Describes the community involvement and redevelopment efforts of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, including the implications for curriculum, the importance of evaluation, and the need to institutionalize such efforts. (EV)

Asserts that juxtaposing traditional notions of liberal education with emerging views of civic engagement, captured most forcefully by the service learning movement, reveals common themes rooted in a democratic vision of society and the power of education to advance citizenship. (EV)

Based on a recent community-based research project with injured workers, identifies challenges faced when academics engage in community-based research based at a university, including dealing with the constraints and requirements of academic research funding, bridging the goals of academics and community members, and functioning within the…

The case of Colgate University is used to argue that community-based research can be a vibrant and effective form of service learning, especially in rural communities. However, community-based research is difficult to execute well. There is little flexibility and high consequences for failed projects. As such, community-based research requires…

Compares seven multi-institutional community-based research networks in Appalachia; Colorado; District of Columbia; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Philadelphia; Richmond, Virginia; and Trenton, New Jersey. After reviewing the histories of the networks, conducts a comparative SWOT analysis, showing their common and unique strengths, weaknesses,…

Describes a capstone course specifically designed for Environmental Geoscience majors that is a project-based course stressing small-group identification, analysis, and solution of real-world geo-environmental problems on a local scale. Prepares students for the immediate demands of post-college employment as well as developing lifelong learning…

At several intervals, 54 preservice elementary teachers in cohort learning groups depicted their images of a typical teacher, which became more realistic over time. Initial apprehension about cohort learning gave way to recognition of the benefits of peer support and collegial relationships. Students enjoyed service learning more than field…

Raises the notion of service learning, which is defined as a method of helping students develop their own learning through active participation in thoughtfully organized service experience. Explores the use of science as the curriculum and service learning as the methodology to reach students and improve science instruction. (KHR)

Examined how selected aspects of participants' histories and future plans influence their social cognitive development in a service learning class. Found that individual circumstances and group norms affect development more profoundly than the elements of program design that have traditionally received the most attention. (EV)

A longitudinal study involving undergraduates in a business statistics course found evidence for a model which suggests that students involved in service learning projects experience an increase in their perception of the course material's usefulness and therefore improved attitudes toward the course. (EV)

Examines the kinds of framing and positioning issues that arise in service sites aimed at literacy learning. Looks at interactions between college students and the middle school students they tutored in after-school programs. Discusses the possibilities that arise when those who teach also serve. Argues that engaging in service learning with…

Analyzes excerpts from the soundtrack of the movie, "Paradise Road: Song of Survival," to demonstrate that music not only arouses emotions; but also, aroused emotions can be specific and focused. States that a service learning course can connect the empathy aroused from music to the real world. (CMK)

Responses to the Civic Attitudes and Skills Questionnaire indicated that students doing service-learning showed increases in their plans for future civic action, assessments of their own interpersonal, problem-solving, and leadership skills, and agreement with items emphasizing society factors that affect individual outcomes (social justice). They…

Explores the transformative potential of service-learning through the lens of a particular context: a course held inside a prison. Addresses questions such as how service-learning is "done," the fragile nature of power and how to approach it, how context impacts the educational process, and the transformative possibilities of a "liberatory"…

Describes the NorthWest Service Academy (NWSA), part of the AmeriCorps national service initiative, that focuses on community work programs in education, the environment, health and human needs, and public safety in parts of Oregon and Washington. NWSA participants receive a weekly living allowance and basic health insurance, as well as a $4,725…