Effective communities are well-educated about themselves, have a better understanding of public information, talk through public issues to generate shared knowledge, appreciate the difference between public opinion and public judgment, and believe in public leadership as the key to using public power to solve community problems. (SK)

Five new realities affect community problem solving: (1) fewer public dollars; (2) increased local/regional responsibility; (3) renewed focus on local government integrity; (4) wider distribution of community power; and (5) increasingly diverse population. Communities that prosper practice collaborative problem solving and consensus-based decision…

The function of community schools is to relate community needs to existing community resources and to offer programs only if no other educational institution can effectively offer them. Competition for students and programs between community schools and other community resources should be subordinated to an assessment of institutional capabilities…

A case study shows the slow process of rebuilding a community and how the community educator can facilitate internal growth and development. (Author/MLF)