The School of Language Studies at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) offers full-time, intensive language training in more than 70 languages to US diplomats and other government employees preparing to serve at US Embassies abroad. Students at FSI, the primary training institution of the US foreign affairs community, have access to a fully…

To make sense of and learn about work environments, people actively construct their own knowledge and share stories of their experience. Telling stories is particularly challenging in a transient organization where people are hired on a voluntary, temporary basis. Such is the case of a nonprofit music festival organization in Sweden, which is…

Social cohesion is a concept difficult to define and to measure. As there can be many definitions, so there can be many measurements. The main problem, either in defining or measuring the concept, is its multilevel and multidimensional nature. At one extreme, "country" is the most commonly used level to view social cohesion but…

These conference proceedings contain abstracts of papers that were submitted for presentation and descriptions of all presentations and workshops from a conference on volunteerism. Three papers are included in full. Organized in five sections, the following are included: "Building Better Young People: Powerful and Practical Techniques to Teach…

"America Goes Back to School" is a nationwide initiative to encourage and support family and community involvement in improving children's learning. The program's 1998 theme highlights year-round partnerships started or celebrated during the back-to-school months of August through October. This kit provides tools to help families and…

"America Goes Back to School" is a nationwide initiative to encourage and support family and community involvement in improving children's learning. This activity kit provides tools to help families and community members develop and become involved in partnerships to improve students' academic success. The kit's "organizer's…

In 1986, the National Council on Aging developed the Family Friends program, which brings older people into the homes of children with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Charter programs were implemented in eight cities. These programs are still operating, and programs in other cities are in various stages of development. Since 1989, Family…

The Bernard van Leer Foundation sponsors nontraditional, nonschool programs designed to improve the chances that preschoolers will enroll in school. In these programs and other informal education efforts, the community facilitator plays an important role. Typically, the facilitator is a member of the community who works without remuneration as a…

Discussions about the social responsibility of businesses have led to questions about the social responsibility of academic institutions. As governmental support of community activities appears to be lessening, activities by educational institutions in support of local communities becomes more essential. New developments in the linkage between…

This manual is designed primarily to assist Education Peace Corps Volunteers undertake community projects in addition to their primary job assignment. Chapter 1 discusses the factors that determine the measure of success of the project. The process, not the product, is emphasized. Chapter 2 on situational analysis outlines areas of investigation…

This two-part booklet provides guidelines for students and agencies involved in Projects in Community Service, a transferable elective course offered under ten departments at Glendale Community College (Arizona). Part I offers guidelines to help students who wish to participate in volunteer programs while exploring possible careers and assisting…

The Horry County, South Carolina, Reading Crusade, a joint effort of the Literacy Council and the school district, was begun in 1979-80 with the intent of raising the literacy level of adults. The school district's Adult and Community Education Department provided office space, telephones, lab space, salaries, and mileage for the coordinators. The…

This handbook provides administrators and staffs of adult education programs with general information on volunteerism in adult education; information on specific programs and strategies, specifically Project SAVE (State Adult Volunteers in Education); and guidelines for program implementation. An overview of the impact of adult illiteracy precedes…

Four types of volunteer experience were examined and compared in order to get some picture of the range of activities open to women within the general category of volunteering and to learn about the array of opportunities and satisfactions open to women who volunteer within the different structural contexts. Data were analyzed from studies of a…

More than 1,500 educators at the National Adult Education Conference probed issues ranging from competency-based teaching, through the lifelong growth of adult educators themselves, to national concerns which gave the conference its "5E" theme: employment, ethics, education, environment, and energy. Presentations given at the conference focused on…