The first service-learning research agenda was the product of a Wingspread Conference sponsored by the Johnson Foundation and organized by
NSIEE. Forty eight participants, including researchers, educators, service-learning practitioners, students, representatives from government agencies, foundations, and national associations crafted the agenda to "identify critical research questions that need further research" (Giles, Honnet, & Migliore, 1991).
NSIEE formulated generic strategies for strengthening the practice of experiential education, recognizing that what was appropriate for a particular institution depended upon an assessment of the "values at the institution, the degree of student-centeredness in learning, goals of an experiential program, program staffing and operation, characteristics of student participants, faculty involvement on campus, the current administrative structure, the pros and cons of four administrative models, and use of an outside consultant." The primary general and particular strategy that stays with me was "building experiential education into the mission and values of the college" (Kendall, 1986).
Raleigh, NC: National Society for Internships and Experiential Education (
NSIEE).