Compares and contrasts three approaches to community service: charity, service learning, and citizen leader. Advocates using the citizen leader framework because it educates students for leadership and emphasizes reciprocal learning for all involved. Claims that this framework complements the goals of institutions of higher education. (RJM)

Describes the development of service learning in a special school for students with learning, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Discusses the poor self-image that many troubled youth possess and suggest ways to help students refocus on their good qualities through service work. Outlines service partnerships and a service culture. (RJM)

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…

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…

A tradition of service abroad by Germany's youth has a long history. Many of the earlier activities by German overseas organizations developed after the First and Second World Wars as an attempt to promote peace and reconciliation between Germany and other countries. Reconciliation work is still being done in Israel, the Netherlands, and Poland.…

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…

Assesses the extent to which students' attitudes toward international understanding are effected by an intensive two-year service-learning program. Research results generally supported the hypothesis that students who are involved in service learning show larger increases in international understanding than students involved in volunteerism or no…

Examines the contemporary community service movement by using as a theoretical framework recent work on personal competence and voluntary prosocial action. Explores the connections between personal competence and helping behavior in college students. Findings indicate that the relative importance of personal aims is above social concerns. (JS)

Examines the experiences of a group of 24 university students and 14 staff members who worked as volunteers in a low-income rural community. Interviews, participant observations, and document-analysis methods explore learning outcomes of engagement in community service. Conclusions relating to community process and implications for practitioners…

For traditional-age college students (18 to 24 years old), college is a time of identity exploration. During this time, if individuals have a deep sense of caring for others, it is more likely that they will interact with others in an especially meaningful way. Thus, ways to expand student's identity through community service involvement are…

This project brief provides a summary of the Community Colleges Broadening Horizons through Service Learning project, supported by the Corporation for National Service and administered by the American Association of Community Colleges. The project was developed to increase the number, quality, and sustainability of service learning programs in…

This yearbook contains 14 essays that address a wide variety of issues that educators, policymakers, and others involved in education are exploring in order to expand the understanding of the burgeoning field of service learning. The following papers are included: "Youth Participation: Integrating Youth into Communities" (Peter…

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)

Maintains that many educators have recommended that public school students need to develop social action skills and participate in community service programs. Discusses student volunteer participation in community food service programs. Provides recommendations for teachers about developing such programs. (CFR)

Presents data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS: 88) to demonstrate the widespread participation of high school seniors in voluntary community service. Suggests that teachers should build on this interest in community service, and offers hints to help make community and service learning more effective learning…