Using a hybrid portraiture interpretivist case study methodology, this study explores the development of democratic educational values of pre-service teachers who participated in a “nested” service-learning practicum during their first semester in a secondary teacher preparation program. In this nested model, both the pre-service teachers and the middle school students with whom they worked participated in service-learning. The study is in response to the findings of previous researchers that democratic educational values have, in many classrooms, been pushed aside by the pressures of the standardization and accountability movement and by the belief that democratic educational values are critical to a public educational system which supports civic identity and participation. Data collected over the course of one semester included reflective journals, blog postings, observations of the service-learning seminar, observations of teaching practices in the field, and audio-recorded semi-structured interviews. Four participants were interviewed three times each, and all four participants were observed both in the service-learning seminar and in their field placements. While this study did not find that participation in a nested service-learning model led to pre-service teachers becoming active agents of change, it did find that the nested service-learning experience helped the pre-service teachers to begin to lay a solid foundation in their understanding of basic democratic educational values, in their plans to embrace democratic educational values in their future classrooms, and in their view of themselves as democratic educators.

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The importance of community connections is vital for successful at risk youth strategies. Collaboration allows for inclusion, fosters trust and the potential for greater success. A holistic community approach provides support, resources and can draw needed parental involvement. Areas for developing collaborative action will be addressed such as community readiness, conflict resolution, diversity, sustainability, and measuring impact. Service-Learning will be defined along with its positive impacts. Research indicates that service-learning can contribute to academic achievement, reduction of risky behaviors, civic responsibility and provides opportunities for career exploration. A strong component of both is that the “true experts” are involved in the whole process especially in regards to decision-making. It is important for the stakeholders (youth) to be an active part of the process. Youth and community participants often are included in discussions but are not always given the respect and ability to be a part of the decision making process. The most successful community based initiatives are those where young people are included at the decision making table and are empowered to contribute and make decisions that reflect the community needs and improve lives. Successful programs from East Tennessee will be reviewed. The programs include a school partnership for a positive alternative to suspension, peer mediation and drama programs. A comparison of the East Tennessee community and the Watts District of LA will also be covered. Data and case studies will be provided to support the strategies along with interactive activities to allow for audience participation and a Question and Answer session.

Durch Service Learning, das aktuell an deutschen Hochschulen an Bekanntheit und Verbreitung gewinnt, soll soziales Lernen und gesellschaftliches Engagement in Studium und Lehre verankert werden. Nach einem kurzen Überblick zur Idee und Entstehungsgeschichte dieses Ansatzes wird eine neue Initiative der Universität Augsburg vorgestellt, durch die das Engagement von Studierenden in sozialen Einrichtungen im Umfeld der Universität gefördert wird. Der Beitrag arbeitet im Hinblick auf dieses Projekt heraus, wie diese Initiative an zahlreiche Einzelprojekte anknüpft und diese in eine gesamtuniversitäre Strategie einbindet. Digitale Medien spielen dabei eine zentrale Rolle bei der Kommunikation der Projektidee und bei der Vernetzung der heterogenen Beteiligtengruppen.

Thesis (M.I.T.)--The Evergreen State College, 2009. / Title from title screen (viewed 7/30/2009). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-130).

Background: International Service Learning (ISL) is becoming widely used in nursing education as a means to provide global learning opportunities. Concrete outcomes for these experiences have not been clearly supported in previous research. Determining if ISL experience facilitate the development of Professional Nursing Values (PNV) can support the use of ISL as a viable pedagogy. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine if there were a difference in PNV development in students who participate in ISL as part of their clinical experiences compared to those who do not. The hypothesis was that there was a difference in the two groups. Theoretical framework: The study utilized Kolb’s experiential learning theory, which has a focus on the experiences of students as an impetus for learning. Methods: The research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest, posttest design. Consecutive sampling was utilized for the experimental group and stratified random sampling for the control group. Results: Pretest analysis did not demonstrate any significant difference in the two groups at baseline. Post-test analysis indicated that while the mean PNV of the ISL group was higher, the results were not statistically significant. However, the difference in the pretest and posttest scores across all participants was statistically significant. Conclusions: While the findings were not significant in determining a difference between the two groups, the findings indicated that experiential learning in itself does support the development of PNV. Further research using a larger sample size may support the difference in these two groups and support the use of ISL as a viable pedagogy.

