February 5, 2004 | Read Time: 1 minute
Teenagers and Community Service: a Guide to the Issues
by Maureen E. Kenny and Laura A. Gallagher
Volunteering can help teenagers develop academic, civic, personal, and social skills, write Maureen E. Kenny, a psychology professor at Boston College, in Chestnut Hill, Mass., and Laura A. Gallagher, a clinical fellow at the Family Institute at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Ill. Their book offers advice for students in middle school, high school, and college, as well as for parents, teachers, and other professionals, on how to find existing community-service opportunities and create new ones.
The authors present information about national service programs as well as examples of a variety of programs run by schools. Ms. Kenny and Ms. Gallagher say that schools can incorporate volunteer work into a range of academic subjects—for example, by having a math class calculate the dimensions of a ramp to make a community center accessible to disabled people. The book also explores how to evaluate service programs and discusses characteristics of successful volunteer activities. The authors say that students should be given the opportunity to reflect on their experiences, either by keeping journals or by participating in group discussions.
The authors provide a timeline of important events in the history of community service involving adolescents, and describe key researchers and political leaders who have supported legislation to promote service programs for young people. The book also includes a list of dozens of organizations that offer service programs for students, along with contact information and a description of each group’s mission and programs.
Publisher: Praeger Publishers, 88 Post Road West, Westport, Conn. 06881; (203) 226-3571; http://www.greenwood.com/imprints/index_praeger.asp?ImprintID=I8; 320 pages; $49.95; I.S.B.N. 0-275-97976-8.
