The mental health and well-being of rural communities in the United States is a growing and serious concern. Generally, suicide rates are higher and increase more rapidly in rural areas than in urban areas (Ringgenberg et al., 2017; Steelesmith et al., 2019). Studies suggest that isolation, limited socioeconomic opportunity, and sparse access to…

Inspired by the Nebraska social justice pioneer Grace Abbott, a leader in the struggle to improve life for children, immigrants, and women and Chief of the U.S. Children's Bureau in the 1930s, the Quilted Conscience project has brought together refugees and quilters for ten years.

Gerontologists at state-funded universities are being challenged to demonstrate the value of their programs amid looming budget cuts. This article, third in a series reporting research and development of the Future Self exercise, suggests that the latest iteration of the exercise is an effective way to demonstrate the value of a gerontology…

What happens when teams from 57 cities building afterschool systems gather to discuss two key system responsibilities--improving afterschool programs and using data for informed decision-making? Lots of rich discussion. This report covers a national afterschool conference held in February 2013. It details what mayors, program providers, system…

Presents an early stage evaluation model that was used to provide a framework to assess the effectiveness of three comprehensive community initiative projects that were put in place in Nebraska in 1996. Discusses challenges of evaluating these broadbased initiatives and pitfalls in using result-based performance evaluation. (SLD)

The Nebraska Opportunities for Volunteers in ACTION (NOVA) was an experiment at the University of Nebraska aimed at welding traditional academic instruction and year-long community service experience into an educational alternative for undergraduates. It was initiated on July 1, 1971 as the first University Year for ACTION (UYA) program in the…

Changing the environment that affects decisions about use of alcohol and other drugs has emerged as a key to reducing substance use problems among college and university students. The student environment, however, is not limited to the campus. Education, counseling, and campus-based prevention policies and activities cannot succeed if a campus is…

Describes the adaptation of three local public-access television channels in Alliance, Nebraska, for school and government use to inform citizens about the community. Highlights include a calendar for elementary and secondary schools, staff and student recognition, background music with CDs, and videotapes of school performances. (LRW)

Third-grade students at Albion Public School (Albion, Nebraska) were linked with "special friends"--elderly residents at a local home. Students learned first-hand about the lives of the elderly, worked on related projects in school, shared activities with their new friends, and formed some very special relationships. (SV)

This report summarizes and analyzes information on nine 1993 community integrated service system (CISS) projects to promote physical, psychological, and social well-being for all pregnant women and children, adolescents, and their families; provide individualized attention to their special health care needs; and link health care and services with…

Addressing the "death of hope" in rural Nebraska during the 1980s farm crisis, the "School at the Center" project engages rural schools and communities in active learning projects: housing or historic-building repair, environmental repair, microenterprise development, exploration of local cultural heritage, and technology…

Adventure recreation activities like mountain biking, bouldering, and kayaking used to require considerable travel to unique locations. This is changing, however, as the new trend emerges in the United State of providing adventure recreation experiences in cities and towns, such as New York City and Golden, Colorado. This article highlights…