Editor's Message

In this issue we highlight two programs that show two ways educators can serve the community.

Joanna Cemore and James Myer describe a course in child development and play that included a service learning component. Students worked with local day care centers to design playgrounds and play spaces and learned how to work with multiple community stakeholders and also to work with limited resources. They also learned how to work together in teams to do the projects. Pre and post testing were done to identify the impact of the course on the students. More work for all was involved but the results were strong for the community and the students.

Peggy Fisher and her associates Susan Klingel-Dowd and Mathew Fisher worked at the graduate student level to create a program to certify students in the communication field. This Midwestern university started a communications studies course sequence open to the community where students would become trainers and consultants to local businesses. This filled a need in the community for training professionals and started an interaction between local businesses and the university as resource. Students had to apply their studies to real world problems as part of a practicum requirement. Businesses could apply to become case studies for the courses and gain expertise otherwise prohibitively expensive for them.

Our Orlando conference was truly magical. We include some pictures and awards. NSEE people really know their fields and are willing to share. I must say the hotel was perfect (computers in the rooms!), and the food superb at all events. Plus, I got a special award of some Minnie Mouse ears and got to ride a monorail. I’m easily amused as you can see, but seeing old friends and colleagues was the best part.

Technicalities:I would like to invite all those who give conference workshops to write up their work as either an article or practice note and send it in for future issues. Share your expertise with our wider membership. So write up your conference presentations, articles, book reviews and more and send your submissions in Word format. Articles, book reviews, practice notes, program models, we need them all. Remember that we have moved to an online format, so watch for your email notice of each issue and print it out.

Submission information:

1. Please submit typed, double-spaced hard copies of your articles, no longer than 18 pages (approximately), font size 12, using APA editorial style. Also email the article as a Word attachment or submit on a CD, so we have both paper and electronic copies. Make sure you have complete references and page numbers for all quotes and figures. Include an abstract of your article and a short biography. Please give us contact information including mailing address, phone, and email on the cover page

2. If you wish your article to be peer reviewed, indicate that on the title page of the submission. Please include your name and contact information only on a separate title page so we can have blind reviews.

Send your items to the Editor, Dr. Susan Chizeck, Director of Internships, MS GR 26, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Rd., Richardson, Texas 75080-3021.  chizeck@utdallas.edu  972-883-2248. 

Upcoming Quarterly Deadlines: 

Spring                January 30, 2009
Summer         March 15, 2009