Why Mindful Service-learning? While over 30 years of service-learning has yielded many benefits, I have found that students today are more stressed than ever, that meaningful and effective preparation for reciprocal service-learning can be lacking, and that an exclusively Western perspective could be expanded to include Eastern views, thereby…

In today's contentious and divided political environment, what should colleges and universities do to meet the roles and responsibilities of higher education to foster the campus community we want? This guide presents three options for deliberation about difficult problems regarding free speech and inclusion--for which there are no perfect…

Rob and Amy Castañeda, the co-founders of a sports/play-based youth and community development organization called Beyond the Ball (www.beyondtheball.org), cite the collaborative and dynamic nature of the TPSR Alliance as an important influence for their work. Beyond the Ball serves individuals between kindergarten and post-college, in the North…

Education for adults ought to consider a both-and mindset when it comes to selecting approaches, values, and program models in today's multi-sector, multi-diverse, and cross-cultural environments of teaching and learning. Experiences from educational professionals can lead to recommendations for these instruction and mentoring approaches of adults…

Online environments can cultivate what have been referred to as 21st century skills and capabilities, as youth contribute, pursue, share, and interact around work and ideas. Such environments also hold great potential for addressing digital divides related to the development of such skills by connecting youth in areas with fewer resources and…

The example of Chicago's Humboldt Park, where there is reluctance to use political action in response to gentrification, shows the limitations of communitarian conceptions of community building, which emphasize self-help and consensus building but fail to acknowledge the need for political articulation of rights-based demands. (SK)

This study investigated the historical development of the Gage Park community in Chicago, Illinois, including its population changes, education, income, racial composition, housing and crime. The results indicate that the community, which in the past has been primarily composed of persons of German ancestry, has experienced an influx of Latino and…

Describes the Archdiocese of Chicago's Sharing program, in which affluent parishes link up with their poorer counterparts to form friendships, solve problems, and overcome the anonymity of charitable work. Reveals outcomes including the annual sharing of $2 million among parishes. Offers examples of parish-to-parish support and suggestions for…

This study examined the impact of welfare reform on housing owned by community development corporations (CDCs), investigating how early implementation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) affected the financial status of CDCs' affordable housing developments. Five types of financial impacts were…

Considers (1) how judicious planning and administration of public parks in urban areas can act to bridge racial divisions; and (2) how park administrators can, by creating neighborhood parks, give new focus to neighborhoods and prevent their further deterioration. (Author/GC)

Uses examples of the University of Illinois at Chicago Neighborhoods Initiative (UICNI) and Policy Research Action Group (PRAG) to show how strong, viable university/community collaborations can occur. Points to a new research model and key lessons learned on how to use collaborative partnerships to enhance social action on urban problems. (DSK)

This study focused on the role of constituency-based community organizations as a key element in revitalizing the neighborhoods of Chicago and on the need for strengthening their capacity in partnerships with the private sector and with the government. The study activities included discussions by a committee of 41 people from corporations,…

In 1974, residents of East Humboldt Park, one of the oldest working class communities in Chicago, Illinois, gathered together in a common effort to reverse the process of urban decay and deterioration in their community. With the help of a hired consultant, the citizens planned the future of their community, a process that was completed in 1976,…

This compendium report presents papers on what mayors have done to revitalize their cities. These efforts have been concentrated on improving schools and educational outcomes, renewing strong neighborhoods, investing in infrastructure, improving public health facilities, and reducing crime. The reports include: "City of Akron: The Akron…

Recent urban redevelopment efforts in Chicago (Illinois) have often come at the expense of current low-income residents as upscale living replaces businesses and homes and raises rents. Local Community Development Organizations (CDOs) offer an alternative path to economic development by being a foundation for neighborhood efforts that meet the…