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…

How is required public service during college related to later civic behavior? This article reports findings from a survey of 359 alumni, conducted two years after they completed their undergraduate studies at Tulane University. The alumni held positive views of the substantial public service requirement they had completed before graduating and…

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…

A service-learning project appropriate for a biochemistry or advanced biochemistry course was designed and implemented. The project involved students partnering with a homeless shelter to design informational pamphlets to be displayed at the shelter for the clients' use. The pamphlet topics were based on diseases studied within the course.…

This mixed-methods study demonstrates that the SERVE Program at Ignatius University strengthened the public service motivation of participating undergraduates by combining weekly community service with readings in philosophy and theology. These findings offer insights about the role that philosophy and theology service-learning experiences can…

When service-learning began to gain prominence as a legitimate academic pedagogy in the early 1990's, it was believed that through intensive service experiences, students developed a greater understanding of themselves, felt empowered to make a difference in their community, made a connection to course material, and made a commitment to continue…

Through Service Learning, students learn while serving the community. This "educational approach ties relevant community service to academic content and uses critical reflection activities to strengthen learning and developmental outcomes" (www.csufresno.edu/sl/). Studies have shown (Astin, et.al., 2000; Eyler, et.al., 2001) that Service…

An effective service learning program (1) engages people in responsible, challenging actions; (2) articulates clear service and learning goals; (3) allows those with needs to define those needs; (4) expects genuine, sustained commitment; (5) includes training, supervision, monitoring, support, recognition, and evaluation; and (6) encourages…

The impact of the Conservation and Youth Services Corps on communities and program participants was evaluated by studying eight corps programs, which were located in the following areas: Washington State; New York City; Greater Miami, Florida; Santa Clara, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Camden County, New Jersey; Baltimore, Maryland; and…

This introduction to a special issue reviews the community service movement in the 1960s-70s, current calls for youth involvement in community service, and the semantic differences related to the term "service learning." (SK)

Students (n=327) participating in an undergraduate community service learning course were surveyed at the beginning and end of a semester concerning their sense of power to impact the world. Contrary to expectation, they reported a lesser sense of power following the experience, with the effect strongest for particular students and settings,…

This study was designed to: determine outcomes from projects supported by grants made to campuses and community based organizations through the state funded Postsecondary Service Learning Grant program from 1989-2001; develop indicators to help campuses and evaluators define campus civic engagement; and document the current status of civic…

Discusses service learning (learning that combines public service with related academic work) and service learning projects in an undergraduate course on mass communication and society. Finds that it is an effective means of teaching that increases student understanding of complex material. (SR)

High school students who are involved in community service work are more likely to continue such community service after graduation. Highlights of a study using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, Second Follow-up (1992) and Third Follow-up (1994), include the following: (1) in 1994, 43 percent of 1992 high school seniors…

A study investigated effects of a comprehensive 2-year service-learning program on 25 college students' level of modern (symbolic) racism. A nonequivalent control group experiment was conducted at a large state university in the West. Results support the hypothesis that students involved in service-learning show larger reductions in modern racism…