AtAuburnUniversity,inAlabama,studentsmaytakepartinasummer-longembeddedcommunityexperiencecalled"LivingDemocracy."Thisprojecthasitsrootsinhighereducation'slonghistoryofcivicengagement,butittakesadifferentperspectivethantraditionalservicelearningprograms.Ratherthanposethequestion,"Whatdoesyourcommunityneed?"theprojectorganizersasked,"Whatcouldastudentlearnaboutdemocraticcivicengagementwhilelivinginyourcommunityfortenweeksoverthesummer?"InLivingDemocracy:CommunitiesasClassrooms,StudentsasCitizens,authorsMarkWilson,DirectorofCivicLearningInitiativesintheCollegeofLiberalArtsatAuburn,andNanFairley,AssociateProfessorofJournalism,describetheinceptionoftheLivingDemocracyprogramandtheworkofstudentsandcommunitymemberswhohavemade,andcontinuetomake,theLivingDemocracyjourneywiththem.ChapterOneprovidescontextforhighereducation.ChapterTwosummarizestheproject,includingtheopportunitiesandexpectationsofstudentsastheyparticipate.ChapterThreelooksattheimportanceofrelationships,bothharmoniousandcontentious.ChapterFourillustratesthereal-worldchallengescitizensface,andthewaysinwhichstudentshaveanopportunitytoexperiencethetensionoftoughdecisions.ChapterFivediscusseswhatstudentsreportasthebenefitsoftheliving-learningexperienceincommunities.Inconcludingthebook,analumnaoftheprogramreflectsonherexperienceinLivingDemocracy:"Lifeinrealtimemakesoneofthebestclassrooms.Sendingyoung,eagercollegestudentstopokearoundinacommunityallowsforself-reflectiononthepartofcommunities.Thisallowsforconversationandcollaborationinnewandcreativeways.Students,inturn,learnthepower(andmessiness)ofcommunityresidentsworkingtogetherastheybuildprojectswithothers."