Illustrates the student-directed service learning process at work in Youth Educational Services (Y.E.S.), begun 14 years ago, and focuses on the uniqueness of student-directed and student-initiated programs. (ERB)

This report discusses in detail the development and operation of the Open Door, a peer counseling center at the University of Miami, in operation since 1970. It includes the historical development, a description of the volunteer workers, the training program, and research programs concerning the Open Door. Broadly speaking, the workers provide…

The present study assessed the effects of a companion program on college student volunteers and mental patients. Overall, the effects of companionship were negative for students and patients, while questionnaire responses indicated positive feelings toward the overall program. Because of this discrepancy, caution should be exercised in introducing…

The University of West Florida has developed a program in which students are able to serve as volunteers to agencies and schools of the community. The psychology department offers credit to any student donating so many clock hours of service per week for 10 weeks or a total or 30 hours per quarter. This paper presents a very brief course outline,…

Analysis of students' volunteer efforts exhibited altruism's importance both in students' initial and continued involvement as volunteers; egoistic motivations also seemed important to students. Students more heavily involved in volunteer efforts cited altruistic motivations as more important in their continued involvement than in their initial…

This practicum report describes a volunteer program that was established to resolve staff shortages in a high school media center. Three target groups were involved. The first target group was composed of the current adult volunteers. The second target group was made up of teachers who served their required duty in the media center. The third…

An ongoing debate exists on the issue of volunteering and its political implications in West Germany. Critics of the social welfare system have a direct impact on volunteerism. The ruling coalition aims to limit public spending in the social services sector while the "grassroots" movement emphasizes the danger of state-provided services…

The American Field Service (AFS) has 3,500 volunteers throughout Australia. Local chapters recruit potential host families and participants. Host families are recruited actively and selectively while volunteers are recruited largely through AFS presentations at schools, through friends, and by returning volunteers. Due to a high level of demand…

This book provides program descriptions and application procedures for 153 international internships and volunteer programs. Section 1 lists opportunities with 13 national and international government organizations and institutions, such as the Peace Corps and the World Bank. Section 2 lists 28 internships tied directly to a college…

A number of colleges are making a formal commitment to community service by encouraging their students to sign up for local volunteer projects, some programs are even compulsory. Critics of the new programs say that requiring community service violates the spirit of the community service ethic. (MLW)

Investigates beginning college students' willingness to volunteer in a variety of campus organizations. Researchers analyzed the effect of such factors as compensation, personality types, and gender differences on volunteer willingness. Although compensation seemed unimportant for volunteering, results indicated correlations between volunteering…

Volunteerism in Jamaica refers to voluntary work through organized public bodies and operates at two levels: (1) organized and formal; (2) non-organized and informal. The first group is made up of organized interest groups or community based groups, while those groups attract greater numbers of volunteers, they also have a higher turnover. The…

The proceedings include sections on: keynote addresses (Paul A. Miller, Jon Van Til); who volunteers and why, the impact of volunteerism; evaluation, research design, and methodology; preparing volunteers and those who manage volunteers (evaluation of recruiting and training procedures, the effect of the student volunteer experience, effectiveness…

This report characterizes the current state of community service in the United States, discusses actions the Commission on National and Community Service has taken, and sketches some alternatives for the future. An executive summary presents the main themes of the report. Chapter 1 describes the promise of national and community service for the…