Examines the outcomes of a two-part service learning project in a summer practicum for English as Second Language teacher endorsement candidates. The first component was to implement a summer family literacy program for ESL students; the second was to have the students participate in a service-learning project. Responses to the projects varied.…

Describes the results of the evaluation of a service-learning project designed to facilitate delinquency prevention and to promote resiliency in at-risk youth in the community. The involvement of undergraduate and graduate students in this mentoring initiative proved instrumental in the overall success of the program. (CAK)

Describes a two-year service-learning project for undergraduate students in a physical education teacher education program. Students reported that their experience had a direct impact on their collaborative skills, ability to apply their subject matter, their leadership skills, and ability to communicate their ideas in a real-world context.…

Reviews a series of service-learning programs implemented over a four-year period by special education teachers enrolled at California Lutheran University's preservice graduate program. Finds that an increasing number of these programs involved students with special needs in the service learning projects. These "reciprocal empowerment"…

Describes a service learning project at Onekama Middle School (Michigan), that involves students from English, Computer Applications, Social Studies, and Michigan History courses. Students meet with senior citizens who share their life stories while the students teach them how to use computers. The project helps students develop pride in and a…

Explores the relationship between service-learning and the development of social capital, particularly the expansion and deepening of social networks for children. Draws on ethnographic data from seven rural schools. Concludes that service-learning opened new social networks by providing students, school staff, and adult community members with…

This article applies Aron and Aron's (1986) self-expansion model to the service-learning context. The self-expansion model proposes a motivational framework for understanding why individuals are motivated to engage in service-learning opportunities that allow for meaningful social interaction. Using a survey design, this study confirms hypotheses…

Service-learning is a unique pedagogy, and its very differences from traditional teaching and learning strategies make it both appealing and challenging to implement. Students and faculty alike are the products of traditional learning environments and often find service-learning unfamiliar and, as a consequence, experience dissonance, discomfort,…

The new core for the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Ball State University was designed to provide students with a better understanding of the integrative nature of the family and consumer sciences (FCS) profession. The resultant 9-credit core includes an introductory course, a capstone course, and one student-selected course. The…

With a satisfying "Whoompf!" the air cannon sends a tennis ball the length of the school gym. The successful launch is met with cheers from the science club members and their partners--college engineering students from a local university. This air cannon activity was one of many learning opportunities that grew out of a partnership…

This article introduces technology training designed for university professors who work with preservice and emergency teachers at a College of Education of a state university. The technology training was delivered in multiple ways: (a) large group workshops, (b) small group meetings, (c) individual mentoring, and (d) just-in-time training. Service…

This research draws from literature on the diffusion and adoption of innovations to explore the theoretical foundation for research on faculty as adopters of pedagogical innovation. This research's purpose was to determine the characteristics of faculty who engage in innovative pedagogy, specifically community service learning (CSL). The…

A case of community-based service learning in the School of Theology at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa is analyzed for what it means to teach biblical studies in an African context where biblical scholarship is partially constituted by ordinary African readers of the Bible and where context is a central pedagogical…

The value of reflection on experience to enhance learning has been advanced for decades; however, it remains difficult to apply in practice. This paper describes a reflection model that pushes students beyond superficial interpretations of complex issues and facilitates academic mastery, personal growth, civic engagement, critical thinking, and…

Young people in the United States today are much more likely to be involved in volunteer work of an apolitical sort than in politics. As part of a study on political engagement, the author and other colleagues surveyed students at a diversity of colleges and universities and asked them why they and many of their peers are so much more likely to…