Climate change and climate education concern more than climate and the environment, as our social and economic systems both rely upon and are impacted by climate and environment. We cannot address the human impact on our global climate and local environments without several nations reconstructing their social and economic systems to be equitable…

Service-Learning is a form of experiential learning where faculty integrate a service or community engagement component into academic coursework. Supported by a growing body of literature documenting the impact of service-learning on undergraduate students as a high-impact practice in the United States, the scholarship and practice of…

Adult learners represent a significant, and growing, portion of enrollment at higher education institutions. Despite their growing enrollment, adult learners are not retained at nearly the rate of their "traditional" peers, leaving colleges and universities with the need to identify programs and services that specifically address the…

Creativity is a human right for all people, including adults with physical, mental, and/or developmental disabilities. Yet this population has "little opportunity for thoughtful and creative engagement with artworks or with personal meaning making" (Guay, 2010, p. 113), and compared to K-12 learning environments, are less likely to…

This qualitative case study examined the cultural learning insights of four educators during and after an immersion experience in Kenya. During this experience the participants delivered professional development sessions to teachers in two rural Kenyan schools, and stayed with Kenyan families. Mezirow's transformational learning theory,…

The Volunteer UCF Community Connectors and Community Builders Program provides a connection between students and their community. The goal is to develop meaningful service opportunities for UCF students that contribute measurable results and systemic change through capacity building among adult learners. The ongoing, sustainable service experience…

This review of recent literature examines the research on the impact of service-learning on student retention. The theoretical framework of the review draws on both Tinto's model of student attrition and Knowles's theory of adult learning, which together suggest that academic and social integration, active participation and engagement in learning,…

This article provides an overview of collaborative service learning activities as they are incorporated into university curricula designed for the nontraditional student. The basic tenets of the concept of "andragogy" are briefly reviewed to emphasize the special considerations that need to be addressed to ensure the successful inclusion of…

Nonformal education is learner-centered and provides knowledge in a practical manner to participants. Master Gardener is a nonformal extension horticultural program that includes extensive requirements to earn certification. The purpose of this study was to examine the Mergener Education Participation Scale (M-EPS) to evaluate adult motivations to…

The 36th Annual Adult Higher Education Alliance (AHEA) Conference was held on March 10-11, 2016 in Orlando, Florida, on the campus of the University of Central Florida. There were 48 presentations from scholars and practitioners from 20 states who participated in the conference. The contributions to these proceedings represent the best of the…

Program evaluation is recognized as an essential skill set for practitioners in service-related fields, such as education, nonprofit management, social work, and public health. Recently, the need for a public workforce trained in evaluation has increased and is driven primarily by our nation's emphasis on accountability during a time when…

This study used a needs assessment, process analysis, process design, and textbook design to develop a new process and new textbook, based on Cargile-Cook's layered literacies, Quesenbery's five qualities of usability, and Carliner's information design theories, for use in technical writing service learning courses. The needs assessment was based…

Ableism is discrimination on the grounds that being able bodied is the normal and superior human condition. In contrast, being "disabled" is linked to ill health, incapacity, and dependence. These understandings become institutionalized in the beliefs, language, and practices of nondisabled people and create barriers to equitable social…

Community based learning and education can be viewed from at least two perspectives. One is a lens that focuses on engagement with service to the community, with all of the explicit and implicit values reflected by those contexts and activities. Another focuses on the learning and associated processes, objects for consideration in and of…

Licensed social work practice requires a willingness on the part of the practitioner to adhere to a professional values, knowledge, and skills base as reflected in the National Association of Social Workers' Code of Ethics. Students who understand and aspire to this, and who gain experience interacting with people in a service capacity, will be…