Throughout the nation, schools are called upon to contribute to the formation of their students' character, especially in regard to civic virtue. This article reviews the literature on school-based community service programs. Then, based on the findings of an on-going national survey, it examines community service in urban Catholic elementary schools. Next, it describes the broad dimensions of community involvement and outlines community service programs in a representative school. Lastly, it concludes that a group of urban Catholic elementary schools, through their particular religious emphasis on public community, offer an important model for all elementary schools, private and public.
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