Suggests how parents can help their children learn to be good and productive citizens, explaining why it is important and offering six ways to get started: listen to one's children and explore their interests, learn more about the cause one's children care about, participate, partner, be a leader, celebrate the good results of family stewardship…

Service learning can improve communities while preparing students for a lifetime of responsible citizenship. It helps students learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized services that occur in and meet the needs of communities. Volunteering at a young age can lay the foundation for a lifelong commitment to community…

Discusses creative methods of handling the tremendous amounts of trash generated daily in the U.S. Recycling, precycling, and reusing items all effectively reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills. The three components of successful recycling programs are collection, manufacturing, and buying recycled products. Pay-as-you-throw programs…

Through Nickelodeon's Big Help program, and with assistance from the Chicago Region PTA, students at six Chicago schools learned about the satisfaction of making a difference in their communities. Over the course of one week, students participated in various community service projects and were rewarded for their hard work with a visit from the…

Discusses the importance and history of volunteerism in America in the context of President Clinton's 1997 Volunteer Summit for America's Future, which promoted the spirit of community service. A sidebar discusses reasons to volunteer. Another sidebar presents the story of elementary school students who participated in a multifaceted community…