Abstract

Volunteering in the context of higher education has faced criticism for its transience and consumer or touristic attitudes and the inconsistent experiential quality it provides. This study explores how intensive engagement in a traditional wood-fired Anagama kiln project can transform student civic agency. We investigated the experiences of five higher education students through an explanatory mixed-methods design. Preactivity questionnaires profiled participants’ baseline readiness across distinct dimensions, serving as an interpretive framework to understand how these initial profiles directed postactivity transformations captured through semistructured interviews. The integrated findings showed how postactivity qualitative outcomes were systematically structured and framed by these initial readiness profiles. Low-confidence, inexperienced students enhanced their practical self-efficacy through the navigation of unpredictable physical tasks. In contrast, students who had rigid normative mindsets achieved transformative learning and challenged their own assumptions in midnight dialogues with community members. Additionally, participants critically recognized structural barriers to community sustainability, such as the fragility of public transportation infrastructure. Overall, the synergy of physical presence and multigenerational interaction restores mental resilience and expands social perspectives in relation to student readiness. This study establishes actionable pedagogical guidelines for the sustainability of community engagement, emphasizing reflective practices, structured multigenerational interactions, and the utilization of university infrastructure.

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