Partners, Neighbors, and Friends: The Practice of a Place-Based Education

2001 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 19-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talmage Stanley ◽  
Stephen Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Systematic Study ◽  
Agents Of Change ◽  
Public Ethics ◽  
Place Based Education ◽  
The Impact

At Emory and Henry College, our vision for a place-based education integrating service with learning led in 1996, to the approval of the creation of a new major in Public Policy and Community Service. A rigorous and interdisciplinary service learning major, all of its courses are designed to help students better understand the impact of local, regional, national, and global structures and institutions on social change. As the curriculum evolves, we are institutionalizing in it a systematic study of several primary conceptual themes: citizenship, service, religion, public ethics, cultural diversity, public policy, place-based politics, social justice, and social change. The program aims to empower students by enabling them 110t only to understand critically the necessity and processes of social change but also to become agents of change in Southwest Virginia, Appalachia, and beyond, while they are students.

Hope in the Unexpected: How Can Teachers Still Make a Difference in the World?

2010 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 386-406
Author(s):  
Julian Edgoose
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
The World ◽  
Agents Of Change ◽  
Hard Times ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Background Context ◽  
Objective Research

Background/Context The central role of hope in teaching has long been acknowledged by authors such as Sonia Nieto and Larry Cuban, but hope has received little focused attention from scholars. This article seeks to compare multiple understandings of hope to examine how teachers can find hope in times of global crises that challenge the promise of a better future that is implicit in modern schooling. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study How can teachers find hope in hard times, when the usual promise of schools for a better future seems difficult to sustain? Research Design This article is an analytic essay. Conclusions/Recommendations This article concludes that while the long-dominant understandings of hope are inadequate for many teachers at times like these, Arendt's view of the hope that emerges in the unexpected occurrences of classroom life resonates strongly with the most rewarding and hopeful experiences of many teachers. Yet Arendt explains how the hope that teachers experience from these unpredictable and unexpected occurrences is not just a source of immediate reward, but rather contributes to political and social change. The article concludes with an account of Arendt's critique of historians’ narratives of social change and an affirmation of the impact that teachers can have as agents of change.

scholarly journals The Impact of a Sport-Based Service Learning Course on Participants’ Attitudes, Intentions and Actions Toward Social Change

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhema D. Fuller ◽  
Justin M. Evanovich ◽  
Jennifer E. Bruening ◽  
Jon Welty Peachey ◽  
Cassandra J. Coble ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Serious Play in Education for Social Justice - A Mixed-Methods Evaluation

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Wartenweiler
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Evaluation Model ◽  
Social Justice Education ◽  
School Students ◽  
Consumer Habits ◽  
The Impact

Fair Battles is a 12-week Swiss education for social justice program with the goal of sensitizing high school students about the impact of their consumer habits on society. The pedagogical concept of Fair Battles is to employ the tool of serious play to enhance students’ social empathy, which then leads to service learning projects. This exploratory mixed-methods study examined the impact of the program by using pre- and post-program student surveys (n=16) and post program semi-structured qualitative student interviews (n=10). The survey data were analyzed using SPSS and the interview data were analyzed using template analysis. The results were organized according to Kirkpatrick’s four-level evaluation model. The quantitative results show a statistically significant increase in the post-program survey scores for the learning and behavior level. The qualitative results suggest that the program had a positive impact on students on all four of Kirkpatrick’s levels. The conclusions are that the Fair Battels program is impactful, that social justice education needs to be holistic and that the combination of serious play and service learning elements seems to be effective for social justice education. Further research in the area of social justice education and serious play is recommended

scholarly journals Social justice through citizenship education: a collective responsibility

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Winstead Fry ◽  
Jason O’Brien
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Citizenship Education ◽  
Collective Responsibility ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Systematic Effort ◽  
Agents Of Change ◽  
Teachers Perspectives ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Existing research suggests that preservice elementary teachers tend to believe “good” citizens are people who follow laws and help others rather than people who embrace a more active model of citizenship that includes working to improve society. The purpose of this paper is to propose that this trend results from a self-perpetuating cycle of passive citizenship that develops in part due to state curriculum standards and school experiences which focus on transmitting knowledge rather than preparing students to be active agents of change. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents the results of action research conducted in a teacher preparation course; the research was designed to investigate the impact of a systematic effort to see if preservice teachers’ perspectives could be broadened to include a social justice perspective. Findings As a result of the findings, the authors argue that to counteract the cycle of passive citizenship, education to create a more socially just world must be a collective responsibility shared by teachers at all levels, K-16. Originality/value This is original research that examines an approach to end a cycle of passive citizenship by promoting social justice.

scholarly journals Co-Constructing Knowledge in Uganda: Host Community Conceptions of Relationships in International Service-Learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari Grain ◽  
Tonny Katumba ◽  
Dennis Kirumira ◽  
Rosemary Nakasiita ◽  
Saudah Nakayenga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Host Community ◽  
Community Members ◽  
International Service Learning ◽  
International Service ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
Educational Relationships ◽  
The Impact

Background: The social justice goals of service-learning programs are often contingent upon strong relationships with host community members. Given this common narrative, it is necessary to extend our understanding of relationships in international service-learning (ISL), particularly as they are conceptualized by host community members. Purpose: This study engaged seven Ugandan coresearchers in a participatory project to examine the community impacts of a long-term ISL program facilitated by the University of British Columbia (UBC) and based in Kitengesa, Uganda. Methodology/Approach: Thematic analysis of photovoice data from photos, interviews, and focus groups reveals key impacts that are premised on friendships, educational relationships, and relationships for social change. Findings/Conclusions: The article illustrates a host community conceptualization of ISL that positions relationships not as a precursor to ISL done well, but as the success in itself. Extending from this study is a critical discussion of the nuanced, social justice–oriented tensions that arise in the participatory research and co-analysis process. Implications: Institutions often assess the impact of ISL and other experiential education programs in terms of student learning, but findings suggest that social justice goals may be better achieved through an emphasis on relationships and knowledge as conceptualized by host community members.

Building the Field: The Case for Community Service Learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 308-320
Author(s):  
Janelle E. Lawson ◽  
Allison R. Firestone
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Community Service Learning ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Related Service ◽  
The Impact

In this study, the authors examine the impact of a community service learning course on undergraduate students’ decisions to pursue careers as special education teachers or related service providers. Participants ( N = 134) completed a course involving volunteer service with persons with disabilities in the local community and were surveyed as to whether they were interested in pursuing a career in special education upon graduation. Findings indicated that contact with a person with a disability through community service learning was a factor in influencing participants’ willingness to enter the field of special education.

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