Theoretically, increasing family resilience, may contribute to an increase the resilience of communities. However families in South Africa experience challenges to their resilience, often owing to a variety of historic, socio-economic, and political factors. Research and intervention planning that attempts to ameliorate the effects these factors,…

California's 4-H Youth Development Program has adopted an asset-based community development approach to extending programming with Latino youths and families. This approach entails learning and relationship building with local Latino communities and building on untapped existing resources, such as Latino-serving organizations and networks. Here we…

Often, the conversation about Detroit features the same words used over and over again: poor, broken, abandoned, blighted. But the authors' experiences in the Motor City have shown them something completely different--a community that, in the face of overwhelming challenges, maintains a profound commitment to making Detroit a better place. This…

Understanding resources available in a community is essential before any 4-H youth development professional can begin addressing local needs. Conducting a community assessment generates valuable information about the unique components and resources of a specific community. This information then provides a foundation for identifying specific…

Many communities are searching for ways to help youth identify successful career options and strengthen the local economy. Based in a rural community that reflects Maine's decline in jobs in manufacturing and natural resource-based industries, the project described here provided youth with an opportunity to increase their aspirations by…

Childhood obesity is a national public health crisis. The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), the National Institutes of Health and Kaiser Permanente have developed community tools and resources for children and families to lower their risk for obesity through healthier, active lifestyles. The authors describe innovative practices and…

In March 2006, Premier Wen Jiabao acknowledged that the situation in the Chinese countryside is desperate and claimed new resources would be devoted to healthcare and education. This announcement should have pleased architects of the Chinese "learning initiative" who are building learning cities and villages. The authors describe why…

The Iowa Community Betterment (ICB) program provides support to communities attempting to maximize their own resources and create development. In two ICB projects, Edgewood citizens developed badly needed affordable housing and built a golf course, and Greene residents boosted tourism by building a paddlewheel riverboat and supporting local…

Describes the SOS (Sharing Our Selves) learning Network, which is a made-for-extension system of community learning. Elements of the network are discussed: (1) community learning and development activities, (2) community resource index, and (3) cost effectiveness. (CT)

A pilot project in rural Mississippi provided supported employment services to five handicapped persons. The project combined professional resources available through a community-based developmental disabilities program with existing community resources and social network systems. Project components, project development, and individual client…

The concept and implementation of direction services, a one step center offering assistance to parents of handicapped children, are traced. Three basic functions of the federally funded direction service centers are noted: to help locate and provide access to the most appropriate resources for handicapped children and youth; to collect and…

The article describes the implementation and components of a program to train direct care staff working on community adjustment of developmentally disabled persons. Developed in response to local needs and respresenting an ongoing collaborative effort, the program also illustrates the role of the University Affiliated Facility in promoting…

Sixty-five model programs striving to integrate people with severe disabilities into their natural communities were nominated and screened via interviews, site visits, and comparison with eight principles of community integration including family scale community living arrangements, consumer and parent involvement, and development of community…

Community partnerships serving young children and families take many forms. This article presents six community partnerships that are engaged in innovative and creative approaches to learning. These programs have varied goals, but they share a common focus on linking community resources to enhance learning opportunities for the children and…

Like other states, Idaho faces increasing numbers of youth considered at risk for becoming a detriment to society. Some communities are looking to the arts as a way to help young people channel their energies positively. In 1993 and 1994, the Idaho Commission on the Arts wanted to test the idea that artists working with first-time juvenile…