All undergraduate students at Saint Mary's College of California, a small, private institution, are required to complete an engaged learning (EL) course or experience for graduation. This graduation requirement was established to provide students with the opportunity to learn in and from the community; an important value from the principles of the…

In this study, we reflected on the process of designing and implementing a civics curriculum model focused on increasing upper-grade secondary students' involvement in local civic activity. We prioritized examining the challenges and possibilities of institutionalizing partnerships between teachers, students, community leaders, and local…

This report is the result of the participation of hundreds of students, families, school educators, and researchers who dedicated their time and energy to investigating the critical role that families and communities play in ensuring students and schools can flourish. It is a culmination of over two years of collaborative research and hundreds of…

The purpose of this monograph is to advance thinking about transforming how schools play their role in addressing barriers to learning and teaching. In the process, the authors discuss embedding and framing the evolving literatures related to improvement and implementation sciences into a general intervention perspective. Part I of this monograph…

The Catholic, Jesuit inspired mission of Saint Louis University (SLU) -- "the pursuit of truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of humanity" -- firmly places serving humanity in line with the institution's goal for academic excellence. Importantly, service in the tradition of Catholic, Jesuit education is embedded in a…

Over the past century, American schools have been the focus of researchers and educators seeking to improve the education of the country's children. Few studies, though, have examined what the schools--their physical presence and the changes within them--have meant to the students who attended those schools (Currens 2017; Kilinc and Burlbaw 2011;…

Nebraska Indian Community College (NICC), like many other tribal colleges, is redefining success through its students. How students view success differs immensely. Each individual has a different path, strengths, challenges, and goals for their future as well as that of their tribal community. NICC's campuses are located in Macy on the Omaha…

The purpose of this article is to highlight one unique program at a university in the upper midwest and how its PETE program formed a partnership with the homeschool community in the area. Seven key steps are outlined within this article for considering a partnership between a PETE program and the homeschool community: (1) assessing the community,…

This autoethnographic case study analyzes how "ASAM 230 -- Civic Engagement Through Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Studies," an ethnic studies course created at a public, comprehensive university in partnership with a community-based organization, cultivates capacity for social justice through critical service learning. ASAM…

Measuring impact from university research is increasingly seen as important, not least because of its use in resource allocation processes by governments. These measurement approaches, however, often take 'wide and shallow' economic effect-based views that are ex-post, linear and uni-directional. Consequently, research collaborations between…

Family and community engagement are proven strategies for strengthening schools. Across the United States, parents and community members have pressed school boards and district leadership for more transparency and broader participation in decisions about school turnaround. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand the…

The purpose of this study was to examine Georgia STEM certification requirements for schools and the resources and barriers associated with acquiring certification. This was achieved by investigating the certification experience of a state of Georgia STEM certified school. The study aims to understand how certification decisions were made, what…

This article describes and reflects on a place-based pedagogical approach to public engagement that uses multimodal composition to insert new discourses into ongoing local debates over university expansion. The public-forming potential of multimodal texts encourages students to imagine new ways of being public and opportunities for adopting…

Cultural perspectives impact governance, and certain cultures may prefer hierarchical and centralized forms of governance, while others may lean towards more democratic and participatory ones. Governance, guided by ethical worldviews, ensures transparency, accountability, and integrity in decision-making. Worldviews significantly impact leadership…

A growing divide in physical activity amongst youth, fueled by the privatization of youth athletic programs, most negatively impacts underrepresented students. Intramural-sports programs hold the potential to engage more of our youth in physical activity, including those from marginalized populations. Utilizing a collective impact approach,…