Civic education, not so long ago, was regarded as a core purpose of grade school preparation for adulthood, a mandate to educate young people about U.S. history, freedom and values, and citizenship's responsibilities. The landmark 1999 Civic Education Study, conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement,…

To fulfill a service-learning course requirement at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), two science-education doctoral students provided professional development to rural teachers and principals participating in the Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative (ARSI). This paper begins with descriptions of service learning objectives, both in…

Although American youth seem to be knowledgeable about civic matters and say they wish to participate in civic activities, a relatively low percentage of youth are engaged in their communities. This review examines various antecedents of positive citizenship among 12- to 18-year-olds, focusing on proximal and distal influences on organized forms…

This paper describes an uncommon approach to service learning. The students in a class at California State University Los Angeles are placed with experts of the political advocacy process, not with charitable nonprofits. Making use of a variety of organizations located in the greater Los Angeles region, the course offers students the opportunity…

Young people today get mixed moral messages at every turn that erode the souls of young people and of society. To examine the issues involved and to make recommendations on how to end the trend of declining citizenship, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) service-learning initiative, the Compact for Learning and Citizenship created the…

Service-learning gives school administrators a powerful tool to achieve some of their most important goals: educating students to high levels, connecting with the community, and preparing students to be active participants in the world around them. This issue paper examines why administrators support service-learning as a key element in school…

This is an exploratory study of the reactions that 65 European American preservice teachers had to the community service learning (CSL) component of a multicultural education course. The CSL project was intended to facilitate the development of intercultural competence and to foster the idea of teachers as agents of social justice. Data analysis…

This guide focuses on the crucial role parents have regarding children and service. Section 1, developing a strategy for parent involvement, discusses parent support for service learning at school and parents' reinforcement of family participation in community service. Section 2, keeping parents informed, addresses three topics: information to…

This book focuses on three court rulings affecting mandatory high-school community service. It examines the rationale, functioning, and outcomes of high-school community-service programs and addresses the significant legal aspects of community service. It also analyzes court opinions and related legislation on community service and points out some…

This supplement contains five unit summaries on service learning that were developed during the 1996 summer institutes conducted by the Social Science Education Consortium (SSEC) for teams of middle school teachers selected from the western United States. Each unit summary in the supplement has been developed to correspond in style to unit…

Designed for teachers who view service learning as a teaching strategy to improve instruction, this guide assumes that participants in the training are teachers who will use service learning to help their students achieve the objectives of the school curriculum. Some of the training sessions, such as reflection and defining service learning, may…

This book presents current thinking on the topic of community service programs for youth. Combining theory and research with descriptions of innovative programs and specific recommendations for program design, the volume outlines an approach to service learning that engages youth not only in helping others but also in critical reflection and the…

Service learning is an undergraduate education strategy found across four program areas funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF). This cross-foundation, retrospective evaluation examines 35 projects of $100,000 or more funded between 1985-95. Study information was based on qualitative data and approaches, with the majority of project…

This book focuses on building community through the sharing of history and traditions that students have inherited. Two eighth-grade teachers collaborated with others in their Oregon school to collect teaching strategies for this book. The teachers worked to build curriculum that integrated social studies with language arts and other subject…

College students (N=25) went to Jamaica to assist a service project with construction needs. Involvement with the people was emphasized so that a full cross-cultural experience could occur. Students in the project made statistically significant changes on a number of developmental variables measured by the Student Development Task Inventory. (RC)