An invigorating take on how community and technical colleges can center equity in fostering institutional transformation

I saw stripes going by my dining room windows. Naval stripes. Stripes on dress blues. What are naval officers coming to my house on a Friday morning while Jon is at sea? In an instant, time stopped. Embark on a life-changing encounter as you journey through the remarkable life and death of an accomplished naval flight officer and his grieving widow's path from unimaginable heartache to unstoppable hope. With captivating and highly accurate military scenes, excerpts of touching long-distance love letters, and raw, unfiltered emotions, Providing Promise isn’t just another memoir--it is a lifeline. Experience your own inner healing and uncover your God-given destiny as you walk alongside one who has seen firsthand how God can turn tragedy into triumph. “I pray that my story of heartache to hope will inspire people to find answers to their hard questions in the midst of their suffering. God is faithful to walk with us through difficult circumstances. He provides promise for us and heals us by taking something unbelievably awful and turning it into something truly good.” Discussion guide included. A portion of the proceeds from Providing Promise is being donated to the VAW-VRC Memorial Scholarship Fund. For more information about this fund or to donate, visit vvosa.org.

Many educators can recite the faults of their schools or universities, but far fewer can recognize and develop existing strengths to benefit a wider audience. Sukhwant Jhaj has crafted a refreshing new look at how imaginative leadership and a shift in perspective can propel institutions to reach at-risk or underrepresented members of their communities. Delivering on the Promise of Democracy pulls back the curtain on seven high-performing universities to reveal which daily decisions, including listening to the community, embracing conflict, and implementing effective strategies through routine, guide administrators in achieving exceptional results. Through in-depth interviews that offer a close look at these seven universities, Jhaj traces a new trajectory for higher education: a call to question a university's effectiveness through its accessibility to the community it serves. Jhaj's book will inspire anybody interested in widening access to education with its call to renew their institution's mission through powerful and effective leadership.

Research shows that enriching learning experiences such as learning communities, service-learning, undergraduate research, internships, and senior culminating experiences – collectively known as High-Impact Practices (HIPs) – are positively associated with student engagement; deep, and integrated learning; and personal and educational gains for all students – particularly for historically underserved students, including first-generation students and racially minoritized populations. While HIPs’ potential benefits for student learning, retention, and graduation are recognized and are being increasingly integrated across higher education programs, much of that potential remains unrealized; and their implementation frequently uneven. Colleges are eager to use the HIP nomenclature for recruitment, promoting equity for traditionally underserved student populations, and preparing lifelong learners and successful professionals. However, HIPs defy easy categorization or standardized implementation. They rely on fidelity, quality, and consistency – being “done well” – to achieve their learning outcomes; and, above all, require attention to access and equity if they are to fulfill their promise of benefitting all student populations equally.The goal of Delivering on the Promise of High-Impact Practices is to provide examples from around the country of the ways educators are advancing equity, promoting fidelity, achieving scale, and strengthening assessment of their own local high-impact practices. Its chapters bring together the best current scholarship, methodologies, and evidence-based practices within the HIPs field, illustrating new approaches to faculty professional development, culture and coalition building, research and assessment, and continuous improvement that help institutions understand and extend practices with a demonstrated high impact. For proponents and practitioners this book offers perspectives, data and critiques to interrogate and improve practice. For administrators it provides an understanding of what’s needed to deliver the necessary support.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education: An Introduction for the Teaching Profession prepares students for the classroom and community environments they will encounter when teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in urban, rural and remote schools at early childhood, primary and secondary levels. The book addresses many issues and challenges faced by teacher education students and assists them to understand the deeper social, cultural and historical context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education. This is a unique textbook written by a team of highly regarded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics. Each chapter opens with an engaging anecdote from the author, connecting learning to real-world issues. This is also the first textbook to address Torres Strait Islander education. Written in an engaging and accessible style, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education is an essential resource for teacher education students.

Wherever you are in life, wherever you are in the world, God’s promises remind you that He is always near. God wants us to know He is in the midst of wherever we are, whatever we’re doing. And He does this by speaking directly to us through His Word. The Bible was written to each of our needs, our hopes, and our dreams. With over 1.2 million copies sold, God’s Inspirational Promises is a classic seller now with a brand-new, updated look. The compilation of verses speak specifically to topics we all relate to: living in a lost world, strong personal relationships, wisdom, guidance, worry, grace, and many more. Heartwarming writings from Max’s bestselling works accompany each selection of Scripture.

It may surprise you to hear that the Bible promises trouble. As long as we live in a sinful world, tough times will be part of our human experience. Along with the promise that troubles will come, the Bible also promises that there is present help and future hope as we live with pain and adversity. With every trouble there is potential triumph. In every pain we find the very power of God to combat it. In all our suffering we find salvation, both in this life and the next. The NLT Bible Promise Book for Tough Times contains hundreds of promises from Scripture. The book focuses on life-related topics such as suffering, doubt, spiritual warfare, trusting God, worry, and much more.