A critical interest of applied anthropology is to educate students to be theoretically grounded and capable of assuming a level of social responsibility that extends beyond academia. In this paper, we reflect on the issue of student preparation for work in the policy arena by focusing on the experiences of a five-year applied research project that…

This document examines incentives and obstacles to partnerships between nonprofit organizations and community colleges. Aside from some service learning collaborations, partnerships between community colleges and nonprofit groups are rare. Reasons include: (1) many community college administrators bring a private-sector orientation with them from…

Discusses the role and responsibilities of community colleges within their communities. Highlights the colleges' role in workforce development, celebrating the value of work, cooperating with other community institutions to provide training and planning activities, and stimulating the community to appreciate its diversity. Considers the role of…

Creating genuine partnerships between urban universities and their communities is self-interest for the academic institution because their survival is in danger. Commitment to access is only one dimension of collaboration; it must be enhanced by full participation of the university, as corporate citizens, in community development. Partnerships are…

Chronicles the efforts of North Carolina's James Sprunt Community College to improve the quality of life for residents of its service area through the use of community-based programming (C-BP). Reviews the C-BP process utilized at the college, highlighting the formation of three planning teams charged with developing coalitions, strategic plans,…

Tries to encourage teachers, principals, and others to strive to achieve authentic practices of teacher leadership and community building. Narrates the efforts of St. Patrick School in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada since 1996 to build a collaborative culture based on trust and good will so that the entire staff was transformed into a team of…

Higher education is being asked to pay more attention to student learning and to contribute to advancement of community social and economic conditions. As a result, educational institutions will no longer be self-contained. Community members and organizations have become critical partners in framing goals and intentions of educational reform, and…

This document outlines a vision for adult and community education (ACE) in Victoria for the next 3 years and provides a broad map of how to reach that vision. A description of the context is followed by the ACE vision statement: ACE delivers accessible, quality, and timely learning in autonomous, community settings as a valued and essential…

Discusses the role of community colleges in attracting new businesses to the area, focusing on the formation of community partnerships. Suggests that community colleges should position themselves as facilitators and brokers of training and education activities. Describes five basic steps in recruiting businesses, highlighting three examples of…

In a competitive market training economy, vocational education and training (VET) and small business in Australia face a number of challenges. They need to qualify the extent of lifelong learning skills being used in the small firm workplace, define the range of learning partnerships both within VET and the wider informal learning community in…

In 1994, a 2-day symposium was conducted on a broadened, more inclusive mission for rural schools--rural schools functioning as community learning and service centers. The symposium aimed to enhance the knowledge base related to five key dimensions that must be planned, implemented, and evaluated when designing rural schools in this fashion:…

Much has been said and written about the importance of local and community organizations for the development of access to learning opportunities in impoverished countries. Calls for greater self-reliance and for educational services relevant to local conditions and community needs and that meet the needs of all constituents have increased since…