In this fall issue of Partnerships, we are pleased to feature case studies that highlight effective collaborations with both local and global connections To stimulate your own research, teaching, and planning strategies for the new year, we invite you to read Baxter and Marshall’s account of the infrastructure, development, and success of an oral history project with a local museum featuring the voices of Chinese-Americans and Chinese-Canadians. You will find innovative practices and suggestions for how people, politics, and connections are forged in Malm, Prete, Calamia and Eberle’s article of a community-campus partnership to produce an annual arts festival. Moving beyond the local to the global scene, Long and Campbell demonstrate how strategic and practical support for an international service-learning program rested on a tripartite collaboration. Finally, Dumlao reviews what is being recognized as the first edited volume on research for international service-learning. Taken together, these articles elaborate on diverse approaches for building and sustaining strong civic ventures.

To make this issue of Partnerships possible, many people provided valuable time and support to the authors. Our new editorial board made policy decisions and new reviewers strengthened the intellectual base for meaningful and timely feedback to authors. We also welcomed Mark Congdon as editorial assistant and Susan Ladd as copy editor.

In 2013, we invite you to look for a special issue dedicated to North Carolina Campus Compact’s Civic Engagement Institute theme, Becoming Citizens, Becoming Community.

Also in 2013, work will commence on another special issue to be published in 2014, Teaching Democratic Thinking. Inspired by a three-year long research seminar of the same name at Elon University, special guest editors Stephen Bloch-Schulman and Patricia Rogers with editorial assistance from Maggie Castor will be soliciting abstracts due in February. Look for details to be posted soon on our home page.

Spoma Jovanovic

Editor

With this issue of Partnerships: A Journal of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement you will notice some significant changes. We say thank you and farewell to several important partners who provided essential leadership in our first few years:

• Technical editor Dr. Norman Clark at Appalachian State University who helped realize the vision of his faculty development initiative team to create a fully online, peer-reviewed journal that contributes to strengthening higher education partnerships and engagement;
• Appalachian State University which hosted the journal since its inception in 2009, ensuring reader and write accessibility;
• Dr. Beth Warner at Elon University who helped us make the transition between editors; and
• Dr. Rebecca Dumlao at East Carolina University who served as the first Book Editor.

We are pleased to announce:

• Our new editor is Dr. Spoma Jovanovic, Associate Professor in Communication Studies (Community, Ethics and Social Change) at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro (UNCG). Spoma received NC Campus Compact’s 2012 Robert L. Sigmon Service-Learning Award for her commitment to integrating service-learning into her curriculum, to training other faculty in service-learning, and to sustained, service that has impacted her community and profession.  Spoma will pursue the journal’s vision and engage increasing numbers of faculty and leaders in developing the journal.
• Dr. Cathy Hamilton, Director of the Office of Leadership and Service-Learning at the
  University of North Carolina, Greensboro joins the editorial board as book editor.  A longtime supporter of the Compact, Cathy is well-networked and will ensure faculty and staff have opportunity to contribute to the journal, and that all readers will be introduced to the most recent and helpful publications promoting engagement partnerships.
• UNCG is now hosting the journal on their website. We appreciate all the work of their technical team headed by Stephen Dew, Tim Bucknall, Richard Cox, and Kristen Ross in making this challenging transition.

North Carolina Campus Compact is committed to strengthening Partnerships and its contribution to the field.  Spoma will be at the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement (IARSLCE) fall conference to share more about the journal – look for her there, September 23-25 in Baltimore, MD!  Do not hesitate to contact Spoma or me with your questions or ideas. We thank those who have submitted manuscripts, and hope you will share your research and practices that will inform and improve critical partnerships, connections, and collaborations to deepen impact. 

In this issue, you will read more about the partnerships our authors have engaged with for their service-learning programs. The articles showcase the impact of social justice-orientation in teacher training, the specific needs of the health profession service-learning curriculum, and reflections on  program management to understand how views of surpluses and deficits affect campus-community partnerships.

Looking forward to new Partnerships!
Lisa Keyne
Executive Director, NCCC

The power of student experiences in service-learning courses may be one of the many reasons faculty and academic personnel remain committed to its integration throughout the curriculum. This edition of Partnerships provides a glimpse into the various experiences that students have as a result of their participation in service-learning courses. From the article written by students regarding their eye-opening experience of 'community;' to an Urban Studies program that reaches beyond its comfortable boundaries and develops transformational partnerships across the university and community that enhances overall student learning. In addition to these articles, there are others in this edition that provide further exploration into the power of service-learning to impact cultural trends; focus on work with homeless veterans, and an article that illuminates the professional experiences of service-learning alumni.

Since 2008, I have had the pleasure of serving as editor of Partnerships. As my time comes to an end I am thankful for the partnerships I have had with reviewers, guest editors and many others that have contributed to the start of this publication. Special thanks is extended to Dr. Norman Clark for his willingness to always patiently assist in bringing the publication to launch and to Dr. Lisa Keyne for her constant commitment to the vision of seeing Partnerships become an international service-learning and civic engagement journal of excellence. Without the constant support of so many I could not have managed these last few years. I am confident that Partnerships will reach a higher readership than anyone could have ever imagined as it moves to a new editor. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this journal's earliest beginnings.

All the Best,
Departing Editor, Tracy Y. Espy

Dear Reader,

This issue of Partnerships is timely. The world around us changes almost daily as does the landscape of higher education. Twenty-First century educators are faced with the task of preparing students to be proficient in their academic disciplines within the broader context of a global society. Our current issue provides several articles that focus on the significance of international service learning and student involvement. What began as a special issue of Partnerships led by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Appalachian State University, has resulted in a number of fascinating articles that engage the reader on such topics as international service- learning's impact on host countries, the importance of ethics in cross-cultural service learning relationships and the power of lessons learned through the cultivation of international civic engagement partnerships. Though not specifically related to international service- learning, we have included an article that provides relevant insight into the importance of educating service-learning students about stakeholder involvement and how that involvement ultimately affects both the community and those serving in the community.

A special thank you to all of our authors, book reviewers, editors (Dr. Rebecca Dumlao, East Carolina University) and journal manager (Dr. Norman Clark, Appalachian State University) for their efforts in making this publication happen. Stay tuned for the arrival of our spring 2011 edition where the focus will be on innovative experiences in service learning.

In Partnership,
Tracy Espy, Editor

Dear Journal Readers,

This second issue of Partnerships highlights the celebration of an icon in the service-learning community, Mr. Robert Sigmon. Reading through the two invited articles will provide insight into Sigmon's passion about the value of partnerships between communities and workplaces as well as a wonderful interview by Dr. Lisa Keyne, highlighting the inspiring life of this gifted service learning pioneer. Additional articles featured in this issue build upon Sigmon's important work and highlight topics such as social entrepreneurship, a new theoretical model for development of university-community partnerships and the reciprocity among service-learning constituents. Future publications will highlight International Partnerships and Campus-Community Partnerships highlighting student voices.

In Partnership,
Tracy Y. Espy Ph.D.
Editor