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Although growing numbers of graduate students nationwide express interest in developing and documenting boundary-spanning skills in community-engaged research, teaching, and outreach, formal opportunities to do so are often limited, especially at the large research institutions producing most future faculty members. This article focuses on initial steps being taken to provide professional development for graduate students through portfolio and certification programs at two large, public, land-grant, research-intensive, Carnegie-engaged institutions in different parts of the United States: Michigan State University and the University of Georgia. For each university, the authors describe the context and history; the specific steps being taken to support graduate students in community-engaged research, teaching, and practice; and the impacts, outcomes, and lessons learned to date from this work.

For international service-learning to thrive, it must document student learning outcomes that accrue to participants. The approaches to international service-learning assessment must be compelling to a variety of stakeholders. Recent large-scale projects in study abroad learning outcomes assessment--including the Georgia Learning Outcomes of Students Studying Abroad Research Initiative (GLOSSARI)--offer precedent from which international service-learning assessment programs may draw. This article outlines five promising practices to guide international service-learning assessment activities: (1) focus on outcomes about learning; (2) employ multiple sources and methods for data collection; (3) invest in compiling credible comparison groups to build the case for a causal relationship between international service-learning and learning; (4) acquire data from multiple and diverse institutions and programs to better generalize and also to warrant conclusions about best program practices; and (5) acquire data from large samples of program participants to provide insights into under-represented groups and program sites.

A "student scholars" program was developed to engage undergraduates at a large, public, land-grant research university with its public service and outreach mission, through cohort meetings, supervised internships, and site visits. Qualitative and pre-/post-participation quantitative data from the first cohort of 10 students show that participants gained deeper understanding of the university's public service and outreach mission, purpose, and activities, and developed skills appropriate to engaging in this work themselves. Such a program holds promise for creating a core of informed student advocates for the university's public service and outreach mission and engagement work as well as improving these students' own competencies and motivations for incorporating public service and outreach into their academic and professional careers. (Contains 5 tables.)

Mixed-method evaluation of two iterations of month-long summer enrichment programs for English-learning secondary students investigated impacts on participants' beliefs about school and academic achievement, and on actual course choices, test outcomes, and graduation rates. Students (N = 85) from one ethnically diverse, high-poverty high school in a large school district in Georgia took part in science and academic English-themed summer enrichment programs in 2006 and 2008. Questionnaires, interviews, and transcript analysis demonstrated that after taking part, students aspired to attend college, were aware of the steps necessary, and took steps such as tracking themselves into more advanced courses. Participants also were able to create and sustain peer support groups in their school, fostering a culture of academic achievement. Findings suggest that even such short-term programs can positively influence students' attitudes, aspirations, and actual behaviors supporting academic achievement, graduation, and postsecondary education, lending promise to goals of ameliorating the academic achievement gap. (Contains 1 note and 5 tables.)

The state of Georgia has experienced dramatic growth in the Latino/a population during the past decade, with a third of the new Latino/a population younger than the age of 18. Consequently, school systems were not prepared for the challenges posed by a Spanish-speaking immigrant population. The authors organized an interdisciplinary conference to holistically address the issues facing school counselors in their work with the emerging Latino/a population. Implications for other states dealing with an emerging Latino/a population are discussed. (Contains 2 notes.)

The state of Georgia has experienced dramatic growth in the Latino/a population during the past decade, with a third of the new Latino/a population younger than the age of 18. Consequently, school systems were not prepared for the challenges posed by a Spanish-speaking immigrant population. The authors organized an interdisciplinary conference to holistically address the issues facing school counselors in their work with the emerging Latino/a population. Implications for other states dealing with an emerging Latino/a population are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the use of electronic, web-enabled touch-screen information kiosks as a tool to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate diabetes information to Latino audiences. Two kiosk models (high privacy sit-down, group enabled stand-up) in two locations (pharmacy, community center) in Northeast Georgia provided bilingual, read-aloud diabetes education and local resource information on health care. Data from public use and interviews with focus group participants showed that users found the kiosks and their functions helpful and usable, though usage was moderated by presence or absence of a peer health educator (promotora); participants also preferred the sit-down, multi-function kiosk model.