William McKinley Middle School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has a parent volunteer program called FOCUS that targets average students who are not doing well academically. Program goals are to improve students' organizational skills, help them complete homework assignments, and reteach and preview lessons to increase understanding, so that students will…

A survey of 133 British college students serving as tutors in local schools found that for most the primary motive was to improve job prospects. A small cohort was primarily motivated by community service. (SK)

Universities of the Third Age (U3As) are volunteer-run organizations offering lifelong learning opportunities for older adults. A survey of 84 Australian and 14 New Zealand U3As estimated an annual value of their services of over $4 million and examined organizational and student characteristics, assistance from external organizations, and…

Describes the explosion in intergenerational programs linking school children and seniors in Ontario and in other Canadian provinces. Discusses program benefits, form and content of programs, service-reciprocity programs, age segregation in today's society, and social context for the increase in programs. United Generations Ontario is dedicated to…

Interviews with rural women active in grassroots community organizations in Appalachia revealed that the consequences of women's participation included learning new skills, developing communication skills, gaining understanding of their lives, and setting new educational or vocational goals. Aspects of organizational environment that supported the…

A Michigan camp developed its ignored wetlands using seven steps: attitude adjustment, writing a Forest Stewardship Plan, creating a fund, getting permits, finding private partners, partnering with other organizations for volunteer labor, and creating a quality environmental education program. The developed wetland provides natural beauty,…

Describes The Pottstown Homework Center Partnership, which initiated homework centers and trained volunteer tutors to support middle school "at risk" students. Describes tutor recruitment and training; identifies eligibility requirements for student participants; and reports tutor-child interactions. Includes outcomes, interpretations,…

In our rapidly aging society, the support of older adults is critical for public education. Older taxpayers are not as racially diverse as the school children affected by their votes. Although a few districts have recognized senior citizens as rich, untapped resources and implemented systematic intergenerational programs, most efforts are…

Parental activities such as attending cultural events, doing volunteer work, and socializing with friends are investigated in relation to the educational attainments of children. Differences are found between fathers' and mothers' activities and their effects on the attainments of boys and girls. Alternative explanations are considered. (EMK)

In thriving school communities, members form a culture of reciprocal relationships that meet both school and community needs. The Los Alamitos (California) Unified School District opened a parent-paid preschool and an extended-day-care facility at each elementary-school site. Reciprocal relationships can be created via volunteer projects and…

Data was collected from ombudsmen (N=607) in nursing facilities about the factors that make their jobs difficult. Hypotheses about support, relationships with peers, and efficacy were tested. Support from facility administrators and residents contributed to efficacy, whereas help from other volunteers had a negative effect. Results point to the…

Gould Farm, the oldest therapeutic community in the United States, uses the rural farming lifestyle and a multigenerational community to serve adults with psychiatric disabilities. The Timber Framers Guild helped raise a barn there as one of its community service projects. The barn will be used to enhance the farm's food processing and vocational…

Discusses the idea behind the European Community's recently published white paper on education and teaching, titled "To Teach and to Learn--Towards a Cognitive Society." The paper declares that Europe is undergoing a transition to a new type of society, describes the issues at stake, and proposes steps to encourage member States to…

Start Making a Reader Today (SMART) is a book and reading program for children in kindergarten through second grade in 13 Oregon counties. The program aims to create a relaxed and safe environment in which children can practice their skills, one-on-one, with caring adult volunteers. A volunteer tutor recounts her experiences with the program. (SAS)

Finds that at-risk first and second graders made statistically significant gains in instructional reading level that was attributable to tutoring by minimally trained America Reads Challenge college students. Finds that the greatest impact was in affecting children's ability to read words, and that most of their growth occurred during the second…