Call for Papers: Integrating Teaching, Research, and Service Through Community Engagement and Partnership

Posted by on January 20, 2009

Call for Papers – Abstracts Due February 28

Service Learning:  Integrating Teaching, Research, and Service Through Community Engagement and Partnership
A Special Issue of the Journal of Community Practice

Service learning as an educational strategy has tremendously expanded its reach to colleges and universities nationally and internationally. While schools of social work have long led the way in promoting community
engagement and partnership that integrates service into teaching and research, many other professions and disciplines have grown their own curricular initiatives. Recently, service learning has truly come of age with the establishment of the new Community Engagement Elective Classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

“Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities” (National Service Learning Clearinghouse).

Higher education institutions have found service learning an excellent strategy for enhancing the application of classroom learning in the community, building stronger community partnerships, strengthening civic
engagement and citizenship, advancing community-based participatory and applied research, and fostering scholarship that unifies teaching, research and service. As a tool for community engagement and partnership, service learning advances the mission of higher education locally, nationally and internationally.

The Editors of the Journal of Community Practice request empirical-based research, rigorous case studies, and conceptual papers based on theory or models of practice. Abstracts for this special issue should build on the literature and address one or more areas related to the service learning theme:

Service Learning that enhances community engagement and partnerships

Service Learning that incorporates community-based participatory research

Service Learning that advances cross-cultural experiences through both local and international/global engagement

Authors should send an extended abstract (2 to 3 pages: 750-100 words) and bibliography that describes their proposed contribution. Send abstracts in electronic format by February 28, 2009 to Ana Santiago, JCP
Managing Editor at jcp@acosa.org  Authors of selected abstracts will be notified to submit full manuscripts for anonymous peer review by May 2009. All works must be original and previously unpublished. Questions
should be directed to Senior Editor of this special issue, Tracy Soska, at tsssw@pitt.edu.

The Journal of Community Practice is an interdisciplinary journal designed to provide a forum for the development of knowledge related to numerous disciplines, including social work and the social sciences,
urban planning, social and economic development, community organizing, policy analysis, urban and rural  sociology, public administration, and nonprofit management.  The Journal of Community Practice is sponsored by the Association for Community Organization & Social Administration (ACOSA), and published by Taylor & Francis.