Decades of scholarship on teaching and learning affirm the benefits of public service internships on student learning outcomes. Studies emphasize how hands-on fieldwork can increase students' substantive knowledge, political efficacy, trust in government, and civic participation, among other factors. However, most articles treat internships…

Research on individuals' experiences engaging in outdoor education programs suggests participants are impacted in a number of ways. This study investigated the impact of participation in a wilderness education course on undergraduates' experiences with public service. This study asked the research question, what is the impact of an Outward Bound…

The Pennsylvania Department of Education's Learn and Serve America K-12 Grant Program distributes funds from the Corporation for National Service to schools to develop and expand service learning programs throughout Pennsylvania. The 1995-96 grant program is currently funding 101 school-based programs (70 recipients of continuing funds from the…

Provides 11 guideposts for teachers and students planning constructive community action projects. These include avoid overanalysis at the beginning, write your original idea down before you modify it, ignore negativity, do your homework, build a core group, and recruit community allies. (MJP)

Serve-America is a national program that was established under the 1990 National and Community Service Act to involve young people in community service and thereby build their understanding of their communities, sense of social responsibility, and commitment to community involvement. In 1992, a 3-year evaluation of Serve-America was initiated to…

This document reports on the conduct and findings of a 3-year evaluation of the 1995-96 school year of the Learn and Serve America School and Community-Based Programs, which were initiated to support school and community-based efforts to involve school-aged youth in community service. Well-designed, school-based service-learning programs have a…