Diminishing civic vitality has been reported in numerous societies, irrespective of democratic maturity. Mandatory community service initiatives in schools have garnered attention as a strategy for fostering long-term civic engagement. However, methodological challenges such as selection bias and observation timing have led to inconsistent…

One high-leverage strategy rooted in a strong research base--the revitalized tutoring center--provides a wealth of opportunity to students who may be otherwise underserved. This embedded, open-all-day tutoring center supports collaborative teacher teams by using peer tutors and community volunteers. By centralizing resources and providing supports…

In Shanghai, a mega-city of approximately 24.15 million people (Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau, 2015, "Art. 13"), the population of migrant workers continues to increase. According to the Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau (2015), as of 2015, 9.81 million residents did not have household registration papers. Of these, 70%, or…

Scholarly studies of international student mobility programs have increased during the last two decades, particularly following the Bologna Declaration. Nevertheless, a systematic review of international student mobility programs and the outcomes and benefits derived from participation in such programs has not been undertaken. This paper provides…

As institutions seek to offer students an educational experience equipped with opportunities to develop as not only active learners but also engaged citizens, service-learning initiatives in the form of alternative spring breaks (ASB) have become prevalent. This study examines the potential of ASBs, as service-learning initiatives, to deliver a…

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…

A randomized field trial involving 883 students at 23 schools in three urban cities assessed the effectiveness of Experience Corps[R] (EC), a program that places older adult volunteers in elementary schools to tutor students who are poor readers. Students were assessed at the beginning and end of the academic year with standardized reading…

This article synthesizes research on social capital, school outcomes, internet use, and volunteering to argue that e-mentoring--which is commonly practiced over long distances--could become a powerful way to build greater cohesiveness in local communities. Realizing this potential will require a larger-scale and more coordinated approach to…

"Time to Read" is a volunteer mentoring program that recruits volunteers from the local business community to spend one hour of company time each week working on a one-to-one basis with primary school children aged 8 to 9 years with the aim of improving reading skills. The authors first evaluated the program in 2006-8 using a randomized…

Young people from refugee backgrounds face significant academic and social challenges in mainstream secondary education in Australia. Research suggests that mentoring initiatives and tutoring can help students remain engaged in education and achieve positive educational, social and emotional outcomes. The Classroom Connect Project is a joint…

Research (Martin, 2008) has shown that speaking and listening are the literacy skills most used in the world of work. Yet, employers frequently bemoan the lack of young people's communication skills, with many believing that it impacts their chances of making it through an interview and their future employability (Simon, 2009). Effective speaking…

Since 1993, over 500,000 people have served in AmeriCorps national service programs. This dissertation evaluates the long-term impacts of AmeriCorps service on participants, particularly in the areas of civic engagement, future volunteerism, appreciation of diversity, and a number of other job and life skills. It fills a gap by using both…

In 1987, the Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service conducted a survey to determine the impacts of Extension's efforts to assist and educate leaders of community groups. A broad range of community leadership positions served by Cooperative Extension were included in the study. A total of 344 leaders were systematically selected in a stratified…

Assessed the effectiveness of trained volunteers in leading parent education programs. Compared volunteer and professionally led groups in an ongoing extension-sponsored parenting program. Urban/rural comparisons were also made. There were no significant differences between volunteer and professionally led groups on child gains or parent…

A leadership development program was conducted by the home economics department of the University of Florida. The program consisted of an 11-week structured learning experience conducted by county home economics extension faculty for participants recruited from local voluntary associations in four counties. The broad objective of the program was…