This paper situates inquiry-based learning (IBL) in a post-secondary context while examining possibilities for social work education and practice. Specifically, in what ways has IBL been utilized in higher education, and how might IBL be compatible with social work values that promote social justice? This paper begins with a brief overview of the…

The Values, Ethics, and Social Action (VESA) minor at Allegheny College has been an academic program since 1999. This article describes the unique strengths of VESA and some of the institutional and conceptual challenges faced by the program and presents details of practices employed to meet these challenges in order to sustain this community…

While John Dewey's learning theory has been widely credited as the essential theoretical underpinnings of service learning, lesser attention has been paid to his concept of moral imagination regarding its immense potentials in nurturing college students' moral growth in service learning. This article explores Dewey's framework of moral imagination…

A real-life experience is a "moving force" that can be part of the elementary social studies curriculum. This article discusses an experiential learning about India and describes how the author integrates the arts and service learning in his third grade classroom. It also describes class activities that enhance social studies curriculum…

While universities can play a major role in advancing research-based community development, academic discourses of rigor, quality and ethics often conflict with the participatory and collaborative approaches required by community development principles. While experienced academics often have difficulty negotiating these issues, they present…

Explores service learning as a potential antidote to the over-specialization, market consciousness, and civic disengagement that drain the contemporary humanities of their practice and theoretical vitality in a liberal education. Also considers the conceptual terrain of service learning. (Author/SLD)

Explores the relationship between discipleship and citizenship, discussing ways Catholic educators can teach their students to be faithful to their Catholic ideals as they exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Service learning provides a means for integrating head and heart for students while working in a real world context.…

Describes an initiative at Emory University (Georgia) to create an ethos of humane learning through a course that combines theory with internships and actively involves partner communities with faculty and students. In the seminar component students discuss what they are learning from the experiential component and record their individual…

The Alan Shawn Feinstein High School for Public Service in Providence, Rhode Island, has high-minded curricular goals, despite its rough beginnings. Students and staff are excited about Feinstein's communitarian emphasis, extended class periods, small classes, advisory program, and portfolio assessment process. Hopefully, start-up difficulties…

Camping and working and learning in national parks may sound like a great way to spend the summer, but for participants enrolled in Rocky Mountain Experience, it is much more. Rocky Mountain Experience is a unique university course that focuses on application of service-learning principles as students travel to, camp in, and complete service…

Many concepts forming the foundation of the outdoor/experiential learning movement have parallels in Native American traditions. The National Indian Youth Leadership Program focuses on key Native American values such as family commitment, service to others, spiritual awareness, challenge, meaningful roles, recognition, responsibility, natural…

How can spiritual development be fostered in a manner that respects students from backgrounds of various faith traditions? The author describes a program that nurtures holistic growth in a school serving troubled students. Youth participate in a "ministry arts" program combining creative visual arts, music, adventure education, service projects,…

The intent of this article is to inform readers about ways in which scholarly inquiry can be expanded. An overview and a refinement of a research approach called "service-bonded inquiry" are provided. Service-bonded inquiry is a response to the call for changing the way research is interpreted, conducted, and evaluated. At the heart of this…

This book is based on the premise that schools are communities and that schools must be created as moral communities if moral education is to succeed in the schools. Sections of the book explore the key elements required to turn schools into moral communities. Chapters include: (1) "Administrative Issues"; (2) "How Children Develop Morals"; (3)…