This document discusses how service learning has developed over the past century in its practices from involvement in volunteerism to active civic engagement. It is so beneficial to both learners and the community that many educators and government leaders believe it should be a required component in the educational career of all students. The…

This paper discusses service learning, arguing that the pedagogy of service learning offers a framework in which students can remember and apply more of what they learn than in traditional content based and faculty centered curriculum. Service learning strategies recognize that we retain 60% of what we do, 80% of what we do with guided reflection,…

The author, who is the President of Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC), Florida, argues that the fundamental purpose of MDCC is to preserve democracy. MDCCs open-door policy makes it possible for those who might otherwise be excluded from higher education to gain a college education, which then makes it possible for them to become active,…

Over the past decade, the care of children with serious emotional challenges has evolved toward a system of care encompassing a coordinated spectrum of services and supports responsive to child and family needs. This book is a collection of papers based on work at East Carolina University that examines elements of the system of care in relation to…

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the implications of self efficacy beliefs on the career planning process among emerging adults in the 17-20 age bracket who have had limited life experiences. An objective for the coursework in personal and career exploration was to expose students, new to the college experience, to methods for…

The 11 chapters in this book describe successful innovative programs of service learning at the undergraduate level. Emphasis is on how different kinds of institutions, facing different internal and external circumstances, have made service-learning an institutional asset. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction: A New Model of Excellence" (Edward…

This volume contains three studies that address important and complementary aspects of youth work as it is developing in the Member States of the European Union. Chapter 1, Youth Structures and Policies at National Level, has two parts. The first describes the specific nature of youth policies carried out by the various governments and the…

This report analyzes four programs administered by the Corporation for National Service (CNS): AmeriCorps*National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), AmeriCorps*State/National, AmeriCorps*VISTA, and AmeriCorps*Education Awards. AmeriCorps allows participants to earn education awards to help pay for their postsecondary education in exchange for…

A 3-year community service learning program was established at a small high school in Maine. The program aims to provide a unifying focus for a fragmented student population, address community problems, and increase students' self-esteem and feelings of being meaningful members of their community. In grade 9, teachers of every subject design…

This paper describes an innovative interdisciplinary course offered at the University of New Orleans (Louisiana) which involved community members as full-fledged partners with students and university faculty in service-learning-by-doing teams. Each student, with the assistance of a faculty member and a community partner, identified an opportunity…

This book focuses on the enormous potential of service learning to enhance the learning process for college students by melding cognitive learning and affective service. Conclusions are based primarily on data from two national research projects, one which compared models of service learning using survey data and intensive student interviews, and…

This study examines the importance of structured reflection in service-learning courses. The study consisted of interviews with 15 faculty and 72 students from three different higher education institutions; interviews were conducted between October 1998 and March 1999. Focus group interviews with faculty gathered information about course design,…

This study explores the relationship between elements of the service learning pedagogy and the self-development of students. The study focuses specifically on undergraduates who participated in a career-based outreach program (CBOP) at the University of California, Los Angeles. Observers followed four student fellows enrolled in a Community…

Since 1992, through the Upcountry Writing Project, upstate South Carolina teachers have helped students in K-12 classrooms write for and about their communities. These teachers and students have learned much about what it takes to actually craft a genuine sense of place. By publishing, they have not only crafted pieces about their locales but have…

Rural Trust schools and communities embrace an education that values what is unique to a particular place in an effort to promote mutual school and community well-being. This local focus engages students academically, pairing real world relevance with intellectual rigor. It also develops skills that promote citizenship, such as decision making,…