Civic involvement is a powerful opportunity in which young citizens can be more engaged in society. It provides young citizens with various opportunities to see themselves as contributing members to the community-at-large. Civic involvement enhances citizenship and civic engagement, allowing young citizens to develop a sense of community as an…

Describes the creation of a community-service option for biology nonmajors as part of the course requirements. The student had to relate the project to some aspect of biology. The goal was to teach students that learning science is an everyday occurrence, and that they can make a difference in their community. Program instructions and student…

The growth of community service, particularly service learning, is not occurring as quickly or as seriously as it should. The comprehensive partnership between the University of Pennsylvania and the West Philadelphia public schools that involves parents, children, and community members in a variety of programs is a model of a service learning…

Presents a rationale and definition of service learning. Discusses the reasons why service learning is important for students in social studies education, particularly in relationship to citizenship education. Focuses on the benefits that service learning offers to students learning social studies. (CMK)

Discusses the link between political socialization scholarship and service learning. States that information gleaned from socialization research on adolescents' political identities and beliefs can inform service learning, asserting that the relationship between political socialization and service learning needs to be encouraged. (CMK)

Describes a hypothetical elementary school that is centered on social studies and social action, focusing on three practices at such a school: democratic education, education for social justice, and community service learning. Challenges to social action in U.S. schools include teachers' time limitations, curriculum standards, and emphasis on…

This article presents an excerpt from the book "Reflections of Engagement." The book is a tribute to the thousands of individuals, who have participated in service learning programs, and a challenge to all individuals in making their communities a better place to live. This article presents the reflections of students and faculty on the…

Citizenship education is an important part of the development of young people. By enabling them to learn about their rights and responsibilities, to understand how society works, and develop knowledge and understanding of social and political issues, citizenship prepares them for dealing with the challenges they face in life. Through citizenship…

This fact sheet presents information on the frequency of volunteering, trends in volunteering, and the organizations for which young people volunteer, utilizing data from multiple sources. Unlike many surveys, it shows that volunteering rates among young people are generally higher than they are among adults 26 and older. Findings of the Civic and…

The past decade has provided a unique opportunity for the New Hampshire College & University Council (a multipurpose statewide consortium) and Campus Compact for New Hampshire (a state affiliate of a national consortium) to leverage the role of consortia toward building campus cultures of service-learning and civic engagement among member…

Many service learning studies support the positive effects of expanding the classroom into the community. The rapidly shifting demographic composition of the United States calls for a postsecondary education system that is able to prepare students to enter a global society. Service learning provides an opportunity for students to connect with the…

In this article, the authors call for tying service learning to feminist agendas, emphasizing civic activism involving true collaboration with communities. They report on a graduate seminar, "Feminism and Composition," at their own university that worked toward this goal by having students self-reflectively participate in local organizations that…

Lawmakers this year on Capitol Hill will weigh critical issues of importance to the nation's community colleges. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) will be hard at work to ensure the interests of two-year institutions are well represented. This article takes a brief look…

Using panel data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS), this study empirically analyzes the relationship between two forms of civic engagement--student government and community service--and educational progress made after the eighth grade by addressing the following questions. Does civic engagement affect academic progress…

China is a key player on the global stage, and nearly 300 million Chinese youth stand to be affected by rapid social and ecological transformations. Programs that promote developmental assets in Chinese youth could increase their resilience in the face of contemporary stressors and enhance their capacity to contribute to China's development. In…