Over the past several decades, there has been an increased focus on health promotion as opposed to individual health determinants and disease prevention. Given the association between health and academic success, health promotion is a vastly overlooked lever for establishing effective K-12 schools. Student, organizational, and community well-being…

Research in teacher education suggests that field experiences in community settings can offer pre-service teachers a context for understanding the link between theory and practice. This paper documents the experiences of pre-service educators participating in a service-learning experience at a Children's Defense Fund Freedom School in the…

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) defines service learning as the combination of classroom instruction with community service, focusing on critical, reflective thinking as well as personal and civic responsibility. Service learning programs involve students in activities that address local, community-identified needs while…

In the spring of 2008, 1,847 principals of K-12 public schools, nationwide, responded to a survey on the prevalence of community service and service-learning in their schools. The "National Study of the Prevalence of Community Service and Service-Learning in K-12 Public Schools," sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service and…

The purpose of this article is to review a partnership between a teacher education department and a dropout prevention program. The partnership developed from a variety of communities' needs, no less of which was that of reconnecting marginalized youth at a local dropout prevention school with their community through cultural and civic…

Designed for district- and school-level character education committees, "Character Education by Design: A Blueprint for Successful District and School Initiatives" is a how-to guide for developing an effective character education initiative, one that will not only enhance the climate of the school and social behavior of the students, but…

This essay addresses how to cope with several potential barriers to implementing effective service-learning projects. The discussion builds on experiences of developing and refining service-learning in upper-division communication courses. Difficulties arise in three areas: the institutional and physical setting, student attitudes, and community…

As schools guide students in acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary to become responsible citizens, the question arises as to how they can better go about providing them with a well-rounded education: academically, socially, and emotionally. Providing Resource Opportunities with Learning (P.R.O.W.L.) suggests the following solutions: (1)…

The product of faculty, staff, and students from 10 exemplary programs in service learning at selected liberal arts colleges across the country, this collection of essays addresses vital issues in liberal learning and education for community. The collection's focus is the creation of educational goals and strategies for developing a service…

This book presents service-learning research that focuses on units of analysis ranging from the individual student to the community partnership. It contains the following chapters/articles: "Enhancing Theory-Based Research on Service-Learning" (Robert G. Bringle); "The Missing Link: Exploring the Content of Learning in Service-Learning" (Deborah…

This resource provides schools and jurisdictions with a sample framework and strategies for developing and/or supporting a culture of character and citizenship. The framework encourages individual schools to assess and put action plans in place to improve their cultures. It also looks at how character and citizenship education can be supported by…

This DVD contains interviews with Black students, White and Black teachers, educational experts and school administrators that poignantly bring to life the issues, strategies and competencies that teachers need to engage with--if they are to create the conditions that will enable their students of color to succeed and excel. From these candid,…

This action research study examines student reactions to a sixty-hour community service graduate requirement at an all-girl, Catholic high school; identifies reasons for the apathy and disdain with which students view the requirement; and suggests creating a service learning environment that will increase students' investment and interest in…

This report presents data from a survey of school partnerships that described the current national status of partnerships in schools, measured growth in partnerships through the 1990s, provided data on trends in partnership objectives and activities over 10 years, and related changes in partnerships to major education reform issues. Surveys were…