American children represent a great untapped potential in our country. For many young people, choices are limited and the goal of a productive adulthood is a remote one. This report paints a picture of who these children are, shares their insights and reflections about the barriers they face, and offers ways forward for Big Brothers Big Sisters as…

This issue of "literacy.ca EXPRESS" features new and exciting developments, updates and exciting new resources. Articles included in this issue are: (1) Introducing CLLN (Canadian Literacy and Learning Network)!; (2) Supporting Learner Leadership; (3) Involving Learners by Patricia Ashie; (4) Catching Confidence; (5) CALL (Committee of…

When Commonfund and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) announced in late 2008 that they would join forces to combine their two endowment studies, which had historically been fielded and reported separately, they had high hopes for the venture, but those hopes were tempered with caution. The financial…

Teacher attrition is a costly and persistent problem in urban schools. The objective of this study was to evaluate senior volunteers' potential impact for improving teacher retention. We conducted interviews with six principals, 20 teachers, and six retired educators participating in the Experience Corps Baltimore program. Findings indicate that…

Philosophy for Children has been offering schoolchildren the opportunity to engage with philosophical ideas since the 1970s. It is a simple idea, already used in schools in Britain and around the world. Children share some reading--or other stimulus--with their teacher. They then devise their own questions, choose one that interests them, and,…

This study explores the effects of social integration on behavioral change in the course of an intensive, community-based public health intervention. The intervention trained volunteers and mobilized local organizations to promote 16 key family health practices in rural San Luis, Honduras, during 2004 to 2006. A mixed methods approach is used.…

In the UK, very few studies have engaged older people in two or more elements of the research process (design, conduct, dissemination). Although there is a body of work on educational gerontology, there are few publications that specifically focus on training older people as coresearchers. This paper reports upon the training program undertaken as…

Free, open, online help forums are open to the public and allow students to anonymously seek homework help from volunteers who have the time, willingness, and experience to respond. These forums offer affordable, accessible, and efficient help given as a social, public endeavor. Some forums exhibit a strong sense of virtual community, especially…

This evaluation study provides descriptive information about the implementation and outcomes of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program in West Virginia, from September 2012 through May 2013. The report draws on information from online surveys of directors of 30 CCLC programs and from school teachers for 4,102 participating…

Purpose: We examined the feasibility of creating a generic training curriculum for volunteers in health promotion programs for older adults by identifying common core content topics across 10 national programs. We also considered additional material that could augment common core content topics. Design and Methods: We reviewed in detail program…

Global Education has been and continues to be an important aspect of American higher educational curriculum. Its importance is evidenced not only at the formal educational sector, but also within youth development programs like the West Virginia 4-H program. The author contends that, the importance of global education is more relevant in the…

This issue of "Public/Private Ventures (P/PV) In Brief" is based on "High School Students as Mentors," a report that examined the efficacy of high school mentors using data from P/PV's large-scale random assignment impact study of Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based mentoring programs. The brief presents an overview of the findings, which…

This article features In Touch, a volunteer programme run jointly by the Manchester Museum and Imperial War Museum North, that does more than teach individuals about the museums and their collections, it also gives them skills and experience they can transfer to their lives and future employment. Working in partnership has enabled both museums to…

The idea of helping people by the medium of telephone was inspired by Rev. Alan Walker, Superintendent of the Central Methodist Mission in Sydney since 1958. Having made several radio and TV appearances, Rev. Walker found himself being called by people facing difficulties and personal crises. He did not have the time or the energy to give them the…

On January 19, 2009, the day before his historic inauguration, President Obama and his wife, Michelle, commemorated Martin Luther King Day by volunteering for various community service projects around the Washington, DC, area. A record number of Americans also participated in the King Day of Service, joining in over 13,000 projects, more than…