Service learning has many documented benefits for students. The benefits to the communities are less clear. This study examines the unfolding of an environmental service-learning partnership from the perspective of one participating community liaison. We examine a new model of university-community engagement, where undergraduate students are…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions in the educational system, placing a substantial burden on teachers. Since the onset of the pandemic, ample quantitative research has been conducted, documenting increased rates of anxiety, stress, and burnout among teachers. However, these rates do not provide an explanation for why teachers…

The time is ripe to reexamine the social contract between higher education and society. Historically, the social contract has promised an advancement of the public good through applied knowledge production and thoughtful research dissemination, training citizens to lead and actively participate in democracy, and supporting local and global…

This research targets retired singers from the university choral ensemble, offering an in-depth examination of the older adults' choir experiences, with a focus on their experiences and reflections. Prior studies have highlighted the benefits of musical involvement for retirees, including extending life expectancy, enhancing quality of life, and…

This article investigates how strategic community partnerships form the bedrock of successful institutional community engagement activities. In this investigation, these engagements encourage institutional practitioners to consider how truly effective community economic development materializes when the university assumes a reactionary role by…

While the co-production of knowledge through community-engaged research is intended to be a reciprocally beneficial process, academic institutions have often devalued community expertise by treating community organizations as subjects rather than co-creators of knowledge. Drawing from Black Feminist Epistemology, this ethnographic study examines…

The Family Stabilization Initiative (FSI) Sustainability Toolkit was developed by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago in partnership with Lutheran Services in America. Chapin Hall designed and implemented a multifaceted approach to gain comprehensive understanding of the FSI and its core sustainability components. The Sustainability Toolkit…

In educational spaces, it is no longer aspirational but imperative that the community--with its richness and diversity--joins educators as key instructional partners to liberate the creativity, uniqueness, and potential of all students. As educators, we can miss the value of this collaboration. This brief defines critical perspectives, why…

Community colleges are important settings for the development of social capital as well as institutions of higher learning. The democratic mission, geographic dispersion, and close relationship with multiple stakeholders throughout their service regions allow community colleges to be well-suited to act as liaisons and social architects…

Service-learning (SL) represents one of the actions for community engagement institutionalisation and a way to achieve the teaching and learning objectives of the university and answer local organisations' needs identified by the community. Studies on the benefits and impacts of service-learning experiences among community partners (rather than…

School climate surveys are frequently used to collect information about student experiences in school. Less is known about how educators use survey data after survey administration. This paper explores one school district's critical use of evidence to promote equitable change. We conducted eight semi-structured interviews with district and school…

School shootings challenge educational safety, demanding effective leadership strategies. The Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which claimed the lives of 19 children and 2 teachers, heightened concerns about campus vulnerabilities, urging administrators to prioritize student protection. I performed a qualitative study interviewing…

A deeper understanding of how slavery and colonialism fundamentally shaped the system of higher education in the United States has led colleges and universities to reexamine their histories and acknowledge harms committed and the need for repair. Campuses are experimenting with how to address racial justice and healing for faculty, staff, and…

We established a tallgrass prairie restoration experiment on a high school campus in Kansas. This easily accessible natural environment provides students and teachers many options including scientific research, artistic ventures, or simply relaxing in nature. Our restoration project has four main objectives: (1) practicing science; (2) increasing…

Fifty years after the birth of hip-hop, Jonathan E. Collins considers how hip-hop can transform U.S. education. Many schools have barred hip-hop and disciplined students who use it. But these restrictions have been built on flimsy premises that ignore the beauty and complexity of the art form. Embracing and incorporating hip-hop can improve…