Research exploring the impact of social class on family and school relationships indicates that families with high levels of socioeconomic status (SES) possess resources that enable participation in traditionally accepted forms of family engagement (Henderson and Mapp, in, A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community…

The persistent failure of public schooling in low-income communities constitutes one of our nation's most pressing civil rights and social justice issues. Many school reformers recognize that poverty, racism, and a lack of power held by these communities undermine children's education and development, but few know what to do about it. "A…

College students are in a key developmental stage for cultivating their civic identities. This article draws on a case example to show how courses focused on educating students for democratic citizenship--courses on leadership, community organizing, social movements, or other related topics--prove to be excellent venues for integrating Catholic…

The European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students (ERASMUS) supports students to pursue temporary periods of study in other European universities. During the academic year 2007/08 the UK received 15, 975 ERASMUS students. Although much research exists about the experiences of international students less attention has…

Civic engagement draws on the concepts of American democratic ideals such that society's interests are promulgated through the education of its citizenry. Ideas come to fruition in the form of community action, voting, involvement in the political process, and public discourse for promoting the commonwealth. Engendering in youth the commitment to…

This case study describes the literacy development of a struggling reader over a seven-month period as he engaged in a youth-led participatory action research (PAR) project. The project's goal was for youth participants to develop a proposal for productive change in their local community and present it to community stakeholders. The study focused…

Lopez Island is located in the archipelago of San Juan Islands off the northwest coast of Washington State. Breathtaking mountain vistas, sparkling shorelines, forests, and pastoral landscapes filled with sheep and orchards attract many tourists to San Juan County each year. This isolated community can only be reached by traveling on ferries,…

Throughout the twentieth century, middle-class progressives embraced visions of democracy rooted in their relatively privileged life experiences. Progressive educators developed pedagogies designed to nurture the individual voice within egalitarian classrooms, assuming that collective action in the public realm could be modeled on the relatively…

Alongside the UK Coalition Government's historic public spending cuts, the "Big Society" has become a major narrative in UK political discourse. This article reviews key features of Big Society policies against their aims of rebalancing the economy and mending "Broken Britain", with particular reference to their implications…

This dissertation was an exploration of how changing the waste system is a necessary part of achieving sustainable human systems and how transforming consumer attitudes towards waste is a vital piece of sustainable waste management. This research was also an exploration of the attitudes and beliefs that promote and prohibit waste reduction…

This article offers an extended treatment of two social justice efforts in a rural university town as historical examples of civic engagement with contemporary implications for Writing Democracy and similar projects. The article begins with an analysis of local activism initiated by John Carlos in 1967 while he was still a student at our…

Community organizing for school reform offers an urgently needed alternative to traditional approaches to school change. Many current reforms fail to thrive due to lack of trust, understanding, or cultural relevance to the community being targeted. The high turnover of reformers (superintendents, principals, or outside organizations) in high-need…

Although there are many conservation education projects working in Uganda, there is currently little evaluation of educational initiatives in the communities. A survey was developed to better understand the environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of people in 2 districts of Uganda. The main environmental problem listed by the respondents…

The modern juvenile justice system is failing our society. A literature review reveals resounding criticism of the system at all points--arrest, court processing, and incarceration. The current system does not effectively reduce recidivism, is wrought with racial disparities, operates with a minimal degree of cultural competence, violates human…

Strapped for cash, a Massachusetts high school creates its own venture capital fund to incentivize teachers to create programs that improve student learning. The result has been higher test scores and higher job satisfaction. One important program is credited with helping close the achievement gap at the school, while others have helped ambitious…