Describes a study abroad program at the University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire that places students in Wittenberg, Germany. The program offers project-based learning in topics ranging from Martin Luther to the ecology of the Elbe; service learning with "guided reflection" (a requirement of the university); and a short-term business or professional…

Discusses links between poverty and student performance and achievement. Describes service learning and social reconstructionism (the relationship between school curriculum and the political, social, and economic development of society). Offers an example from an inner-city urban high school English class, describing social reconstructionism for…

A teacher of fifth to seventh graders with learning disabilities describes a community-based gardening project which served elderly residents of a rest home while exposing the children to elderly people and encouraging development and application of environmental, writing, mathematics, and communication skills. The project integrated curriculum in…

Scholars recently have called for a more civic-based approach to education. In this article, we report on the use of a civic participation exercise in a large public speaking class. The assignment guides students to employ concepts from the course to organize a community event designed to productively affect a specific civic cause. Gaining…

This article describes problem-based learning (PBL) at the subsystem level, namely, the application of PBL in a project management course that empowers student teams to solve problems in nonprofit organizations. Faculty members teaching in project-based disciplines can employ the authors' approach to introduce PBL and document its effectiveness,…

This article describes a course in the City and Regional Planning program at the Ohio State University. Its overarching goal was to offer service-learning by providing students with an opportunity to apply what they learned in the classroom by meeting community needs following Hurricane Katrina and to reflect on their experiences through…

Presently, service learning is utilized as a tool for learning about something other than service, such as: gaining civic dispositions, learning subject matter, practicing inquiry techniques, or questioning inequality. What might happen if, instead, an exploration of service itself grounded classroom studies and field work, fostering explicit…

A critical exploration of the meaning and function of community is the focus of this curriculum unit. It is proposed that students develop projects that are designed to contribute to a community in which they are involved, positing that the leadership and networking skills these students develop over the course of the semester provide them with…

Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound (ELOB) is a framework for comprehensive school improvement that uses the philosophy and pedagogy of Outward Bound to make learning more hands-on, project-based, and adventurous. One of the 10 ELOB design principles is service and compassion. This book by teachers in ELOB schools contains accounts of students'…

Some educators contend that students who engage in activities related to school subjects learn more efficiently and more effectively, and remember what they have learned much longer than students who do not. Service-Learning (S-L) can provide a central focus around which educational change can occur. Moreover, S-L enhances the ideas promoted by…

Focuses on the use of a service learning project within the course, "The Politics of International Relations", in which the students worked with a refugee resettlement in a nongovernmental organization. Discusses the concepts that the service experience enabled the students to grasp, how the project encouraged global citizenship, and an assessment…

Describes the Independent Study Program of Seekonk High School (Massachusetts), a program that allows students to leave school on a regular basis to volunteer within the community. Seniors choose a project and submit it for approval. Suggestions are given for implementing and sustaining such a program. (SLD)

This report explains the need for viable and effective partnerships between K-12 schools and institutions of higher education involving service and service-learning, and discusses the State of Washington's experience in this area. It is stated that both rural and urban schools have found service and service-learning to be effective methods of…

This study compared more than 1,000 high school students who participated in service-learning programs with those who did not participate in schools matched for similar demographics and student achievement profiles. The intention was to estimate the effects of service-learning compared to more traditional ways of teaching similar subject areas.…

A faculty member's experiences with service learning programs at Rutgers University (New Jersey) and Providence College (Rhode Island) illustrate how college student involvement in community service causes them to consider their membership in diverse communities and develop critical thinking skills. Service learning is felt to connect issues of…