Describes the MAGIC ME program in which urban middle school students visit and form relationships with the elderly in nursing homes. The importance of meaningful long-term service is demonstrated through anecdotes of the interaction between students and older adults. MAGIC ME has a history of success in many communities. (SLD)

Explores issues related to expanding the roles of rural schools and youth in community development; summarizes literature related to community development and social capital; reports on how three rural Midwest communities built linkages between the school and community; reports on data from a symposium on community-based learning; and addresses…

Reviews studies that defined and measured the effects of quality in early child care and education, and analyzes successful programs to determine common traits. Common characteristics include small class sizes; teacher support for greater teaching effectiveness; long-lasting intervention; ongoing, child-focused communication between home and…

In too many communities, child care, health care, and other family supports and services are rarely coordinated and are too frequently determined by where families live, their level of income, and their community connections. Policy initiatives at the local, state, and federal level influence how communities are able to develop more…

For several years, physical educators in Marion County, Florida, have been actively illustrating their programs to the community they serve. These demonstrations reflect the variety and diversity of the county's physical education programs. The main objectives for these presentations are: (1) to inform the public; (2) to give exposure to the…

This paper explores the implications of an effort to promote service learning in two middle schools in the Palo Alto (California) Unified School District. The schools are grades six through eight with about 1,000 students in each. The paper describes seven service efforts and then analyzes the costs and benefits of these projects. The study…

This book presents a rationale for developing new approaches to conceptualizing the costs associated with the implementation and operation of models supporting comprehensive, community-based support systems (CCBSS) for children. CCBSS are broad-based approaches that have no single model or specification for reform; the configuration of the model…

This paper describes a professional development initiative aiming to develop strong school/community partnerships, building the capacity for integrated, school-linked services and developing diverse models for community collaboration. Early in the 1995-1996 school year, seven school districts in mid-Missouri were recruited to begin developing…

This report lists higher education programs sponsored by Learn and Serve America which provides models and resources for teachers integrating service learning into classrooms from kindergarten through college. These programs have two primary objectives: (1) to support service-learning programs that meet unmet community needs, and (2) to build…

According to the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, young adolescents are felt to be far more at risk for self-destructive behaviors than ever before, and middle grades schools are failing to meet students' needs. As part of a plan for restructuring middle grades education, Illinois has created a middle school endorsement added to…

This monograph presents 12 reports of successful programs serving children with special needs in various nations. The program locations and the program report titles and authors are as follows: (1) Austria: "Integration Models for Elementary and Secondary Schools in Austria" (Volker Rutte); (2) China: "Integrated Education Project,…

Parent involvement in their children's schooling declines dramatically as students move through middle school and high school, though students still want and need their parents' help to reach educational goals. This newsletter presents several articles on partnerships between schools and families and between families and community programs. The…

This manual and accompanying implementation handbook provide a framework for Saskatchewan community schools seeking to create the comprehensive, preventive, and empowering learning programs needed by Indian, Metis, and at-risk children. The introduction defines community schools and summarizes elements of the community schools best practices…

This document, which is designed to serve as a resource for school districts that are formulating comprehensive parent involvement programs, provides a representative sampling of parent involvement programs in California. Section 1 lists programs operating at the local educational level that: (1) help parents develop parenting skills and foster…

This article discusses university efforts to institutionalise community engagement. A seminal study conducted by the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities expressed concern over the unresponsiveness of institutions of higher education to community issues. Land-grant institutions were established to educate…