The school in which this research project took place, Papatoetoe Central, was concerned about research evidence that indicated students' reading achievement dropped after long summer breaks. This drop in achievement, known as "the summer effect", has been reported in schools in New Zealand and internationally (Alexander, Entwisle, &…

At a time when the OECD (2007) is advocating more local engagement for higher education institutions, this study looks at a number of community initiatives in Australia where local universities have played a key role. All were studied as part of the PASCAL Universities and Regional Engagement (PURE) project, which involves a total of 19 regions…

Father Bruce Wellems didn't know the dropout statistics when he came to Back of the Yards in 1990 to serve as a parish priest. Born and raised in New Mexico, Wellems initially had only vague notions of what an inner-city ministry might look like and little commitment to the neighborhood's struggling youth. But after some prodding from a local park…

Part of the dominant story of school involves educators entering a community, claiming the ground called "school," and designing and enacting policies, procedures, and programs for the children in the community. Most often they do this in isolation of parents and community members. Because they have professional education, knowledge and…

This article attempts to unpack the policy vision and discourse driving community management of schooling in Nepal and to consider the ways in which these policies are being experienced by bureaucrats, teachers, parents and children. The focus is on the World Bank funded Community School Support Project (CSSP) launched by the Government of Nepal…

Change the World with Service Learning is clear, direct and easy to use, and was designed for busy teachers integrating Service Learning into their existing curriculum. This book guides teachers from all content areas and grade levels to create outstanding Service Learning projects with students like no other book does. Change the World with…

How can schools secure volunteers to help fix up the building and grounds? There isn't much research on how to secure volunteers to participate in school clean-ups and fix-ups, but some key ideas can be found in anecdotal examples from many communities around the nation. The first recommendation is that securing volunteers is easier when the…

Showcasing the many forms and functions of art helps to articulate the fundamental importance of art education, whether it is to enhance the child or to support society. In illuminating the importance of art education, educators can eloquently argue about its value and contributions through an institutional tunnel, or they can take art education…

The Serve Program at Ignatius University combines academic study of theology with a year-long community service project focused on combating poverty. An analysis of the Serve Program during the 2008-09 academic year revealed that participating students demonstrated a significant increase in their interest in theology; a greater desire to enroll in…

Identifying a community problem or need and helping to solve it via student-led initiatives is at the heart of service learning. Projects can tackle social issues with global impact or fill in a smaller local need using creativity and ingenuity. Service learning projects can range from a few weeks to a full semester or longer. Where service…

The United States is full of schools built in the 1950s and 60s that supported the boomer school-age enrollment increase. These schools, once beacons of the neighborhood, are 50 to 60 years old and susceptible to becoming the community "eyesore." Budgeting for maintenance was fairly systematic for school districts for the first 10 to 20…

Expanded learning time and opportunities (ELTO) has emerged in recent years as a viable whole-school and whole-child strategy that both honors academic goals and supports broader educational and developmental ones. More schools serving low-income students are extending their schedules, using time as an important lever to expand learning…

This article presents the authors' response to the article by Mark Pike, which appeared in the "Oxford Review of Education" in December 2010. Pike's article focuses on Trinity Academy, one of four academies in the Emmanuel Schools Foundation (ESF): it is not a faith school, but sponsored by a Christian faith-based and business-oriented…

The New Mexico Rural Revitalization Initiative (NMRRI), an innovative program to enhance the growth and development of rural communities, involves schools and students as part of a holistic approach. The program requires community members to take responsibility for revitalizing their economy and fosters an entrepreneurial spirit among students.

Purpose: The purpose of this Editorial is to introduce key themes in the area of student-community engagement (SCE) and the papers included in this special issue. Design/methodology/approach: The paper discusses dominant trends in the current context. Findings: The selection of papers in this issue represent the range of programmes that have been…