The formation of students' moral character is a critical part of civic engagement programs in US higher education. This is especially evident in Catholic, Jesuit education, which emphasizes pedagogical practices at the intersection of faith and justice. Advances in the fields of moral psychology and civic education, particularly service-learning,…

Critical approaches to service learning courses may not innately maximize student engagement, civil discourse, and the confrontation of stereotypes. The purpose of this article is to propose the utilization of Moral Foundations Theory as a complimentary framework for service learning courses seeking to critically analyze systems and policies.…

Excellent schools strive to develop a comprehensive and integrative improvement process for students and their families that integrate best practices of positive school culture, climate, and social and emotional learning; character development skills, enhanced academic achievement strategies, and positive parent engagement. Character.org's…

This NCSS position statement is intended for all audiences who are committed to preparing students for active and engaged citizenship in the 21st century. This includes the general public, the elementary, middle, and high school communities, social studies supervisors and directors, higher education, and all educators, pre-Kindergarten through…

For the better part of the past 100 years, John Dewey, Ernest Boyer, and other higher education reform advocates have challenged universities to hold true to their civic roots and responsibilities by promoting teaching and scholarship in the context of the real world. In response, service-learning has evolved into a viable pedagogy to encourage…

Social responsibility is a value orientation, rooted in democratic relationships with others and moral principles of care and justice, that motivates certain civic actions. Given its relevance for building stronger relationships and communities, the development of social responsibility within individuals should be a more concerted focus for…

In the United States, there are approximately 244 Catholic colleges and universities that together form an "incomparable centre of creativity and dissemination of knowledge for the good of humanity." These societies of scholars and learners are not cloisters removed from civic life; they are apostolic in nature, called to "an institutional…

Service learning is one of the most pervasive education innovations of the past generation and has demonstrated much success in connecting schooling with community service. Service learning is designed to be integrated into, and enhance, the academic curriculum. It is believed, and there is growing evidence to show, that participation in service…

Licensed social work practice requires a willingness on the part of the practitioner to adhere to a professional values, knowledge, and skills base as reflected in the National Association of Social Workers' Code of Ethics. Students who understand and aspire to this, and who gain experience interacting with people in a service capacity, will be…

According to the chairman emeritus for McDonnell Douglas, a free republic is the most powerful form of government and also the most fragile, because it depends on a virtuous people. Virtue calls for balancing our own needs with those of society. The Character Education Partnership has drawn up and published 11 principles of effective character…

The urgent messages of good business include the importance of ethical management behaviors, focus on corporate citizenship, recognition of principled leadership, moral awareness, and participation in social change. This article describes the Service Learning Metaproject (a nested set of projects required of all students) and shows what students…

The superintendent of the Hudson Public Schools in Massachusetts describes educators' challenges to educate disaffected and disaffiliated youth. Recent research shows that prosocial behavior is stimulated by unity of one's sense of self and one's morality, sense of connectedness to others, and sense of meaning arising from contributing to…

Presents the case for reconceptualizing citizenship education as a type of moral education. Describes the debate between cosmopolitans and nationalists in order to clarify questions and issues relevant to educators. Argues that teaching students/future citizens about moral disagreement and conflict is a way to prepare them to participate…

The modern character education movement emerged in the 1980s as a consequence of growing parental and public concern for moral drift, or what sociologist James Davison Hunter referred to as "the death of character." This public anomie was captured in these words from Sanford McDonnell, chairman emeritus of McDonnell Douglas and chair of…

Service learning, a method of instruction that combines learning with service to the community, can foster mutual respect and caring between gifted students and their communities. Using examples from various service learning experiences conducted by young gifted adolescents, the authors relate how service learning can be instrumental in infusing…