Service Learning Commons^™

Happiness Index Methodology, Laura Musikanski, Scott Cloutier, Erica Bejarano, Davi Briggs, Julia Colbert, Gracie Strasser, Steven Russell

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

The Happiness Index is a comprehensive survey instrument that assesses happiness, well-being, and aspects of sustainability and resilience. The Happiness Alliance developed the Happiness Index to provide a survey instrument to community organizers, researchers, and others seeking to use a subjective well-being index and data. It is the only instrument of its kind freely available worldwide and translated into over ten languages. This instrument can be used to measure satisfaction with life and the conditions of life. It can also be used to define income inequality, trust in government, sense of community and other aspects of well-being within specific demographics …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of An Internship Program, Daniel Jackel

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The traditional way to learn about social sciences in a university setting includes taking courses that teach theoretical frameworks and scientific methodologies that are required for one’s major area of study. The courses that are taught to students are determined by what major they sign up for. After a student has taken all required courses,what skills does the student have to take with him after graduation?

Whether participation is pursued solely for academic credit, for career development, or for civic engagement, an experiential experience typically enhances a student’s connection between academic content and “real world” applications. Bridging the gap between …

Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical Approach, United Way Of America

Evaluation/Reflection

If yours is like most human service agencies or youth- and family-serving organizations, you regularly report on how much money you receive, how many staff and volunteers you have, and what they do in your programs. You know how many individuals participate in your programs, how many hours you spend serving them, and how many brochures or classes or counseling sessions you produce. In other words, you document program inputs, activities, and outputs.

Students' Reflection On Community Service Learning, Jay D. Anderson

Evaluation/Reflection

Internships are a rapidly expanding educational technique to enhance students' ability to learn. Internships permit and encourage students to experience the real world while receiving academic credit. Seekonk High School in Seekonk, Massachusetts, has an internship program for high school seniors called Independent Study. It allows students to leave school one day a week for the school year and volunteer within the community. Students receive academic credit for their participation in community service learning.

“Tiktok Made Me Try It”: Social Media’S New Role In Marketing Strategies And Its Effect On Consumer Behavior, Preston Starkey

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigates the impact that social media has on marketing strategies and consumer behavior. Social media has risen significantly in popularity over the past decade, and with the introduction of Social Media Influencers, brands have found a new market to promote their products. However, there is very little research conducted to show how social media users are engaging with the new marketing strategies and how it affects their purchasing behavior. This study begins by performing two case studies on brands that have successfully utilized social media to market their products: Crumbl Cookies and Chipotle Mexican Grill. This study then …

Community-Based Learning: Engaging Students For Success And Citizenship, Atelia Melaville, Amy C. Berg, Martin J. Blank

Partnerships/Community

In recent years, national tragedies—both man-made and natural—have forced Americans to see how much we rely on strong neighborhoods, communities, and democratic institutions. We’ve seen how lack of attention to their well being affects us all. These events lay bare the moral imperative that underlies the mission of public education—to develop active, engaged citizens who are able to participate in and contribute fully to a democratic society.

An Independent Record Label Business Plan, Jack Raybuck

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

A business plan created for an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The record label is focused on solving the gender inequality problem that currently exists in the music industry.

Service-Learning: A Balanced Approach To Experiential Education, Andrew Furco

Service Learning, General

For over a quarter of a century, education researchers and practitioners have struggled to determine how to best characterize service-learning. In 1979, Robert Sigmon defined service-learning as an experiential education approach that is premised on "reciprocal learning" (Sigmon, 1979). He suggested that because learning flows from service activities, both those who provide service and those who receive it "learn" from the experience. In Sigmon's view, service-learning occurs only when both the providers and recipients of service benefit from the activities.

How Service Learning Affects Students, Alexander W. Astin, Lori J. Vogelgesang, Elaine K. Ikeda, Jennifer A. Yee

Higher Education

The two major goals of this study were: 1) to explore the comparative effects of service learning and community service on the cognitive and affective development of college undergraduates and 2) to enhance our understanding of how learning is enhanced by service. These questions were explored by means of a quantitative longitudinal study of a national sample of students at diverse colleges and universities and a qualitative study of students and faculty who participated in service learning at a subset of these institutions.

The Theoretical Roots Of Service-Learning In John Dewey: Toward A Theory Of Service-Learning, Dwight E. Giles Jr., Janet Eyler

Service Learning, General

As interest in service-learning research multiplies. there is a concomitant need fora theoretical base for service-learning. In this article the authors review aspects of John De1wy 's educational and social philosophy that they identify as relevant to the development of a theory of service-learning, including learning from experience, reflective activity, citizenship, community, and democracy. The article concludes with a set of key questions for research and theory development.