Purpose: This is a pilot study that provides a description of the values older persons report in ethical wills and their reasoning for the values they chose, and compares the values in ethical wills of seniors and students. Nursing home residents rarely get the opportunity or venue to discuss these topics and the ethical will enables them to have…

In recent studies, youths in the United States have demonstrated a remarkable lack of cultural literacy. As the world is becoming increasingly interconnected, it is imperative that students enhance their understanding of other cultures. A classroom correspondence match with a Peace Corps volunteer through the Coverdell Peace Corps World Wise…

The inclusion of minorities in the civic affairs of society is critical. Research indicates many of today's youth are less likely to engage in meaningful civic activities and more likely to experience social exclusion because of disparities in educational settings, economic disadvantages, and health disparities. This phenomenon is more likely to…

Unlike other countries, Italy has no "service learning", the method enabling students to join accredited voluntary organisations in order to gain experience in serving others. An investigation was conducted in 2006 and 2007 to understand the opportunity that service learning provides to young adults, community and volunteer associations.…

E-tutoring refers to individualized learning support mediated by Internet technology. While increased demand for tutors has led to a surge in commercial e-tutoring services, volunteer e-tutoring programs for children are rare. To test the viability of volunteer e-tutoring for elementary school students, 10 undergraduate students enrolled in a…

This article describes a participatory needs assessment process in which Colombian immigrants in Chicago collaborated with university researchers to identify their common concerns and implement self-help efforts to address some of their most pressing needs. A total of 261 Colombians completed a needs assessment survey, and 46 attended a public…

Purpose: This study examines the structural relationships between social activities and trajectories of late-life depression. Design and Methods: Latent class analysis was used with a nationally representative sample of older adults (N = 5,294) from the Longitudinal Study on Aging II to classify patterns of social activities. A latent growth curve…

This dissertation focused upon non-formal and informal learning practices and knowledge production amongst [adult] participants involved in local sea turtle conservation practices along the US Atlantic coast. In the United States, adult learning and adult education has historically occurred within non-formal settings (e.g., through community-based…

Context: Growing concern exists among health professionals over the dilemma of providing necessary health care for Canada's aging population. Hospice palliative services are an essential need in both urban and rural settings. Rural communities, in particular, are vulnerable to receiving inadequate services due to their geographic isolation.…

Volunteering in English higher education has come under political scrutiny recently, with strong cross-party support for schemes to promote undergraduate volunteering in particular. Recent targeted initiatives and proposals have sought to strengthen both the role of volunteering in higher education and synergies between higher education and…

This article discusses the training of volunteers for use in recreation. (RC)

The scene in Brian Griffin's bedroom looks like a cross between a charity telethon and an intense cramming session the night before a final exam. Mr. Griffin and about 10 of his classmates--fellow members of the Plainfield High School (Indiana) chapter of Students for Barack Obama--are sprawled around the room, cellphones in hand, studying voter…

Ten years ago when the first group of children aged out of the Applewood Learning Center's (Londonderry, New Hampshire) school-age child care program, parents asked the program to find a way to serve their young teenage children so that they would not be left home alone for the summer. The teens had friendships based on many years together in the…

Purpose: Public attention directed toward the civic engagement of retired Americans has increased considerably. The purpose of this research was to define civic engagement as a retirement role and differentiate individuals who met this role definition from other retirees. Design and Methods: Retirees who met our definition of civic engagement were…

Alumni can be visible or invisible, engaged or disengaged. They can speak highly of their college experience--or not. Most colleges find that alumni, regardless of their opinions and experiences, represent a vast, often untapped body of potential support. With a little nurturing, administrators can use relationships with former students and…