Advancing Service-Learning Research Through Partnerships

This spring, NYLC and the International Center for Research on Community Engagement at the University of Minnesota formed a new partnership to develop research initiatives that explore key issues pertaining to youth development and community engagement. NYLC has joined forces with Andy Furco, Ph.D., director of the ICRCE, to collaborate on current youth and community engagement research activities, as well as to develop new research opportunities.

According to Susan Root, Ph.D., NYLC’s research director, “This new partnership engages the expertise at both organizations to advance research on service-learning and youth engagement from institutional and community perspectives.”  One of the first collaborative projects of this partnership is to work with Search Institute and the Extension Center for Youth Development at the University of Minnesota on research to measure how young people contribute to their neighborhoods, schools, communities, and civic institutions.

Since its inception, NYLC has had been aligned with the University of Minnesota. The University served as NYLC’s first home, providing initial support for some of NYLC’s earliest activities. Over the years, NYLC and the University have continued to collaborate on a variety of service-learning programs and initiatives.