Describes an effort to institutionalize service learning within the academic departments of the University of Utah. A community service center at the university, through its faculty advisory committee, developed campus-wide support for incorporating service learning into the core offerings of 14 academic units. Models developed by the academic…

The Shriver Center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, is designed to create and manage new educational settings that enable the university, students, and community to pursue common goals. The Center and two programs (a partnership with community middle schools, and a program enabling former Peace Corps workers to address the…

Describes the nature and extent of Arizona State University's public service, policy research, and outreach programs, noting efforts to make university policy research findings available to the public, the trend toward broad-based multidisciplinary research, and the involvement of significant numbers of students and faculty. The need for better…

Experiential learning generally, and service learning specifically, can teach citizenship skills necessary to a democracy, unify the curriculum, better serve at-risk students, and accommodate different learning styles. Gives arguments and criteria for integrating service learning into mainstream education and examples of programs utilizing service…

Describes components that have enabled service learning at the University of Colorado to evolve into a fully funded, legitimate academic program: guidelines for faculty incorporating service into curriculum; five models of service learning; expectations of faculty, students, and community; assessment of teaching, research, and outreach…

Discusses how Appalachian institutions of higher education can assist the Appalachian Regional Commission in developing local community leaders, assisting entrepreneurs, and training people affected by welfare reform. Calls for institutions of higher education to collaborate with community, government, and business to meet the rising demand for…

Describes a program in which biology students study animals in pet shops to learn about animal behavior. Lists general guidelines for starting a partnership and presents two sample student activities. (WRM)

Describes a two-week visit to a private alternative secondary school near Seattle, Washington. The school is committed to holistic forms of learning through integrated and experience-based learning programs that allow students more freedom, trust, and responsibility than traditional schools. Academic structure is built around six core programs:…

A study of 40 schools in 12 states indicates that student achievement, behavior, and engagement improved when the local environment, including both natural and community sociocultural environments, was used as an integrating context for the curriculum. Ten steps toward planning and implementing such an approach are listed. (SV)

Studied the Heritage Project, a federally sponsored program to develop and implement social studies curricula based on local history and cultural traditions in three rural areas. Results offer insight into educational change initiatives and problems with top-down program implementation. (SLD)

Describes how local, within-school factors at two rural elementary schools located in different parts of Kentucky influenced efforts to achieve the mandated goals of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA). Discusses the tension created by imposing generic reform measures on very different rural places. An appendix presents KERA goals.…

Describes two George Mason University (Virginia) initiatives to illustrate and analyze the strengths and challenges of alternative approaches that have been designed to better meet the changing needs of the students and communities that they serve. Discusses the environment, faculty/student interaction, intense collaboration, and technology…

Reports on and responds to a list from the American Association of School Administrators detailing the "Top Ten Changes Affecting Students Since the 1960s." Argues that the list is part common sense, part nonsense, and part obvious. Concludes that there is almost nothing the schools can do about these problems because they are societal problems,…

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)

Injuries are predictable and preventable. Prevention may be applied at bedside or in the community. Greater emphasis on injury control would radically alter the health care provider's role, and shift the direction of communication from the physician to the community and to the individual patient. Success with prevention strategies requires new…