Three voting behaviors and three types of volunteer participation were analyzed using longitudinal data from NELS:88/2000, a national sample of over 12,000 eighth graders in 1988 who were young adults in 2000. From 1994 to 2000 this cohort increased about 10% in both the three voting behaviors and the three volunteer participations. Wide…

Like Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream, the events and people celebrated during February's Black History Month belong to everyone--they are lessons all people can learn from and take pride in. For all children to appreciate this shared history, parents and caregivers must regularly reinforce those lessons at home. No matter your color or background,…

According to a 2004 International Labour Organization (ILO) report, young people represent 130 million of the world's 550 million working poor who are unable to lift themselves and their families above the equivalent of the $1 per day poverty line. These young people struggle to survive, often performing work under unsatisfactory conditions in the…

In 1998 a Burlington, Vermont partnership of a branch of city government and several educational and environmental organizations received a "metro-grant" to develop a project for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under its Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) Program. One goal was to…

We identified 201 individuals who obtained IQs of 85 or below in high school and participated in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (a prospective longitudinal study that followed sample members from age 18 through age 53). Their life course development was contrasted with their siblings who obtained IQs above 100. Life course outcomes were assessed…

"Beyond Tracking" responds to the a sobering assessment of American high schools by delineating and promoting an innovative and well-defined notion of multiple pathways. The book's authors clearly distinguish their use of the term "multiple pathways" from any updated version of the tracking system that marked so many American high schools during…

This article describes a university-sponsored experiential-based simulation, the NANO SCENARIO, to increase the public's awareness and affect attitudes on the societal implications of nanoscience and nanotechnology by bringing together diverse stakeholders' perspectives in a participatory learning environment. Nanotechnology has the potential for…

This qualitative study conducted in urban Miami, Florida, explored the essence of juvenile delinquency and recidivism: its causes, its relations to communities, the roles of families, and the myriad roles of residential treatment programs at rehabilitating young offenders. Data were collected from nine young adult participants who had satisfied…

Hispanic seminary students in American theological schools face considerable challenges as they work to pursue their degrees. Many balance service to the ministry and community involvement with the rigors of academia. Cultural barriers leave students pulled between two worlds. Focus groups of Hispanic seminary students and data drawn from the…

The 2006 Wingspread Conference on Engagement in Higher Education convened twenty-eight formal and informal affiliate organizations, all of which focus on advancing the scholarship and impact of higher education's engagement with communities, to explore acting strategically as a "guild" with common interests and diverse capacities for the…

This report analyzes the results of a bold set of initiatives designed to stimulate and support public responsibility for public education in 14 locales around the country. Local education funds (LEFs) led these initiatives, which received support from the Annenberg Foundation through the LEFs' national organization, the Public Education Network…

Intergenerational programming, which brings children, youth, and older adults together for mutually beneficial interaction, represents a relatively new strategy for broadening the public's awareness and participation in environmental activities. To explore the potential benefits of involving older adults and young people in joint environmental…

In an "ideal" democratic society, publicly funded schools serve many purposes. Aside from its educational mandate, schools are places for neighbourhood integration, social capital formation and the fostering of civil society. For newly arrived immigrants, especially those with young children, schools are important sites of settlement…

The rise of a community engagement movement offers a range of possibilities for universities to function as "sites of citizenship". These include contributing to community social and economic infrastructure, supporting equity and diversity within higher education, and education for democratic citizenship. This article provides an…

Technology, and the Internet in particular, is bringing constant change to American society, including the potential to enhance democracy by fostering participation in the electoral process. Because of the wealth of information available on candidates, issues, and policies, the Internet may foster citizens' ability to cast a more informed vote. As…