This brief article summarizes five trends and issues discussed during a moderated panel and round table discussion at the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) Symposium on Experiential Education Research (SEER) in November 2023. The aim of this session was to expand on prior documented trends and disseminate current experiential and…

Background: Critical literature examining international service learning does not examine the historical formations or expectations and experiences of hosts in depth. Most studies focus on either a critical examination of colonial or imperial history or a wide analysis of host perceptions without the same critical attention to history. Purpose:…

Background: Benefits of community-based learning for students in higher education are well documented. Comparatively less is known about the community partner experience. Purpose: The community partner perspective is explored to (a) confirm and expand recent findings regarding community partners' perceptions of the benefits and challenges of…

Background: Global learning outcomes (GLOs) are increasingly emphasized within higher education because of the advantages they provide in navigating globalized contexts. The process of global learning may be understood through Mezirow's theory of transformational learning, in which presentation of dissonant information results in more open,…

A session that has a theme of outcomes of experiential programs in varied contexts is both exciting and pressing. The three studies in Session IV all addressed relevant issues to experiential programming and all the authors were faced with the empirical challenge of demonstrating how and/or if their programs achieve what they say they are going to…

"Voluntourism" refers to the use of "discretionary time and income to travel out of the sphere of regular activity to assist others in need" (McGehee & Santos, 2005, p. 760). These experiences have been shown to raise consciousness and increase interest in activism (McGehee, 2002; Wearing, 2001) and to build pro-social…

Illustrates the student-directed service learning process at work in Youth Educational Services (Y.E.S.), begun 14 years ago, and focuses on the uniqueness of student-directed and student-initiated programs. (ERB)

Describes the concept and purpose of the National Center for Service-Learning (Washington, D.C.) and outlines some of the resources available to people interested in pursuing the concepts (giving and getting, acting and reflecting, serving and learning) further. (ERB)

Traces the history of the six United World Colleges (UWC), founded by Kurt Hahn to provide experiential learning opportunities for youths, aged 16 to 19, from 100 countries. Outlines UWC philosophy of education which requires all students to engage in community service each week to qualify for the final diploma. (NEC)

Summarizes the assessment of four types of experiential education programs (volunteer service, career internships, outdoor adventure, community study/political action) on the psychological, social, and intellectual development of over 1,000 secondary students participating in 27 programs in independent, public, and parochial schools across the…

Recounts evolution of School Concern Project, begun in Oxfordshire, England, in 1978 and staffed by professional teachers and therapists, into minimally budgeted organization staffed by physically disabled volunteers in 1984. Describes how students, including those with learning and behavioral needs, were involved in design and production of items…

Describes the Cooperative Extension Water Watchers Program (Washington) that brings together participants from diverse backgrounds, introduces them to environmental and natural history topics, encourages discussion of "hot" issues, and concludes with participants volunteering in environmental projects. The program is successful because…

Profiles the accomplishments and philosophies of three individuals who strongly advocated community service and who profoundly influenced the field of experiential education, including Robert K. Greenleaf, author of "Servant Leadership"; Alec Dickson, who traveled extensively to promote the development of community service organizations…

A study examining the contributions of service learning to students' cognitive, affective, civic, and social development surveyed 801 ninth-grade students in 6 school districts over 2 years. Personal development and civic involvement ratings were significantly higher for students who engaged in all three types of service activity: volunteerism,…

Describes utilizing secondary students and college undergraduates of the United States to teach illiterate adults to read by returning their stories (oral history) to them in writing allowing literacy lessons on subjects known to the adult. (ERB)