A Must Have Book for Educators Connecting Service-Learning
to the Curriculum NEWLY REVISED & EXPANDED! learn more
SUBSCRIBE to The Journal for
inspiration, ideas, and curriculum resources, at no cost to educators. sign up now
“The Journal is a resource that
truly speaks to teachers with
excellent, provocative ideas.”
Steve Seidel, Ed.D,
Chair, Arts in Education
Harvard Graduate School
Have a Story to Tell or a Reflection to Share?
We encourage unsolicited submissions of stories, essays and reflections.
submission guidelines contact us
Professional Development for K-16 and Community Educators
CWI Summer Institutes 2012
Join with colleagues from across
North America and beyond, working
to embrace service-learning and
sustainability. A week of support,
inspiration, and collaboration. more
Register Now, Space is Limited!
CWI Institute video short [3 min.]
“This was truly an example of people
who love and understand learning.
How special to have been a part of it.
Thank you!” Erin Ruegg, Teacher
Colegio Jorge Washington
Columbia, South America
CWI Partners and Sponsors
•Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC, Los Angeles)
•Shelburne Farms •Orion Magazine •CalServe K-12 Initiative •Loyola Marymount University
•Green Teacher
•Facing the Future
•LMU Green
•Sustainable Schools Project
•Arizona Learn & Serve
•Quebec Provincial CLC Initiative
•Antioch University NE
•Johnson State College
•California DOE
•Whittier College
•University of Vermont
•Vermont Rural Partnership
•ExcelYouthZone
FEATURED ESSAY
The Soul of a Teacher By CYNTHIA HUGHES It’s our job to help kids learn to read and to write, to learn math and spelling conventions, to give them ways to discover their thinking and to find the best home for their unique talents and abilities. Somewhere in all of that lies the soul—the part of each of us that can’t be measured with a rubric, scale or test score. The unique experience of each person’s interactions with each other, each learning opportunity, and each perception. We simply cannot know that by testing it. read more
FEATURED ARTICLE
A Wild Experience: The Transformative Power of Nature
By KELSEY STAMM What happens when you take a group of inner-city kids from Philadelphia, most of who have never traveled outside the state, and plop them on a remote Costa Rican beach with no electricity? The answer? Magic. Eleanor Boli, a Spanish teacher at Germantown High School in Philadelphia, spent the last year raising money to take her students on a field science and cultural exchange program. read more
ESSAY—Of PLACE AND EDUCATION Burning Brush: Playing with Fire
By DAVID SOBEL The glad animal play of childhood, the complete immersive quality, is one of the elixirs of life and also one of the indispensable proteins that build a sturdy adult soul. Middle childhood offers a window of opportunity to have these experiences, and if a child misses that opportunity, the quality of immersion is less accessible later in life. When, as adults, we sink into a novel or get lost in creative work or tussle with new ideas or improvise on the job, we’re using the skills that were roughed in during childhood play.read more
FEATURED ARTICLE Digging a Hole: Clinical Teaching and the Journey of Learning By STUART GRAUER As educators and students, what gets us ready to commit to an endeavor, to a class or study, to a purpose, rather than grazing half-heartedly through another class? What makes us tap in to something larger? What causes us to cast off our timid shadows and engage fully in life and the largest purposes we can find for it? At some point, we believe that probably all the best lessons really are journeys; we hope our students can somehow experience new worlds and that a great lesson is like an expedition. read more
EVENTS—PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Summer Opportunities and More Community Works Institute (CWI) is pleased to announce our annual series of unique professional development events for 2012. Among the events being offered are CWI's Summer EAST and WEST Institutes on Service-Learning and our partner Shelburne Farm's Education for Sustainability Institute. All events are appropriate for K-16 and community educators and administrators. Join with educators from around the world for a week of intense exploration, learning , and practical application. read more
FEATURED ARTICLE Green Club: A Reflection on Partnership By AUSTIN F. SCHWARTZ Partnership emerged as a foundational component of green club programming. Partnerships share the responsibilities of home, school, and community settings. The self-generating aspect of green club programming was set in motion and service requests emerged. The club became a container for environmental dialogue and opportunities. read more
FEATURED RESOURCE REVIEWS Schools That Change Communities When we think about schools, it usually evokes images of places separated from the larger community, place where students go to learn. But there are many public and independent schools across the country that are trying a different approach to engaging students in the learning process, using the community and neighborhoods where students live as classrooms. Explore the new film Schools That Change Communities from documentary filmaker Bob Gliner. Bob's new film is one of a number of resources we are currently featuring in Resource Reviews. read more
INSTITUTE REFLECTION Moving Beyond the Walls in Los Angeles By PAULA COHEN At CWI's Summer WEST, I met like minded educators who could see beyond the limitations, who thought outside the box, who were willing to ask big questions and delve deep into the answers. It felt like coming home. When we talk about resiliency in young people, feeling like a part of something important and valuable is a crucial piece. Our school has been going through many of the tumultuous transitions that all public schools are going through. read more
FEATURED ARTICLE
Making Sustainability and Service-Learning Mesh
in the Classroom By NATALIE LAROSE One way in which my classroom is going to improve the quality of life for all is through a service-learning project that I have designed that aligns with the first history unit I will be delivering, “North Street Then and Now.” Over the course of the unit students will learn about the history of the street on which their school is located, an area with rich cultural diversity and history but also traditionally an economically challenged area of the city. read more
INSTITUTE REFLECTION Crossroads in the Heartland By JAMI SPENCER Sometimes, old school is better school. Hands-on, apprenticeship-style learning beats filling in bubbles any day. Passing down wisdom about medicinal herbs and edible weeds will sustain longer than instructions on how to use that new smart phone that is sure to be outdated in a few months. I want to share the importance of sustainability with my students by providing them with place-based service-learning projects that speak for themselves.read more
FEATURED ARTICLE
The Ideal Engaged Citizen?
By JAKE GROHS
Sometimes the fork in the road also serves as a necessary slap in the face. There I was—an over-caffeinated Master’s student in Engineering Mechanics at Virginia Tech, dutifully working on my thesis in preparation for a May 2009 graduation. Decent grades. A four-year veteran on a project sponsored by General Motors. Supportive advisors happy to recommend me to potential employers. read more
FEATURED ARTICLE
Taking a Real Road into the Community BY ANNEMARIE FRANCZYK It can be an uncomfortable leap for them to consider the bigger issues in the world around them. But if they become professional journalists, it’s that world around them in which they will be working. There’s no time like school time to get budding journalists to think beyond their realm and provide a valuable service to others. read more
REPRODUCTION POLICY: Material contained within this website may not be reused or reprinted, in part or in whole, in any form, without the written-email approval of Community Works Institute. We do often approve requests for re-publication of selected articles and essays from Community Works Journal, provided that a link and proper citation and credit information is given. If you are interested in re-publishing an article or essay please email us to requestapproval.
PUBLICATION & DISTRIBUTION Community Works Journal's publication has been made possible, in part, through grants from The Corporation for National Service, The Thompson Trust, The Bay and Paul Foundations, and with support from Shelburne Farms and our other sponsors. Community Works Journal also depends on the generous donations of our individual contributors. The Journal is published by Community Works Institute (CWI).
Find out how you can become a supporter of Community Works Institute.
Community Works Journal l PO Box 1390 l Claremont, CA l 91711 l (909) 480-3966 l email
Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter!
DON'T MISS A UNIQUE Professional Development OPPORTUNITY
