CHESP Study Report: Study of the Community, Higher Education, and School Partnerships (CHESP)

This report summarizes the results of a study conducted by Abt Associates, Inc. and the Center for Youth and Communities at Brandeis University to explore the experience to date of CHESP grantees and subgrantees. It focuses on both the processes of creating partnerships and the implementation of the CHESP grantee and subgrantee programs. It concludes that the CHESP experience has demonstrated that well-functioning three-way partnerships can be created; that considerable time, resources, and skills are needed to do so; and that there is a widespread belief that these kinds of partnerships are leading to more and better service-learning. Additional research is needed to document the differences in service-learning program administration and outcomes that can be attributed to service-learning funded under CHESP as opposed to one or more of the three traditional Learn and Serve funding sectors. (authors)