"Don't let the title of this book fool you; the subtitle is more telling. Promoting Health and Wellness in Underserved Communities: Multidisciplinary Perspectives Through Service Learning is a collection of reports about service learning experiences. Service learning involves academic courses that meet community needs while developing students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The cases in the book (edited by Anabel Pelharn and Elizabeth Sills) deal with public health because this field has an especially long history of service learning. However, there are lessons here for all organizations working with students to meet community needs. The first case in the book, for example, offers fascinating insights about making connections across generations. The views of young students and senior clients about other generations were skewed going into the project, but learning how to communicate with each other broke down intergenerational misconceptions. The reports explain common problems within service learning projects and ways obstacles have been
or could be
overcome. Highlighting the virtue of teamwork, an entrepreneurial spirit in solving problems, and the importance of interdisciplinary practice, they demonstrate the benefits not only to education but to community building as well. Nonprofit World "In taking up the pressing topic of community health and wellness, editors Pelham and Sills emphasize how service learning can be one channel for colleges and universities not only to provide needed support to community partners, but also to promote engaged and experiential learning for their students. With examples from disciplines based in the health sciences as well as those at further removes, such as anthropology and English language learning, the book suggests multiple projects that institutions can implement to the benefit of both students and communities. Part of a series on "service learning for civic engagement," the volume views this topic through the lens of public health and is a strong resource for faculty in related fields." Diversity and Democracy "This volume illustrates the can-do idealistic virtue of volunteerism and teamwork and the pioneering spirit of solving social problems with elegant examples of intergenerational and interdisciplinary practice. Each of the contributors to Promoting Health and Wellness in Underserved Communities shares cutting-edge academic creativity to offer models to employ community service learning to promote social change. The contributions provide panoply of exemplary practices, insights, and course materials to enhance civic learning. Each of the chapters illustrates the amazing diversity, energy, creativity, and service orientation brought to California State University classrooms. The monographs in this series are suitable for interdisciplinary studies, faculty and student learning circles, thematic course clusters, and other forms of integrative learning where service learning is a primary method of delivery." SirReadaLot