Linley's (2017) article on peer socialization agents (PSAs) defines PSAs as undergraduate students charged with the socialization of new students on campus (e.g., resident assistants, orientation leaders, and peer mentors). PSAs have complex jobs, and student affairs educators contend with several forces in the design and implementation of PSA…

Purpose: This paper aims to explore perceptions and provides insights, from students who volunteer in policing whilst also studying the college of policing licenced professional policing degree (PPD) in Wales. It examines issues that act as enablers and blockers to volunteering in this public service, which also provides opportunities to develop…

Researchers in the 1980s identified strong school-parent relations as a significant potential in the church sector, but this potential has not received enough attention in the European context. However, a serious obstacle to this partnership can be the unpreparedness, overwork, and deficit orientation of teachers, as well as their…

The National 4-H Volunteer e-Forum is an alternative to multistate, face-to-face volunteer forums. Building on the success of regional e-forums, a collaborative group planned and offered three webinars that were relevant, economical, consistent, and convenient to attend. A blended learning strategy can successfully be used for focusing on both…

Most youth development programs strive to promote thriving, but scientific inquiry into "how" they achieve this aim is rare and often complicated by nuanced program structures and delivery. Across two studies, we explored how one thriving indicator, having a sense of purpose in life, may be cultivated by a statewide 4-H program. In Study…

Service learning (SL) in higher education has been developed in various forms, mainly in the US, with an emphasis on linking services and learning, universities and communities. Many people view higher education as a means to a career which, in turn, renders education a subject of private interest. Owing to this, SL is expected to encourage civic…

A primary rationale for public provision of K-12 education and state financing of school spending is that education fosters civic engagement and the development of social capital. However, limited evidence exists on whether and how school spending affects civic engagement. Virtually all studies focus on the impact of educational attainment (as…

Understanding and identifying the professional development needs of 4-H youth development professionals should be the first step in developing the Extension workforce. However, 4-H professionals find it challenging to use the Professional, Research, Knowledge and Competencies (PRKC), which consists of 348 unique competency items, to guide…

Existing understandings of youth participation often imply clear distinctions from non-participation and thus boundaries between "recognized" and "non-recognized" practices of engagement. This article aims at questioning these boundaries. It analyzes young people's practices in the public sphere that are characterized by both…

Nationwide, institutions are adding elements of volunteerism, civic engagement, and service-learning to both their mission statements and degree completion curriculum (American Council on Education, 2022; Campus Compact, 2022; Niehaus & Kavaliauska Crain, 2013, Reed, et al, 2015). However, very little research has looked specifically at the…

Mentoring has been regarded as a promising way to reach at-risk youth and to strengthen the protective factors. This article focuses on emotions, reflections, and challenges that adult volunteers face in trying to establish and maintain a friend relationship with young adults in a multicomponent mentor setting in Finland. Based on our…

This article explores how trust affects the nature and characteristics of civic engagement among university students in contemporary China. We draw upon empirical evidence from in-depth individual interviews involving 68 students born between 1993 and 1999. Four different types of civic activities, including associational membership with the…

Integration is more than work and school: It consists of socio-political participation as well. Even without citizen's rights, migrants have an opinion on whether they 'have a say' in the host or dominant society. This expression -- having a say -- is emblematic, because it is a well-known survey question, also used in the Program for the…

Non-profit organizations positively contribute to society in a myriad of ways. With their focus on purpose and mission, they raise funds and awareness for specific causes and people. This article points to how assessments and inventories strengthen the volunteer and professional workforce that drives the work of non-profit organizations. The…

Nationwide communities struggle to meet the unique needs of at-risk populations. Currently, a large group of potential volunteers are entering retirement and moving into the next phase of their lives. There is a gap in the research specific to the volunteer motivations of older adults. Because of this gap, my study explored the volunteer…