Land Grant Institutions (LGIs) and Cooperative Extension were founded to bring educational access to the states they serve. In contrast to this mission and the ubiquitous nature of Extension services in US counties, Extension offices can only be found in a small number of indigenous communities. Despite these inequities, there are Extension…

A community school is a place and a set of partnerships connecting a school, the families of students, and the surrounding community. A community school is distinguished by an integrated focus on academics, youth development, family support, health and social services, and community development. The community school strategy is central to efforts…

As the result of an extensive self-study for the purpose of reaccreditation, the Department of Theology at The University of Portland began offering a new series of courses called Theological Perspective Courses (THEP). THEP courses are upper division and offered by theology faculty in conjunction with another department that has required core…

Data from Oregon communities, 1949-1989, show dramatic changes in income between urban centers and rural communities at the periphery. Coping strategies for rural areas include cartels, self-sufficiency, community sustainability, harmonized interests with urban cores, and changing community identity. (Author/SK)

Describes the NorthWest Service Academy (NWSA), part of the AmeriCorps national service initiative, that focuses on community work programs in education, the environment, health and human needs, and public safety in parts of Oregon and Washington. NWSA participants receive a weekly living allowance and basic health insurance, as well as a $4,725…

This article is a historical case study of George Fox University (GFU) in Newberg, Oregon. Using organizational lifecycle as a theoretical framework, George Fox University had a long and delayed childhood in that it remained a small and struggling institution for most of the 20th century, and then experienced rapid growth in the late 1980s. This…

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County (Oregon) provides a wide range of social services to stimulate community development, based on reuse, repair, and recycling. Job training and jobs are provided in the woodshop, appliance center, mattress factory, glass shop, and environmentally friendly housing construction projects, with priority…

Residence life programs play a key role in recruiting students, helping them make a successful transition to a new institution, and in retaining them, whether students are enrolling for the first time, transferring from another institution, or entering graduate school. Chapters in this book address theories of learning and development, new…

Scholars theorize that engaging young people in organizational governance promotes positive youth development and organizational effectiveness. To explore this prediction, the study discussed here, based on interview data from 16 youth and 24 adult organizational leaders representing 8 organizations, mapped the developmental processes that occur…

In the more than 10 years since the inception of EPA's (Environmental Protection Agency) Brownfields Program, brownfields have been redefined. Properties that were shunned or eyed warily by those with the resources to transform them are now viewed as dormant opportunities for economic and environmental rebirth. Communities that suffered aesthetic…

A small town designed a health clinic to entice a health care practitioner to locate in the town, increase the town's economic feasibility, generate local jobs, and stimulate business in the downtown. The design is important to achieving these goals by continuing and enhancing the town's character. (TD)

Rural Josephine County, Oregon, used federal Enterprise Community funds to revitalize its communities. The elementary school serves as a hub, sharing resources with a parenting and preschool center, a coalition of 26 service providers, and the Enterprise Community organization. Describes how communities cooperate in providing adult education,…