Medical schools around the country are utilizing service-learning as a method of promoting cultural humility among future physicians and strengthening partnerships between academic institutions and their surrounding communities. Critical service-learning (CSL) is an approach which emphasizes the need to address the power dynamics inherent to service through guided critical self-reflection for student learners, and centers autonomy and self-determination for community stakeholders. STEM Stars is an afterschool STEM enrichment program at a community center in North Philadelphia which was piloted in the 2019-2020 academic year. It was created with a trauma-informed design to address the social and emotional needs of K-6 students at the community center and to introduce trauma-informed practices to staff at the center. STEM Stars also served as a more intensive CSL opportunity for medical student volunteers and a model for future service-learning programs at the medical school. This thesis is a gap analysis of STEM Stars: it will provide a background of the program, review the pilot year, assess its successes and shortcomings, and propose changes to be made in the coming years. / Urban Bioethics

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Addressing childhood trauma is increasingly being recognized as a priority in public health, healthcare and health policy sectors. As evidence mounts that the effects of trauma are both graded and dose responsive, stakeholders in healthcare are turning more attention to preventing and addressing experiences of trauma in childhood, commonly referred to as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Trauma Informed Care (TIC), is a promising clinical approach attuned to the specific needs of traumatized patients that is still in its infancy with regards to training and evaluation of practitioner skills. Although physicians of all specialties will encounter patients who have experienced trauma, few undergraduate medical education curriculums provide formal training in TIC. Additionally, the approach to TIC in clinical settings has largely been biomedical and individual, with a focus on screening and treatment. This model ignores the role that communities play in both propagating trauma and generating resiliency. Urban academic medical centers, often geographically located in highly traumatized communities, must take a specific interest in developing TIC research, theory and praxis that includes and empowers communities. Service learning, a form of experiential education that cultivates self-awareness in students while simultaneously meeting community objectives, is a pedagogy that aligns with a community driven TIC framework. This thesis outlines the implementation of a community driven, bi-directional TIC learning model designed to serve the needs of medical students and low income K-8th grade students living in the geographic catchment of an urban, academic medical center. / Urban Bioethics

As calls for institutions of higher education to educate globally competent citizens have intensified over the last two decades, the field of international service learning (ISL) has responded resoundingly. ISL programs have been implemented at many institutions and there have been countless studies that demonstrate the great power for student learning and growth inherent in this exciting educational tool. In more recent years, experts have moved away from studying the student experience and have, instead, questioned the power relationships inherent in service learning programs abroad; related studies have made use of newer critical theories and community development philosophies, which have advanced the field tremendously. However, to date, the re-entry period has still been largely overlooked, and there has been a noticeable lack of studies that apply student development theories to the ISL experience. This study explores how a diverse group of students from a large, public, four-year institution on the West Coast experience transformational learning during an ISL program in Thailand and how they make sense of their experience upon their return to the U.S. and in the months afterwards. By utilizing a case study design and implementing qualitative methods, this study provides significant evidence that well-designed ISL programs can trigger transformational learning in a variety of ways and that the re-entry period is a significant time of learning and growth for students. Further, the findings importantly show that by creating strategic opportunities for students to learn and connect with others on the program, both during and after the ISL experience, students are better able to navigate the changes in themselves after returning home. Finally, the experiences of the students indicate that the processes associated with transformational learning continue well on after the in-country experience, highlighting the significant need to provide support and guidance for students during this time. / Educational Leadership