In this volume in the IAP series on Advances in Service-Learning Research, top researchers present recent work studying aspects of program development, student and community outcomes, and future research directions in the field of service-learning and community engagement. These chapters, selected through a rigorous peer review process, are based on presentations made at the annual meeting of the International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, held in October, 2008, in New Orleans. This volume features efforts in research and practice to support and expand service-learning and engaged scholarship in both K-12 and higher education. Models of effective partnerships between institutions of higher education and their community partners are developed in chapters looking at relationships between campus and community in terms of partnership identity or in terms of shared understanding by campus and community partners. Outcomes for K-12 and college students engaged in service learning are the focus of several studies. The impact of high-quality service-learning on K-12 student achievement and school-related behaviors is described. Racial identity theory provides a useful frame for understanding developing student conceptualizations, while another chapter emphasizes aspects of self-exploration and relationship building as bases for gains in student attitudes and skills. In a final section, chapters deal with service-learning and community engagement as a coherent research field with a distinct identity, reviewing current work and proposing directions for future research.

There is an increasing proliferation of service-learning courses in colleges and universities in the U.S. and internationally, and research in the field has seen significant growth in diverse geographic areas in the past decade. Membership organizations now exist to convene scholars and practitioners across the globe. Chapters in this volume are based on presentations given at the 2010 annual conference of the International Association for Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement held in Indianapolis, IN. The conference theme “International Perspectives: Crossing Boundaries through Research” was chosen to highlight ways in which research crosses all kinds of boundaries: disciplinary boundaries, cultural boundaries, and national boundaries. Although service-learning is valued as an active learning strategy across the globe, little is known about the ways that service-learning is similar or different in varied contexts. Understanding service-learning and community engagement from cross-cultural and crossdisciplinary perspectives will improve both research and practice. Together, these chapters represent the diversity, complexity, and creativity evident by scholars and practitioners in this field of study.

The #1 New York Times bestseller that sparked international dialogue is now a book for young adults! Based on the adult bestseller by Ibram X. Kendi, and co-authored by bestselling author Nic Stone, How to be a (Young) Antiracist will serve as a guide for teens seeking a way forward in acknowledging, identifying, and dismantling racism and injustice. The New York Times bestseller How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi is shaping the way a generation thinks about race and racism. How to be a (Young) Antiracist is a dynamic reframing of the concepts shared in the adult book, with young adulthood front and center. Aimed at readers 12 and up, and co-authored by award-winning children's book author Nic Stone, How to be a (Young) Antiracist empowers teen readers to help create a more just society. Antiracism is a journey--and now young adults will have a map to carve their own path. Kendi and Stone have revised this work to provide anecdotes and data that speaks directly to the experiences and concerns of younger readers, encouraging them to think critically and build a more equitable world in doing so.

Research on service-learning and community engagement has exploded over the past decade. It is a field now characterized by increasing methodological and theoretical sophistication, vast quantitative and qualitative studies, interdisciplinary research, myriad subjects, and the internationalization of scholarship. The papers in this volume were selected from nearly 100 presentations made at the 2009 annual conference of the International Association for Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement held in Ottawa, Canada’s national capital. The conference theme, Research for What? emphasized fundamental questions, namely: to what extent is rigorous research uncovering best practices in, and demonstrating the positive results of, service-learning on teaching, learning and building better communities? The papers examine such themes through lenses that include the application of theory to practice, K-12 and university-based service-learning, interdisciplinary initiatives, and international service-learning. The introduction provides an overview of the very recent, but remarkable, growth of service-learning in Canada, and the conclusion, written by the recipient of the Association’s annual Distinguished Researcher Award, discusses major developments, and continuing challenges, in service-learning research.

This book, offered by “practitioner-scholars,” is an exploration and identification of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are central to supporting effective community engagement practices between higher education and communities. The discussion and review of these core competencies are framed within a broader context of the changing landscape of institutional community engagement and the emergence of the Community Engagement Professional as a facilitator of engaged teaching, research, and institutional partnerships distinct from other academic professionals. This research, conducted as part of Campus Compact’s Project on the Community Engagement Professional, seeks to identify the shared knowledge and practices of Community Engagement Professionals by looking to empirical practice literature. Chapters include an exploration of competencies applicable to those in Community Engagement Professional roles generally, and also to those specializing in specific areas such as faculty development, partnership facilitation, and other areas of responsibility. The authors trace the evolution of engagement administration over time and the role of those facilitating community-campus engagement toward a “Second Generation” professional who is at once a “tempered radical, transformational leader, and social entrepreneur.” Central to the work is a presentation of the core competency findings, along with suggestions for continued exploration. Dostilio and her colleagues argue that Community Engagement Professionals should claim a professional identity grounded in a set of core competencies, values, and knowledge, and through association with a community of scholar practitioners similarly dedicated. Additional work to understand and empower Community Engagement Professionals in their role as distinct from other higher education professional types will enable both broader impact for institutions and communities now with a view to prepare those coming to the role for a dynamic and demanding environment without distinct boundaries.

For scholars seeking to undertake consequential research in service-learning and community engagement (SLCE) at a time when there is widening interest in and increasing acceptance of research in this field as a primary area of scholarship, this book provides accounts by preeminent scholars about the trajectories of their research, their methodologies, lessons learned along the way, as well as their views about the future direction of the field.The contributors to this volume represent a range of disciplines and fields including education, history, organizational leadership, political science, philanthropic studies, psychology, and public health, as well as both qualitative and quantitative traditions, and offer models of scholarly learning that contribute to a knowledge base that can guide practice and further the broader public purposes of the academy.They articulate how they view their research on SLCE as having broader purposes that matter to them personally as well as professionally and illustrate how the “why” and “to what end” of their research can evolve as a program of research develops and matures across time. They identify key choices they made in terms of inquiry and methodology, describe both successes and challenges in establishing and navigating a SLCE research agenda across their careers, and share lessons learned from their research journey to advance the field both domestically and abroad. Emerging from these narratives is a theme of practical wisdom that arises through the learning of researchers, students and communities as they engage with complex social contexts.

As the emphasis on economic development through community-university engagement intensifies, educators and policy makers must learn to think differently about the engagement process. This is particularly true when a narrowly defined group of leaders sets the engagement agenda, and those who are traditionally underrepresented continue to be marginalized in the conversations about their own futures. Emphasizing the importance of community as a context for engagement and building strong relationships over time, Moore calls on institutional leaders to intentionally facilitate broad participation by all members of a community in discussions about how and in what direction the community will develop. This is the second issue of the 40th volume of the Josse-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education issue, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing criical reviews of each manuscript before publication.