The basic theme of this yearbook, "The Role of the Schools in the Improvement of Community Life," is open to a variety of interpretations. Many factors determine what role the schools will play in a particular country or area, and consequently, what part they may have in community improvement programs. Among the factors are the history…

This collection contains 17 papers presented at a seminar on literacy strategies in the community movement, held in Namur, Belgium, in 1991. The following papers are included: "Introduction" (Hautecoeur); "Illiteracy: Direction? Action? Results?" (Hautecoeur); "Basic Education and Personal Development Strategies"…

Educational paradigm shifts call for 21st century learners to possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, values, and experiences associated with multiple forms of literacy in a participatory learning culture. Contemporary educational systems are slow to adapt. Outside of school, people have to be self-motivated and have access to resources in order…

The first 5 years of life are a critical foundation for children's early learning and lifelong development. This eBulletin highlights school readiness, how early experiences matter, the role of preschool in supporting readiness, and state and local efforts to implement recommendations from the National Governors Association (NGA). The following…

This article describes Heart to Heart Art, an after-school program developed for homeless children and youth at the YWCA in Spokane, Washington. Pre-service teacher candidates from a local university create meaningful activities that engage homeless students in visual art, music, drama, cooking, and community service. Heart to Heart Art was…

The authors developed and tested a 35-min psychoeducational program with the goal of increasing Spanish-speaking persons' literacy of psychosis. The program uses popular cultural icons derived from music, art, and videos, as well as a mnemonic device--La CLAve (The Clue)--to increase (a) knowledge of psychosis, (b) efficacy beliefs that one can…

The oldest of the baby boomers (boomers) were age 63 in 2009 and on the verge of retirement. This cohort has had a history of making societal changes throughout its life cycle, and it is unlikely that retirement, as we know it, will remain unscathed. This article highlights two events--the Stonewall Inn riots and two prominent professional…

The advent of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) has not been favorable to community-based organizations (CBOs) serving unemployed young people. The overall decline in the amount of money available for employment training is one reason for the reduction in services, but it is not the sole reason. The transition to the new act itself is also…

Although the principal is a vital key in the success of any project involving the school, a variety of constraints interfere with the principal's effectiveness to use interagency collaboration as an impetus for school reform. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the perspectives of principals toward a neighborhood-based…

The Community Mobilization Project was a 3-year, grassroots strategic planning process by American Indians in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a result of Bureau of Indian Affairs policies that relocated reservation Indians to the Bay Area in the 1950s-70s, over 40,000 American Indians now live in the 10-county area. However, the Indian population…

This article describes two art-based service-learning experiences that can serve as models for an authentic community-university partnership by challenging college students' sense of place through an examination of "others'" places. College students face displacement in adjusting to a new location and a new direction in life, while youth…

The School Community Involvement System (SCIS) is presented as a model community program that encourages educators, parents and community members to work together to meet the needs of children and society. This model is intended as a comprehensive systematic program for community involvement and communication in the school experience, as well as a…

A demonstration project, called the Cultural Voucher Program, was implemented through support from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education of The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The project enabled cultural institutions to reach a new public, develop new educational programs specifically suited to the needs of new…

To effectively promote change in organizations and communities, specific strategies or action guidelines and some tactical steps for effectively carrying out these strategies are offered for people who work in human service agencies. The book is useful to both practitioners in the field and upper-division graduate students. The action guidelines,…

This is a case study of the TRY Foundation, a privately funded non-profit corporation devoting its resources to "community and human development in disadvantaged areas." Activities sponsored by its primate unit, the Willowbrook Chapter of Watts, Los Angeles, include: thrift shop, preventive dentistry clinic, Operation Vegetable…