Several studies have argued that learning a foreign language has the potential to increase the general cognitive ability and test scores of students. In this analysis, the Mormon missionary program is used to test whether or not students who were assigned to learn a foreign language performed better in college. The results indicate that the…

Despite findings indicating the importance of non-parental adults in the lives of youth, there is little research on these relationships, including those that occur in the context of youth mentoring. Compounding this problem is a positive slant taken towards youth mentoring in the media, often unsubstantiated by empirical evidence. This article…

In this article, the author investigates college students' volunteer teaching in Western China. A series of investigations were conducted in Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Xinjiang. The results showed that teaching by volunteer college students played a positive role in the development of local education…

After the 2008 Olympics is concluded and commentators and journalists internationally begin the process of evaluating Beijing's performance as the host city, one of the primary elements to be analyzed will be the quality of visitor service provided by more than 70,000 volunteers. Given the large number of Chinese students who have chosen a Western…

Research (Martin, 2008) has shown that speaking and listening are the literacy skills most used in the world of work. Yet, employers frequently bemoan the lack of young people's communication skills, with many believing that it impacts their chances of making it through an interview and their future employability (Simon, 2009). Effective speaking…

This technical paper contains information about the variables in the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) Year 95 cohort data set. It groups each variable into data elements that identify common variables within and across waves. Information is provided about each data element including its purpose, values, base populations and relevant…

Today it can be said with full justification that there is a social mandate to educate the kind of individual who is well trained for the needs of the present day, who is moral, resourceful, and prepared to make decisions in any situation, who is capable of cooperation and intercultural interaction, and who possesses a sense of responsibility for…

Objective: The authors aimed to replicate previous findings on social capital and harmful alcohol outcomes in the college setting and to ascertain the protective effects of additional indicators of social capital. Methods: Over 4 years (2000-2004), the authors conducted annual cross-sectional, random-sample student surveys at 32 US institutions of…

The proceedings include sections on: keynote addresses (Paul A. Miller, Jon Van Til); who volunteers and why, the impact of volunteerism; evaluation, research design, and methodology; preparing volunteers and those who manage volunteers (evaluation of recruiting and training procedures, the effect of the student volunteer experience, effectiveness…

The school librarians of Orange County, California, have cooperated to produce a handbook for library support personnel, paid and volunteer, student and adult. The planning guidelines include philosophies, standards, policies, goals, and objectives. Practical information for library aides covers room environment, print and nonprint materials…

This news brief describes how the faculty and Parent Teachers' Association at Steenrod Elementary School in Wheeling, West Virginia, organized a volunteer fair to increase parent involvement and retain good volunteers. The fair calls attention to the many ways in which volunteers can help. The planning group first listed the school's most…

This manual focuses on what prompts Peace Corps volunteers to get involved, activities that volunteers have tried while on assignment, and a series of guidelines volunteers can apply to secondary activity, which is organized during school recesses or at times when the Volunteer is otherwise unoccupied. The book is divided into three sections. Part…

This report describes the important contribution that Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Volunteers are making to help reduce alcohol and drug abuse. ACTION undertook a study of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program's activities in alcohol and drug abuse prevention and education. The study had two major goals: to provide descriptive…

Like adult education, the field of volunteer management shows increasing movement toward professionalization. The establishment of standards--both for the profession of volunteer management and for volunteer service itself--is generating debates similar to adult educators' debates over purposes and objectives. The types of learning that occur in…

This paper discusses the volunteer resources system and presents key models used in the field of volunteer resources for experiential education. For volunteer practitioners to encourage volunteer involvement, they must understand the body of knowledge, the vision, the system, and the people involved directly and indirectly in voluntary service.…