As of 2009 service learning has been integrated into the music programme at the Odeion School of Music, University of the Free State (South Africa), as a compulsory module for final-year students. In order to uphold academic and institutional standards, it was stipulated that the said module had to include mechanisms that would promote quality interaction and engagement activities within a framework that would ensure the implementation and coordination of meaningful, sustainable service and learning.The need for the development of such a module formed the rationale for this study, which draws on relevant pedagogical theories and perspectives on the relation between service learning and the social and educational realms of music in order to formulate a framework for the implementation of quality service learning. It is believed that the framework presented in this article may offer a generic basis for the implementation of service learning at higher education institutions, specifically in music departments.

In this qualitative case study, we used participant observation and interviews to examine Violet, a Flemish string youth orchestra. In doing so, we identify the qualities that constitute an ‘eclectic’ ensemble space, herein defined as a musical environment that uses a blend of informal and formal learning practices. Moreover, we emphasize how members benefit musically, socially, and personally from such spaces. Our findings suggest that a blend of eclectic practices create a music space that promotes social engagement, social interaction, and peer learning among members. Additionally, eclectic music spaces allow for personal development and nurture self-appreciation. An eclectic ensemble space thus provides a rich alternative to more traditional forms of music ensemble instruction.

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This paper explores motivational changes of Nicaraguan women involved in sustainable community‐led development. Sustainability is the goal of many organizations engaged with capacity development interventions. Research on what such sustainability entails point to a correlation between sustained action by communities, postintervention, and high levels of social capital, collective agency, and efficacy. But what factors motivate people to develop the social capital, self‐efficacy, and agency that enable them to sustain their actions towards their communities’ well‐being? Using Self‐Determination Theory as framework, and drawing from interview data, this qualitative paper explores the psychosocial processes rural Nicaraguan women undergo when initially engaging in, and eventually committing to community‐led projects. Types of motivation in combination with shifts from initial to more sustained forms of motivation, we conclude, can inform current and future community development interventions on the role motivation plays toward establishing agency, efficacy, and relationships—that is, essential components of sustainable community development.

This descriptive study introduces community-managed rice loans, as implemented by people’s organisations in the rural Philippines. Projects addressing low income and food shortages are by no means new to the development sector. Development agencies, nonprofit organisations, and local governments have implemented such projects to address immediate food shortages and threats of hunger. Less explored, however, is the potential of rice loans as intermediate solution, not only in terms of food provisioning but also in strengthening communities’ organisational structures and capabilities. This study explores such possibilities by focusing specifically on community-managed rice loans as implemented in the Philippines’ regions of Nueva Ecija and Isabela and supported by a local nonprofit, Outreach Philippines Incorporated (OPI). It discusses how rice loans provide communities with an alternative option for accessing affordable food and how these rice loans operate in the context of community development. The analysis of programme proposals identified three components integral to rice loans’ implementation and ongoing operations. These include specific organisational structures, clear operational processes, and well-defined policies and systems. We argue that these components are the building blocks of not only successful project implementation but also the strengthening of participating organisations’ project implementation and management capacity.