Examines parent involvement complexities from the differing standpoints of school volunteers and teachers, mostly women. Explores the construction of the family-school relationship in four Louisiana schools serving low-income children. For educators, parental involvement was ideologically bounded by school walls. Parents' descriptions stressed…

Describes the Peace Corps Partnership Program (PCPP), focusing on the involvement of the Corcoran High School (Syracuse, New York). Discusses how a school and its students can select a PCPP project to support. Identifies the different parts of a PCPP project and includes an example project. (CMK)

The Anchorage Library Information Network created the STAR (State of the Art Reference) group to deliver reference training to Alaskan librarians and information providers. Librarians were trained to run workshops that focused on acquiring communications skills through practice, coaching, and reinforcement on the job. Due to budget constraints,…

Describes how teachers can develop a student art auction as a way to raise money for an art program, the students, or other causes. Explains that an auction helps students feel like real artists. Discusses each aspect of the process from preliminary decisions to selecting artwork to bidding at the auction. (CMK)

Focuses on the women's studies program at Kansas City (Kansas) Community College. Discusses the use of guest speakers and service learning in women's studies in order to connect theory with praxis. Addresses the logistics of service learning and the opportunity for the faculty to perform part-time work in the community. (CMK)

States that volunteers are often used in the classroom to help children learn to read, but their impact on reading skills is unknown. Examines randomized controlled trials (RCT) in an effort to determine whether using volunteers improves children's reading. Finds that volunteering had a small effect on children's reading. (CMK)

Provides information on the idealized images of women during World War I. Features the use of posters and propaganda during the war. Focuses on voluntary activities in which women participated, the fight for women's suffrage during the war, and the effect of the war on women working. Includes poster reproductions. (CMK)

Discusses findings from evaluation of national "School Friends" project set up by British Telecom (BT) in the United Kingdom, in which BT employees volunteered to assist with literacy learning in primary schools. Notes evaluation findings that industry role models raised students' confidence and enthusiasm for reading, especially among…

Focuses on the Atlanta (Georgia) Junior League, a women's volunteer organization, that chose to address education and welfare of disabled children. Explores the League's role in the education of children that have speech impairments, addressing the establishment of the School for Speech Correction. Reports on the League's role in social mothering.…

This article discusses the role of organized religion in providing respite services to families of children with disabilities. Respite programs using church volunteers are seen as an opportunity for new and effective partnerships between secular service systems and the religious community. Model programs are described. (PB)

A survey identifying the nature and levels of volunteer work contributed by social work educators is reported. Nearly all educators engage in formal volunteer work and perform a variety of roles in human service agencies. Tenure status and primary teaching area are positively associated with amount and type of volunteer work. (Author/MSE)

Volunteers (n=55) who produce narrated tape recordings of textbooks for use by visually handicapped students were surveyed to determine their recording experience, equipment, guidance, and feedback. Eighty visually handicapped students who used the recordings in higher education were also surveyed concerning waiting time for books, listening…

Describes three seasonal fund-raising projects that can be linked with the curriculum and require only a few parent volunteers. The projects are profitable without requiring large amounts of effort. They include selling holiday cards, conducting read-a-thons, and participating in save-the-rainforest group sales. Tips for holding successful fund…

Examines library-based literacy programs. Topics discussed include changes over the past eight years; current statistics; the relationship between libraries and literacy; advantages of using libraries for literacy programs, including social neutrality; immigrant populations and English as a Second Language; intergenerational family programs; and…

Russell states that Britain's General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) enable women to have paid, volunteer, and community achievements recognized and accredited. Kilminster argues that GNVQ health and social care courses are too strongly driven by ideology. Tiernan shows how women's community groups use NVQs with volunteers. (SK)