Citizen science can provide insightful data to inform decisions, while also serving to enhance ecological awareness and foster environmental stewardship among participants. In this article, high school student citizen scientists investigate how trees respond to changing mountain climate during a field trip to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) to…

A Family Geography Night (FGN) kit can be used to bring families together, teach about the world, give parents the opportunity to share their beliefs, and participate in the educational system while having fun! Geography is an essential element of twenty-first-century education. More than just maps, geography is the interaction of cultures,…

In modern and well-structured universities, ethics centers are playing a key role in hosting, organizing, and managing activities to enrich and guide students' ethical thinking and analysis. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of the goals, activities, and administration of ethics centers, as well as their role in promoting ethical thinking…

This article describes five ways to contribute to the development of civically engaged citizens based on activities that have been widely used and described in detail over the last ten years: (1) Service-Learning Projects; (2) Extracurricular Activities; (3) Class Discussions and Debates; (4) Role Plays and Simulations; and (5) Home-School…

In the upper-level communication seminar that the author teaches--"Practices of Citizenship"--students learn and reflect on multiple theories and practices of citizenship as they develop their own voices in civil, academic, and intellectual conversations. As Aristotle argues, citizenship is a practice, a habit that must be learned. Aristotle's…

Civic engagement has become an essential learning goal for institutions throughout higher education. Communication scholars employ various pedagogical tools to foster civic engagement. For instance, service learning has been shown to increase political and community engagement in courses such as family communication and public relations. Teachers…

This article briefly describes the central tenets of a program several low-income middle schools implemented to remove failure as a choice students could make in completing their assignments. Instead of doling out Fs for poor and nonexistent work, teachers devised a variety of options students had to follow to demonstrate eventual mastery of…

A local educational agency in St. Louis, the Citizenship Education Clearinghouse (CECH), works with schools to make real participation in community civic, governmental, and political affairs a possibility for students. Three CECH models for student participation in issues of national concern, in state politics, and in local issues are described.…

This document describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a 10-week parent effectiveness training program to improve black elementary school student attitudes and participation in extracurricular activities by improving the attitudes of their parents towards school. The program was developed in consultation with teachers and…

University researchers, teacher candidates, language and technology instructors, student learners, and families from diverse backgrounds partnered in an invitational teaching/learning experience--middle school student learners teaching their VIPs (very important persons) how to create stories and construct digital movies with reference to their…

In 1978, the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families, through its Head Start program, designed and implemented the Basic Educational Skills (BES) project to foster Head Start children's readiness for school and their subsequent achievement in elementary school. The purpose of this document is to disseminate elementary-level BES materials.…

Describes "satellite learning centers," public schools located at parent worksites in Dade County (Florida) and jointly operated by the school system and the employer. Advantages include parent participation, exposure to career possibilities, and free classroom space. (FMW)

Schools that are most successful in engaging parents and other family members in support of their children's learning look beyond traditional definitions of parent involvement--parent teacher organizations or signing report cards--to a broader conception of supporting families in activities outside of school that can encourage their children's'…

This guide has been prepared as an aid to the trainer/facilitator of adult education. Section I addresses some of the more common myths concerning adult learners, particularly the 50-plus age group. Section II describes the "to-be" 50-64 age group population, based on literature searches. Section III identifies learners do or do not participate in…

The University of Illinois' medical school has a third-year program of weekly role-playing exercises focusing on management of acute medical problems. Students are responsible for creating the cases, complete with scenarios and treatment teams, simulating them, and successfully treating or reaching an impasse. Little teacher preparation time is…