Service Programs, Sharon A. Joyce, Elaine K. Ikeda

Guides

This resource book has drawn upon the expertise of individuals in the fields of service learning, community service, risk management, insurance, and law. The valuable feedback and input from the experts in these fields has not only made this book possible, but it has strengthened the readability and technical accuracy of a complex subject.

Destination Democracy: An Educator's Guide To The Activities, Rahima C. Wade

Guides

Destination Democracy is the high school service-learning curriculum produced by Kids Voting USA. Through the lessons and activities in Destination Democracy, high school students practice the skills of democratic living as they learn important civic lessons in the classroom and participate in activities in their communities. The service-learning activities in the curriculum focus on meaningful civic involvement through voting, voter registration, working for political candidates, educating young children about the political process, and addressing community issues of interest to high school youth. Destination Democracy can be used by high school teachers, club advisors, youth group leaders and others interested in …

The New Student Politics Curriculum Guide, Keith Morton, Sandra Enos, Sarah E. Long

Curriculum

The New Student Politics: The Wingspread Statement on Student Civic Engagement (2002) can be assigned as a text in a political science service-learning course that has as an explicit course objective the exploration of contemporary conceptions of citizenship, or a sociology service-learning course that focuses on community building and social transformation. Additionally, the text can be incorporated in service-learning courses across the disciplines with the aid of The New Student Politics Curriculum Guide. The Curriculum Guide is designed to provide a structure for engaging students in reflection on their community service experiences in a way that allows for the …

Service-Learning In California: A Profile Of The Calserve Service-Learning Partnerships (1997-2000): Executive Summary, Mary Sue Ammon, Andrew Fureo, Bernadette Chi, Ellen Middaugh

Partnerships/Community

Responding to the National and Community Service Act of 1990, the California Department of Education developed the CaiServe Initiative to support K-12 service-learning partnerships that would enhance student academic achievement and civic responsibility, increase teacher effectiveness and satisfaction, heighten school district awareness of service-learning, and provide authentic service to the community. The 1997-2000 local evaluation process was designed to assist CaiServe partnerships in the collection of participation and impact data for their local service-learning activities. The data collected were also to be used to develop a statewide profile of service-learning participation and impact across CaiServe's funded partnerships. The profile report …