Founded in 1977, "Communities in Schools" champions the connection of needed community resources with schools to help 300,000 youngsters annually to learn, stay in school, and prepare for life. The program brings in community-service providers, such as health-care and mental-health professionals, to work as a personalized team alongside…

The Ambassador Program, a partnership between Ferron Elementary School and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, pairs university students with at-risk elementary students once a week to serve as role models. (TE)

Discusses the benefits for both schools and senior citizens of programs that actively involve senior citizen volunteers in the schools and briefly outlines some of the beneficial effects of the experimental Teaching-Learning Communities program in the Ann Arbor (Michigan) schools. Available from Association for Supervision and Curriculum…

From its base at National-Louis University, the Best Practice Project aims to develop teacher and parent leadership in a network of 12 elementary and secondary schools in Chicago. Focused on instruction only, the project is trying to generate genuine teacher-parent partnerships that support learning in student-centered, constructivist classrooms.…

For the past four years, a multiage class in Maine has been involved in a pumpkin-growing and -marketing enterprise--a project involving real work and problem solving. Begun with a seed grant, the project raises money for field trips and nonessential teaching materials. Working cooperatively forges strong bonds among children, teachers, and…

A solid blend of theory and practice, an effective training system, and continuing support for new teachers are essential elements of teacher preparation, whether it is provided by a university, a district, or a partnership of the two. (Author/TE)

A consortium comprised of a technologically advanced suburban high school, a struggling urban high school, and a resourceful private college has helped the two high schools publish an online magazine, develop interdisciplinary projects, and prepare submissions to an online chemistry magazine. Linking high- and low-achieving schools benefitted all…