The skill set asked of today's top educators is demanding, with higher education boards of trustees targeting versatile leaders able to raise funds, speak to the media and serve as an institution's academic authority, all while maneuvering among constituent groups seeking their time and attention. Community college presidents, in particular,…

Libraries Without Borders (LWB) is striving to expand access to information and bridge the digital divide across the United States by transforming everyday, informal spaces into places of learning and engagement. Such transformations could be anything from creating pop-up libraries inside laundromats to setting up interactive learning spaces in…

This study at a university in Slovakia asked two questions: (1) Does completion of a service-learning course lead to changes in students' social and personal responsibility and their attitudes toward community service? (2) Are personal and social responsibility and attitudes toward community service correlated? Service-learning and the third…

This study sought to evaluate the self-learning curricula of a kindergarten in Saudi Arabia by applying the context, input, process, product (CIPP) model. To this end, the study utilized a mixed-method design, where teachers (N = 420) had been randomly selected and surveyed, and school inspectors (N = 15) had been interviewed. Furthermore, a…

We evaluate how the U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research (U-Links), a nonprofit organization that brokers research for community-based organizations with postsecondary institutions in Haliburton County, Ontario, has impacted this rural region of Ontario. Our approach uses contribution analysis and realist evaluation as layered tactics…

Addressing complex global issues -- such as alterations in nutrient cycles, climate change, large-scale drought, widespread erosion, and new disease vectors -- require adaptive changes in our collective behavior and policies. To date, approaches to advancing science literacy to address such challenges have generally failed to produce sufficient…

Lions Connected (LC) is an inclusive postsecondary program approved by the U.S. Department of Education; thus meeting rigorous program standards and accountability. Equally important is that it gives eligible students from rural areas the opportunity to receive federal financial aid to attend college. The purpose of developing LC was to meet the…

Evaluation capacity building (ECB) is an essential element for generating credible and actionable evidence on Extension programs. This paper offers a discussion of ECB efforts in Cooperative Extension and how such efforts enable Extension professionals to collect and use credible and actionable evidence on the quality and impacts of programs.…

Seed libraries are a relatively new innovation in the library field, offering seeds, gardening information, and the opportunity for community and ecological engagement to members. While they are increasingly popular in public libraries, they have not yet established a foothold in academic libraries. This paper defines the nature and role of seed…

Background: To prepare students to become productive 21st century citizens, universities have to be more engaged with society. Shifting towards community service learning (CSL) enables students to participate in, and reflect on, services that both benefit the public and also contribute to their own learning. There has been considerable research…

In this second annual summary of the their work, the Investing in Community Initiative provides practical advice for community leaders and policymakers around four critical issues. First, how should local needs be defined? Chapter 1 argues that data about local economies can show whether communities are best served by creating new jobs,…

There is a pressing need for American Indian and Native Alaskan professionals who have the preparation necessary to address the quality of life and natural resource issues in Native communities. We assert that universities should adopt proactive strategies that build pathways for Natives to obtain advanced degrees.

Embedded within ongoing university-community partnerships, participatory action research experiences for undergraduates -- or PAR-based UREs -- are multi-disciplinary, action-oriented research opportunities that engage undergraduates in collaborative research to address community-defined challenges. PAR-based UREs integrate participatory action…

This case study helps students better understand barriers to youth sport participation that low-income families face and then offer solutions to alleviate some barriers and create a more inclusive sport community. The case focuses on the struggle that many sport organizations face when trying to increase diversity and inclusiveness, regardless of…

In the French-speaking province of Québec in Canada, entrepreneurship was officially introduced into the Québec Education Program (QEP) in 2001. Entrepreneurship is viewed there as a learning tool associated with the conduct of entrepreneurial projects; that is, student-led action projects that respond to a community need by creating a good,…