This report shares findings from research that examined service learning, a teaching strategy that combines service to the community with classroom curriculum in K-12 schools. The research focused on how service learning was relevant to schools. The results show that many U.S. youth feel alienated from both their schoolwork and from traditional…

Describes a university course in developmental psychology in which students participated as volunteers in community services for children and families. Explains that the course requirements offered 2 options: 50 hours of volunteer work or a series of 3 papers. Suggests that the volunteer experiences helped students maintain motivation and aided in…

Describes the author's psychology class, in which she required students to do service work with a resident in a nursing home. Reports that students met for a minimum of eight hours with the resident and wrote both a history of the person and a reflection on the project. States that half of the students decided to continue volunteering after the…

Rural communities can successfully integrate service learning into academic subject areas. In service learning, students develop a deeper understanding of academic subjects while engaging in meaningful service to their school or greater community. Barriers to implementing service learning in rural areas include lack of time, transportation,…

Proceedings from a conference to explore issues in moving toward a new institution for national youth service are presented in this booklet. Chapter 1 presents a historical overview of youth participation in the United States, focusing on trends in the labor market, schooling, incarceration, and social problems. The assertion is made that due to…

In late 1969, Glassboro State College initiated a VISTA volunteer program as a further extension of the community service commitment evidenced by its yearly admission of students from disadvantaged groups on special Martin Luther King Scholarships. Although any Glassboro student (most of whom are education majors) may volunteer for the program,…

This study examined the moral growth effects on 18 college students of year-long participation in ACTION, a volunteer antipoverty program. While scores on the Defining Issues Test did not indicate increased moral growth, students generally viewed their agency learning experience more positively than their university classes. (Author/SJL)

Presents brief introduction to school-based volunteering in Britain. Details history of young people's involvement in voluntary work and community service, and range of activities, both local and national, that are now being undertaken. Discusses relationship between volunteering and citizenship. (Author/NB)

Designed and administered the Student Community Service Involvement Survey to assess students' reasons for volunteering. College students indicated that their motives for involvement in community service were egoistic and altruistic. Demographically, student volunteers were not too different from the general student population. Volunteerism was…

This book provides a comprehensive guide to help educators in K-12 service learning programs. Each of the book's four parts provides a different scope and purpose. Part 1, "Community Service-Learning," addresses the components of quality service learning programs and includes the chapters (all written by Rahima C. Wade) : (1) "Community…

Results from 692 questionnaires completed by university students indicate that those who participated in community service as autonomous volunteers donated more hours of service and experienced deeper involvement in community service projects than did students recruited through a class or a club. Implications for encouraging student service are…

Describes service-learning program with opportunities for students to make a difference. Notes four core areas of the service-learning model: (1) preparation, including identifying, choosing and planning activities; (2) action; (3) reflection, both individual and group; and (4) recognition, both individual and group. (LBT)

The 14 readings in this book focus on service learning in higher education, its theoretical framework, the advantages of various techniques, and practical means for implementation. Service learning is seen to offer students the chance to combine academic knowledge/skills with community experience. Chapter titles and authors are: (1)…

This report presents the findings of an evaluation of goal accomplishment at Young Volunteers in Action (YVA) projects at three sites: ALexander City, Alabama; Gainesville, Florida; and New Orleans, Louisiana. First, a brief introduction describes the YVA program and discusses the evaluation approach. The next three sections present case studies…

Undergraduate volunteerism work is discussed, noting volunteer service can be a vital part of an undergraduate education. This service has taken many forms over the years, from folding bandages for soldiers at war, to providing tutorial services for elementary and secondary school children, to staffing medical programs in Appalachia. It…