Megan S. Downing – författare

This volume showcases effective teaching practices and the broader academic benefits of student philanthropy, focussing on the innovative pedagogy of Northern Kentucky University's Mayerson Student Philanthropy, a pioneering community engagement initiative that integrates experiential philanthropy across diverse disciplines to enhance student success.In 1999, Northern Kentucky University introduced student experiential philanthropy with the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project (MSPP). Each MSPP class is given grant money to invest in a local nonprofit with the goal of deepening student learning outcomes through the community engagement initiative. Drawing its findings from the program’s success, the book first covers the history and theory of student philanthropy and experiential learning, and subsequent chapters explore funding variations, community and K-12 education partnerships, service combined with philanthropy as well as different course levels (upper and lower division) and course delivery methods (hybrid, in person, online). Each chapter features specific, tangible examples of creative pedagogy to inform and inspire readers to consider in their own research and teaching. A conclusion sets out how student philanthropy programs can be implemented at other institutions, touching on the challenges of funding and conflicts of interest, with a case study from another US university.In a higher education environment with increasing competition for students and funding, this book demonstrates how resources can be allocated effectively to improve both student and community outcomes. Student Experiential Philanthropy provides an evidence-based resource for faculty seeking to increase teaching effectiveness or explore new active, experiential pedagogical initiatives in their classrooms.

Humans are fundamentally social beings who crave belonging, mission, and meaning, especially at work. Drawing on the increasing prevalence of remote work in the post-pandemic era, this book asks how organizations can overcome workplace loneliness and create a sense of belonging. Prioritizing the need to create authentic workplaces to promote inclusion and empower employees to feel comfortable being themselves, chapters present strategies for addressing workplace loneliness based on interviews with remote employees and an examination of successful organizational practices. How, contributors ask, have remote employees experienced workplace loneliness in their organization? What is the role of belonging in tackling this? How can leaders and HR practitioners foster this belonging among remote employees? How does social identity affect employees’ abilities to connect within their organization?Rooted in real-world research and insights, Overcoming Workplace Loneliness envisions a world of work where all employees feel valued for their authentic selves and are able to experience the encouragement and comradery of office connection from the comfort of their homes. This pioneering book not only sheds light on workplace loneliness of remote employees, but also provides an in-depth literature review of workplace loneliness to inspire future research.