k-12 service learning, character education, and mentoring

I'm doing volunteer work at an after-school center in
the impoverished black neighborhood where I live.  My
wife is mentoring two young teenage girls, and
teaching fourth grade at a school in our neighborhood
that serves children from one of the most notorious
housing projects.  She has been making fairly
successful efforts in character education, and we're
working on some ideas for service learning.  We're
learning to recognize valuable qualities and
capacities in the most disturbed and disturbing
children, and find ways to redirect them.

I'm planning to try to promote volunteer work with
children in the neighborhood, including mentoring,
character education and service learning.  I have some
ideas about using make-believe and acting out
community service activities with children as a way of
developing their character and capacities and
improving their lives.  I also think we should treat
them as full partners in social development.  I've
read stories of children as young as seven years old
who took initiatives that completely changed the life
of their neighborhood.  I'm also interested in
research in children's cultures that can improve our
knowledge of the qualities and capacities of children
that are normally repressed when they're with adults.

I'm looking for other people doing field work in
mentoring, character education, service learning, and
children's cultures, in order to exchange ideas and
experiences.  Does anyone know where I can find them?

Jim


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"No man can attain his true station except through his justice. No power can 
exist except through unity. No welfare and no well-being can be attained except 
through consultation." -Baha'u'llah

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