In the following dissertation, I develop heuristics for collaboratively and sustainably contributing to community infrastructures through writing. Based on the findings of an observational study on how students enrolled in my first year composition and service-learning class created new media writing projects with community partners and were able…

This paper examines a burgeoning network of organizations that is inventing new forms of community renewal and citizenship education. Their names vary--some call themselves public policy institutes, others centers for civic life--yet they share a common methodology, one aimed at tackling tough public issues, strengthening communities, and…

Too often, innovation in undergraduate education unfolds something like this: the latest, best idea is implemented by itself, as an add-on to existing curricular and cocurricular practice. While most of the student experience remains the same as it was before the innovation, the new idea offers a twist: a service learning class here, a learning…