Numerous studies demonstrate the effectiveness of university-based community service programs on students' personal, social, ethical, and academic domains. These effects depend on both, the characteristics of students enrolled and the characteristics of the programs, for instance whether they are voluntary or mandatory. Our study investigates whether effects of voluntary service programs are indeed caused by the service experience or by prior self-selection. Using data from a pre-post quasi-experimental design conducted at a public university in Europe and taking students' socioeconomic background into account, our findings on self-efficacy, generalized trust, empathic concern, and attributions for poverty show that there are no participation effects. Instead, students who join in community service differ significantly from nonparticipants with regard to almost all investigated domains a priori, indicating strong self-selection. Our results underline the importance of structured group reflection, most notably with regard to attitude-related topics.

The purpose of this research was to study the ways in which a content driven after-school art program focused on community-based art projects inspires high school students to create work that are personal and purposeful. This study involved members of the Hempstead High School Art Club. I collected data in various ways including focus groups video recording, journal reflections, and observations with Art club members who meet monthly to discuss the project and biweekly to work on the project. My plan was to gather information on the effectiveness of a content driven after school art club in the teaching and learning of visual art. Through my research I hoped to discover the benefits and drawbacks of an after school art program as compared to a regular art classroom setting and the implementation of content driven art projects. Finally, I hoped to study and analyze the effects such a program would have on a student's understanding of the purpose of creating community-based art.

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