There are no obvious or easy prescriptions for reversing the trends of the familial challenges that have grown deeper and wider in the last fifty years in regard to the number of babies born to unwed mothers, with the majority of all children born to women in their 20s. This article discusses the challenges regarding the marriage crisis in…

What do 14 Year 7 students, an art teacher, a history teacher and the Victoria and Albert Museum have in common? They are all part of the "Stronger Together" Museum Champion project run by The Langley Academy and the River & Rowing Museum and supported by Arts Council England, designed to engage students, teachers and museum staff…

I spent the first two years of college at a two-year community in southern California. I had very sheltered high school experience, so attending college was exciting for me. In high school, I wasn't involved in extracurricular activities or organizations other than choir, and I didn't share my sexual orientation with others. College, I hoped, was…

This article describes the creation of a Lyndon Learning Commons at Lyndon State College. The Commons model emphasizes the integration of a variety of academic support services, increasing both their proximity to one another and cross-unit collaboration, in order to make these services more visible, more accessible, and easier for students to…

Scheduling off-campus extracurricular activities is not the issue, but how to get students there can present a problem. The transportation of students by staff in their private cars for extracurricular activities is common and occurs chiefly as a matter of convenience or cost saving. But it is not without risks. In general, the best solution for…

This paper draws on the case studies of six girls between the ages of 10 and 13 and considers their transition to secondary school and involvement in extracurricular sports. Within it, I explore how the girls' understandings of "a good education" affects both their academic and extracurricular/sporting choices. Despite government educational…

Before all those extracurricular activities and community-service projects listed on college applications, there were play groups, library hours, Pop Warner football games, swimming lessons, ballet, drama, soccer. Not to mention preparation for high-stakes tests mandated by the No Child Left Behind law, or the mounting minutes, even hours, of…

Since joining her city's first flat-track roller-derby league more than a year ago, the author relates that she discovered some surprising, interesting things about her university's tolerance for its employees' "second lives." To be taken seriously, the author relates that she offsets any possible concerns about her professional legitimacy by…

The author argues that athletics should be supported and emphasized, but need not be justified as educational. Coaches, educators, players, and parents should recognize the true nature of athletics and keep them in their proper extracurricular perspective. (MT)

The "Struggle for Identity in Today's Schools" examines cultural recognition and the struggle for identity in America's schools. In particular, the contributing authors focus on the recognition and misrecognition as antagonistic cultural forces that work to shape, and at times distort identity. What surfaces throughout the chapters are…

A former high school teacher's reflections on the connections between basketball and poetry suggest the significance of extracurricular activities for teachers and students. W. Douglas Baker recounts how he guided students to make connections among "the collision of activities in their lives" by delving into the practices and discourses of three…

In this article, the author discusses how to consolidate schools where enrollment have dropped significantly. In addition to financial concerns, effective and developmentally appropriate curriculum choices are important. The author states that the "core" academic courses must be offered no matter the configuration of the schools, but…

For seven years, the author has been the parent of a wonderfully uniquely gifted little boy, who has taught her all about "exceptional" parenting. Her child, Adrian, is a "twice-exceptional" child who is both intellectually gifted and has special needs that negatively impact his development and learning. Initially, the contradictions of parenting…

Examines whether Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) activities are academic or extracurricular, and liability in the event of accident. A case study is presented. (BL)

Describes the Boston College public debate program, the changes Daniel Rohrer instituted, and the benefits of a public debate program to the college and to the debate community in general. (PD)