The study of Disney is not new to higher education. For decades, Walt Disney has been studied in history courses. The Disney version of customer service excellence has been touted as a best practice in business courses, and film/media courses have analyzed Disney's animated classics (Duncan 2012, Wantasen n.d.). In U.S. higher education, there has…

In order to design programs that are relevant to global audiences, it is essential for informal learning centers to work collaboratively and test programs in a variety of communities. In line with this, research was conducted on a recent collaborative educational effort between Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois and the National Museum of Niger…

The role of institutions such as zoos in global conservation efforts is critical. In addition to serving as informal learning centers for the general public, these institutions are well-positioned to provide training and professional development for the next generation of conservation scientists. And while many organizations traditionally have…

Some parts of a school building do not age gracefully. At many elementary and middle schools--particularly those built in the 1960s or 1970s--old gyms are as useful (and attractive) as a worn-out pair of sneakers. To save money 20 years ago, school districts often used one space as a combination gym/lunch room/auditorium. Old gymnasiums offer…

Harvard University quietly started offering women-only gym hours early this semester. But since the news broke several weeks ago, it has prompted an onslaught of media attention. Harvard's move, however, is not unique. In recent years, women at several colleges across the country have requested women-only workout times. Some of those women have…

Once famous mainly for stockyards and steel mills, Chicago now boasts more top-rated five-star restaurants than any other city in the United States and has been voted by various publications as one of the "Top 10 U.S. Destinations," one of the "Best Walking Cities" in the United States, and one of the "Ten Best Places to…

A new nationwide program called Sail '76 has been launched to give more people the opportunity to try the sport of sailing and to teach people the proper sailing techniques before they invest in a sailboat. (SK)

The authors conducted an evaluation of visitor knowledge and conservation attitudes toward African apes at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. Using S. R. Kellert's and J. Dunlap's (1989) analysis of zoo visitor knowledge and attitudes as a model, they modified and administered a survey to 1,000 visitors to the ape facility. On average, visitors correctly…

During the summer of 2001 I worked as a bartender in Wyoming, two miles east of Yellowstone National Park. This opportunity provided me with unique experiences of "the wilderness" and as a result, allowed me to become aware of intricacies of living within a primarily simulated and mass mediated culture, i.e., the United States. Following…

Physical educators struggle with the challenges of assessing student performance, providing feedback about motor skills, and creating opportunities for all students to engage in game-play on a daily basis. The integration of technology in the gymnasium can address some of these challenges by improving teacher efficiency and increasing student…

A sanitary landfill project in suburban Chicago is creating a scenic area of comprehensive recreation facilities through the cooperation of private industry and county government. (JD)

This document discusses reclamation alternatives for land that has been surface-mined. Special attention is given to the use of tree planting as a desirable reclamation method. Contents include Illinoian reclamation history, knowledge of forestry techniques and successes on surface-mined lands, recreational and educational use of the reclaimed…

Presented are duplications of the responses given by Maine-Niles Association of Special Recreation (Skokie, Illinois) as part of a project to collect, share, and compile information about, and techniques in the operation of 18 community action models for recreation services to the disabled. Model programs are categorized as consumer, client…

The National Awards for Museum and Library Service give national recognition to institutions that play an integral and essential part in our learning society. The awards celebrate the efforts of libraries and museums of all sizes to connect with their increasingly diverse communities and to serve as centers of lifelong learning. As the pace of…

The Logan County (Illinois) Community Resource Development Council, assisted by sociologists and graduate students from the University of Illinois, designed an attitudinal survey which was administered in 1980 to 324 graduating seniors from 3 Logan County high schools to determine why students were leaving the county after graduation and what…