Many people have contributed to and enriched this book, and I am grateful to you all. Its inspiration came from those of you who asked the questions that form its organizing structure. To you who hesitated to ask a question because you feared it was too elementary, who asked skeptical questions like “Isn't this just another fad?,” and who challenged my answers and even the accepted dicta of service-learning—I cannot thank you enough for engaging with me on all the topics this volume addresses.

As always, I acknowledge those “who went before.” Your triumphs and setbacks continue to inspire and caution us. Many of them are featured in this book. Much of what I have shared comes from your experience and wisdom. Like us, you wondered whether you were up to the task of designing and implementing the kinds of service-learning experiences that you believed were possible but knew were daunting. . . . and you took the plunge. We are all indebted to you for leading the way.

Colleagues who run the organizations—AAC&U, ACPA, Campus Compact, CCPH, IARSLCE, NASPA, NSEE, and TRUCEN, among others—that support service-learning have contributed much to this book. You have helped me immensely to provide the best possible answers to its many questions, permitted me to cite your work, assured me that the book is needed, and offered to promote it to your members. All of us in service-learning are thankful for your outstanding work. I am particularly grateful to colleagues in the Campus Compact national office and throughout its extraordinary network for the faith you have shown in my work by enhancing this book with your brand. To you—Maureen Curley and Amanda Wittman—the book is substantially better as a result of your thoughtful reviews, advice, and partnership.

And you, my associates in The Stamp and the Stamp Service-Learning Faculty Fellows program at the University of Maryland, never cease to amaze and impress me with your dedication, commitment, and excellence in all that you do. To all of you in Leadership & Community Service-Learning: I am honored to be among you as we work together to promote positive social change through transformative learning and community engagement. I am especially privileged to have the opportunity to engage deeply and often with UMD students, through my class, EDCP 418J: Now What? Composing a Life of Meaning and Purpose, and in many other ways. You are the socially responsible leaders of tomorrow, and we are indeed in very good hands. To you, borrowing the words of one of your UMD peers, Luzella Morton, who signs her emails with these words: “Peace, Love & Service-Learning!”

A special thank you goes to Marylu K. McEwen and David Brightman for helping me make the decision to go through with this book project, although my hesitation to do so at one point was quite real. David, I appreciate your long-standing faith in me and my work. Shauna Robinson, nothing I asked of you along the way was too big or too small for you to handle immediately and competently. Thank you so much!

Finally, I express my deepest appreciation to my beloved husband of forty-three years, Steven M. Jacoby. In addition to your unbounded love, you always know what you can do to be most helpful to me. When you sense that I am purpose-driven, you know how to help me achieve that purpose, whether by editing the flowery verbiage out of the manuscript (I would find “it was a dark and stormy night” written in the margin beside the offending passages), convincing me that I could work just as efficiently outside in the fresh air as indoors, and spiriting me away for sun-drenched lunches on the Eastern Shore, but getting me home in time to put in a couple more hours of work. You are always my biggest fan, and I could never put into words how much that, and you, mean to me.