For service-learning proponents, the emphasis on assessment presents special challenges: definitions vary widely; credible testing is in its infancy; and tracking causal effects on academics is difficult, intrusive, and expensive. Political will may diminish if schools are forced to choose between school service programs and high test scores. (MLH)

Reviews the literature on school-based community service programs and examines community service as a means of developing student character within a group of urban Catholic elementary schools. It suggests these urban Catholic schools offer a model for other elementary schools, both private and public, in building student character. (GR)

Pre-health freshmen from a New York university worked at a traditional Mohawk community in return for lessons in Iroquois spirituality, healing, and ecology. Reciprocity between community members and students alleviated problems related to appropriation of Native American traditions and "great white hope" philanthropy, and deepened…

Examines how the concepts of service and community might be made to serve the interests of those who are the heart of urban schools: students, their families, and neighborhood residents. The article introduces a model of community schools that is oriented to the inner-directed development of inner-city neighborhoods. (GR)

Suggests that changes in employment brought on by the information age will force a reevaluation of the nature of education. Argues that the nonprofit civil sector, or the "Third Sector," will become crucial in providing employment. Proposes that community college service-learning programs will be crucial to future job-training efforts. (MAB)

Today's young American Indians have unprecedented opportunities, but the traditional role of community and elders in leadership development has been disrupted. Several programs are described that develop Indian leaders in accordance with Indian traditions. Innovative cultural programming, internship and employment opportunities, and integrating…

Discusses a Web-based composition class that requires students to participate in and write about service learning. Suggests that service learning and distance education complement one another--the student-community interaction balances the solitude of distance learning. Stresses that service learning offers a humanizing antidote to Web-based…

Reform efforts require principals to build alliances with the community, legislators, and media. The U.S. Department of Education's New High Schools employ a common set of improvement strategies: innovative instruction, integrated technology, tailored professional development, community service, work-based learning, and strong community…

A study examining the contributions of service learning to students' cognitive, affective, civic, and social development surveyed 801 ninth-grade students in 6 school districts over 2 years. Personal development and civic involvement ratings were significantly higher for students who engaged in all three types of service activity: volunteerism,…

Argues that children need to learn about civic issues in their education because certain virtues are required for a decently organized society. Also contends that the school has obligations to educate the young in civics and impart knowledge because it is in the students' best interests; this is not an encroachment on the privacy of the…

Summer of Service, a national summer service learning program for early adolescents is described. The three tenets of this program--intentional design, youth empowerment, and the opportunity to be of use--combine to make a powerful learning experience. Student input is involved at every stage of the program, and learning is incorporated through a…

The development of civic responsibility is considered to be an important component of healthy adolescent development. However, the study of its development has been relatively neglected and few studies have attempted to ground understanding of its development in a theoretical framework. The present study operationalized civic responsibility as…

Service learning allows students to learn more about their classroom instruction through involvement with their local community. It is both a service given to the community, as well as a practical way for students to reflect on what they have been studying in class. The author of this article explains a service learning project which will be very…

Many instructors have expressed a recent interest in incorporating service-learning activities into their courses. Several authors have maintained that service-learning opportunities help students to better understand class concepts and also lead to desirable outcomes in students, such as enhanced self esteem and an increased interest in social…

This qualitative study explored the intersection between social class and college outreach. The service-learning experience was perceived differently by students of different social classes. The benefit was that the interactive classroom forum allowed diverse students to exchange views. Regardless of their personal backgrounds, students shared a…