Higher education and K-12 school partnerships are typically designed with an end-goal that serves the instructional needs of one group over the other. For this project, a university professor and elementary school instructor used problem-based and project-based learning strategies to design a curriculum that served the academic needs of both…

The implementation of the Common Core Standards has just begun and these standards will impact a generation that communicates with technology more than anything else. Texting, cell phones, Facebook, YouTube, Skype, etc. are the ways they speak with their friends and the world. The Common Core Standards recognize this. According to the Common Core…

To understand the relevance of cognitive psychology, students in a cognitive psychology course were required to complete a detailed plan for a public service announcement focusing on environmental issues. The final exam was a Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation incorporating at least eight concepts from the course. Students in the course…

Discusses service learning (learning that combines public service with related academic work) and service learning projects in an undergraduate course on mass communication and society. Finds that it is an effective means of teaching that increases student understanding of complex material. (SR)

Discusses how critical multiculturalism can be used to inform academic service learning, offering as an example the case study of a Pennsylvania State University project in which college students work with homeless citizens in Washington, DC. Stresses the importance of intentionality in planning the community service components of academic service…

Presents the methods and results of a nine-month study of wave characteristics and beach erosion conducted by students from East Hampton (New York) High School. Applications of the data to community planning and recommendations for teachers who wish to facilitate similar projects are offered. (WB)

Outlines a high school campaign to increase community awareness of the problems of homeless people. Describes student efforts to research the facts and circulate their findings through flyers, posters, letters, speeches, and radio spots. Offers cautionary suggestions for teachers supervising similar projects. (SV)

By integrating community service projects and the academic curriculum, students can help their communities and put their learning into practice. Elementary school and secondary school programs in New York City, Orange (Florida), Los Angeles (California), and St. Louis (Missouri) illustrate the rewards of service projects. (SLD)

Maintains that many educators have recommended that public school students need to develop social action skills and participate in community service programs. Discusses student volunteer participation in community food service programs. Provides recommendations for teachers about developing such programs. (CFR)

The college's role in promoting community service activities and in developing students' sense of civic responsibility is addressed in two articles: "Community Service and Higher Education: A National Agenda," by Governor of Virginia Charles Robb and Brown University President Howard Swearer; and "Community Service and Higher…

Discusses the role of middle-school children supported by the community in organizing a project to feed needy children: running the project, and providing an educational activity prior to each meal. Describes academic outcomes of project, such as developing skills in language arts, math, and creative problem solving; and learning about nutrition.…

Video is a powerful tool, and it can be used to motivate student achievement and learning. One of the greatest advantages in getting students to work with digital media is that they can retake and re-edit a project until they are satisfied with it. Students become very occupied in applying what they have learned by producing mini-documentaries,…

Describes a yearlong sophomore course called Environmental Issues that combines economics, science, government, and technology through classroom projects and community activities. The course evolved into an international network among six schools called The 21st Century Schoolhouse, in which students collaborate on projects with students from…

Presents 10 ideas for service learning projects designed for elementary schools. Includes having students do local history projects complete with interviews and artifacts, learn about community volunteering, interact with the elderly, care for the environment, recycle materials, and hold canned food drives. (MJP)

Describes an urban environmental stewardship project undertaken by students at a Seattle public school in an effort to make their school more beautiful, their environment more healthy, and their learning more tangible. In partnership with neighbors and the community, students transformed a section of the school grounds into a garden refuge.…