Andy Furco named 1st John Glenn Scholar in Service-Learning

Institute Names Its First John Glenn Scholar in Service-Learning

The John Glenn Institute has named Andy Furco, a faculty member in the
Graduate School of Education at the University of California-Berkeley and
Director of the Service-Learning Research and Development Center at that
school, as its first John Glenn Scholar in Service-Learning. Furco earned
the distinction through a nationwide competition, the first of twenty-five
that the Institute will host over the next three years.  The new program,
funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, recognizes scholars from any
discipline whose scholarship contributes to advancing the understanding of
or adoption of service-learning in K-12 classrooms.
Service-learning combines community service with academic instruction to
engage students, improve academic achievement, and promote civic
participation.  Over the past 12 years, Furco has studied and developed
service-learning programs in K-12 schools, teacher education programs, and
colleges and universities. His research has included national, state, and
local studies investigating the impacts, implementation, and
institutionalization of service-learning. Currently, Furco is leading a
two-year study exploring how service, which is often assigned as a punitive
measure, can be turned into a positive and meaningful experience for
suspended and expelled K-12 students.
The Glenn Institute chooses John Glenn Scholars in Service-Learning through
a nationwide competition in which scholars submit a single paper advancing
service-learning.  Each competition focuses on a particular issue or area
related to service-learning. Furco's paper, Issues of Definition and Program
Diversity in the Study of Service-Learning, explores the need to develop
more comprehensive methodologies to evaluate the impact of service-learning
on students. Furco is the first to propose a grand-design approach to assess
service-learning.  Furco implemented his method, a research system capable
of evaluating any service-learning program, in a pilot study investigating
the impacts of service-learning on students in 19 classrooms at two
California high schools. 
The John Glenn Institute will use knowledge generated by Furco and other
John Glenn Scholars to publish advisories conveying essential findings in
concise form accessible to the public.  Advisories will be tailored to the
needs of different audiences, including teachers, policy makers, grant
makers, and the media.
The John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy is one of
seven organizations funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as part of a
national Consortium continuing the work of the National Commission on
Service-Learning, chaired by Senator John Glenn. The three-year national
Consortium is working to expand, strengthen, and ensure the long-term
viability of service-learning in America's public schools.
Additional information regarding Furco's scholarship interests and
activities is available at www.glenninstitute.org
<http://www.glenninstitute.org>.  For more information about the John Glenn
Scholars in Service-Learning, contact Kathleen Hill, Project Coordinator at
614/292-4545 or hill.358@osu.edu <mailto:hill.358@osu.edu>.