When the bell rings at the end of a school day, millions of children are left to their own devices while they wait for their families to return home at the end of the work day. Findings from a study conducted by the Afterschool Alliance, "America After 3PM," show that 15.1 million children are unsupervised when the school day ends. The…

This booklet presents ideas based on actions taken by community leaders to recruit new and emerging leaders to join in the improvement of a community. The discussion includes: (1) asking the question "who's not here?" to make sure the community organization is representative; (2) looking for skills, not names to discover leadership…

Families and communities can be valuable allies for professional educators and policymakers working to ensure high levels of student achievement. This publication emphasizes the use of technology to develop sustainable approaches and strategies that fit into a coordinated, comprehensive, and coherent family and community engagement program. It…

This updated resource manual of racial diversity programs and activities should help promote racial reconciliation and understanding among diverse communities. It includes 72 new programs, and six new Indiana communities actually embracing this challenge have been included: Crawfordsville, New Castle, Plainfield, Seymour, Valparaiso, and Wawasee.…

Offers guidelines for planning fund raising events for small public libraries, with examples of activities that have been used successfully. Areas discussed include involving librarians and trustees as fund raisers; group discussion activities to encourage brainstorming; developing strategies based on community resources; and capital fund drive…

This guide for locating local resources to support a literacy program is designed to help program directors or organizers identify partners and stakeholders in their community--those that may not have been thought of as a resource. In the context of this guide, resources refers to any organization, initiative, or individual who supports…

Intended to provide educators and community leaders in Massachusetts with an overview of the ways in which community education practices can strengthen K-12 education, this document explains community education, describes three community education projects in detail, gives implementation models, and lists organizational and printed resources.…

This handbook for adult basic education (ABE) program operators is designed to provide an understanding of procedures involved in establishing or improving ABE/cooperative planning and arrangements (CP&A). It is organized around four major topics. Chapter 1 overviews community resource utilization in ABE programs. A systems approach to…

Communities have a wealth of technology resources and history on which to draw in thinking about and using technology in ways that support their values and goals. The technology connections that exist in a community may not be obvious, however. The activities presented in this guide are designed to help identify some of those connections and…

When community groups assume stewardship of underused properties and turn them into recreational spaces, park agencies can save money on overhead and construction. Three stewardship projects in New York State, involving a playing field, gardening areas, and a historical restoration, are described. Criteria for successful projects are included. (PP)

This booklet is designed to be used as a workbook to present the concept of community education in a format which addresses important questions any community needs to consider as it explores community education. The booklet can be used in conjunction with the videotape "Community Education: A Profile of Two Communities." However, the contents of…

This manual describes Teens As Community Resources, Incorporated (TCR) in Boston (Massachusetts) for those interested in how to start youth-run philanthropic efforts, using a peer leadership model or for those wanting to incorporate youth leadership and empowerment in a youth services organization. The introduction provides a brief description of…

This packet contains resources on five topics relevant to rural school administrators. "Assessing Parent Involvement: A Checklist for Rural Schools": discusses educator beliefs that support successful parent engagement programs, challenges and advantages of rural schools attempting to involve parents and community, and aspects of…

This paper outlines a process for rebuilding the educational partnership among schools, communities, and homes. The process is based on community education, which is both a philosophy of education and a model for the systematic development of community and educational partnerships. The process has four major components: (1) provision of diverse…

Information on 12 exemplary volunteer programs is gathered in this manual for school officials, teachers, and volunteer coordinators. An introductory chapter discusses the place of volunteerism in middle and secondary schools, covering categories of volunteers; the services volunteers can provide; the benefits of volunteer programs to students,…