Environmental learning occurs through an interconnected web of opportunities. Some arise via organizations with sustainability- or environmental learning-focused missions, while others are facilitated by organizations focused on impacts and outcomes in a range of areas, such as health, social justice, or the arts. To better understand the richness…

Background: Engaging minorities in research especially in Montana where Latinos make up a small percentage of the population can be a challenge. We describe an effort to recruit Latinos into a research study by hosting a health screening event. Purpose: This event served as the first step in the creation of an academic-community partnership.…

Mentorship is the guidance given by a more experienced and older individual to a younger and less experienced individual, usually working in the same profession or field. This relationship is developmental, with the mentor taking a key interest in improving and enhancing the skills of their protege. Many people attribute part of their professional…

Community-academic partnerships are believed to increase the effectiveness and feasibility of action research. While factors facilitating and hindering community-academic partnerships have been identified, their influence on the collaborative process is unknown, especially during community-academic partnership initiation and development. This…

This chapter explores how a refugee support organization in the Midwestern United States supports the educational experiences of refugee-background learners from various countries in Africa and Asia. Researchers spent over a year as both observers and volunteers in a refugee support organization that directly interacted with students who were…

Professional learning communities (PLCs) positively influence students' and teachers' success. Yet, traditional professional development, involving passive learning, is still widely used. The problem addressed in this qualitative case study is little is known about administrators' perceptions about PLCs as replacements for traditional forms of…

This study focused on exploring the perceptions of front-line staff in supporting student success at a mid-western community college. These staff are generally the employees who are not generally involved with teaching or administration, but work in offices like the business, financial aid, enrollment services, or are administrative assistants to…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explicate the links between public pedagogy, ethics of care and storying as a methodology and method in Oceania. Design/methodology/approach: This paper explores the role of extended families as First Teachers in iTaukei and Indo-Fijian Early Childhood contexts in Fiji. Using storying as methodology, the…

In this paper, the authors explore the conditions that support belonging in remote VU Block Model® teaching. They examine the role of arts-based, embodied pedagogy in promoting engagement in learning, connection between students, and between students and teachers, and in an environment in which vulnerability and risk-taking in learning is valued.…

This study aimed to investigate the effects of school- and teacher-related factors on teachers' professional learning. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed using the data collected from 810 teachers in Türkiye. Path analysis was used to examine the structural relationships among variables, including instructional leadership,…

The author invited two teachers affiliated with their graduate program in literacy to explore how children's social identities impacted students' reading process. The teachers, Taylor and Dana, worked in urban elementary charter schools in New York City, at the time. The participants agreed to share samples from their classrooms to illustrate how…

Public universities with campuses in urban, low-income neighborhoods have an opportunity and civic responsibility to engage with the K-12 schools, non-profits, and community-based organizations that directly serve their community. However, many community-engaged administrators and scholars are working with limited budgets and without formal…

This study investigated the role of experiential learning and peer mentors in undergraduate biology at a community college. While the impact on all students was studied, special attention was paid to the effect interventions had on underrepresented minority students. Thirty-three sections of an introductory biology class were randomly assigned to…

This paper reports on a study that explored the roles of district and community-based education structures (DCES) in preparing, implementing, and communicating education policy initiatives at the district and school levels. A descriptive multiple-case survey design involving three purposefully selected districts was employed. The study used a…

Mental health challenges for youth continue to be a growing concern. Youth-serving organizations have the potential to play a significant role in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges in youth. The Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training course is widely used to equip adults working with youth with skills to support…