Develops a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of urban, low-income, multicultural communities. Outlines a neighborhood network that focuses on the developmental needs of youth, engages residents, and promotes interdisciplinary services. Examines one school of social work's efforts to help a neighborhood develop such a network. (RJM)

The Food Project brings together Boston-area youth to grow and distribute food for the hungry and in the process, develop leadership and job skills. Summer crew workers (high school students) grow vegetables, distribute them to food pantries, and sell them at farmer's markets. Crew leaders learn more about sustainable agriculture and hone…

The Rural Elderly Enhancement Project, in which a nursing school development a model of community participation and involvement, was evaluated through interviews with 73 community members. Many projects designed to foster community competence in elder care and youth/school-based health have been sustained. (SK)

Reviews the efforts of Michigan public libraries to create local and statewide electronic information services. Highlights include Internet access; libraries' roles in the community; networking climate; three local and regional projects; and statewide initiatives, including those of the state library. (LRW)

Introduces concept of Community Youth Development, the purpose of which is to help communities respond to youth violence; reviews community efforts to respond to youth violence; describes history of community youth development; discusses positive youth-development building blocks; provides four-part definition of community youth development;…

An educational workshop was developed in Monroe County, New York on teen depression and suicide. The workshop used a proactive, preventive-educational approach, including both primary and secondary prevention modalities, directly available to teens, parents, and youth professionals. The program subsequently developed new partnerships between…

Describes current approaches to adolescent substance abuse treatment, including the 12-step treatment approach, behavioral treatment approach, family-based treatment approach, and therapeutic community approach. Summarizes research that assesses the effectiveness of these models, offering findings from the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment's…

Describes the evolution of a primary, community-based drug prevention program and the challenges associated with becoming established within a particular community. Addresses the use of consortium to implement program goals and objectives; parental involvement and home visitation; developing and maintaining a positive relationship with the host…

Over the course of the last decade, Stockholm has witnessed the emergence of a number of voluntary organizations that are active in the field of crime prevention. This article describes the "Lugna Gatan" project, which was initiated in Stockholm in 1994. The idea was to create an organization comprised of young adults aged between 20 and…

Responsive community programming assists urban learners in revitalizing their communities. This chapter examines two community-based organizations that are creating positive changes in local neighborhoods with collaborated strategies for the delivery of educational programming.

This article discusses Monroe Community College's CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), a program designed to help neighborhoods and work sites prepare for effective disaster response through training and planning. The program requires 24 hours of theoretical and hands-on practice in self-help and mutual-aid emergency functions. CERT personnel…

The authors present a stakeholder-driven method, the earliest anticipated timeline of impact, which is designed to assess stakeholder expectations for the earliest time frame in which social programs are likely to affect outcomes. The utility of the anticipated timeline of impact is illustrated using an example from an evaluation of a…

Innovative approaches to mental health problems are described. Conceptualizations about the following areas are outlined: psychiatry, the universe, and the community; theoretical malaise and community mental health; the relation of conceptual models to manpower needs; and mental health manpower and institutional change. Community programs and new…

As a guide for administrators, teachers, and students during the bicentennial year, the handbook suggests themes and ideas intended to stimulate further thinking about the Bicentennial. The Heritage, Festival, and Horizons themes established by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration are described to provide direction for schools and…

This review surveys documents and journal articles previously announced in RIE, ERIC's monthly abstract catalogs, dealing with the growth of community schools. The community school is perceived to be the vehicle for the larger concept of community education -- a philosophy of education and society that radically changes the role of the public…