Youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) aspire to participate in a variety of activities after high school, such as attaining paid employment, enrolling in postsecondary education, being involved in their communities, living independently, and building friendships. However, complex and longstanding transition barriers require…

The years between childhood and adulthood are full of new experiences and new challenges. This guide is designed to help young people and adults participate in a study circle on youth issues. The study circles, which are small-group, democratic, peer-led discussions, offer a way for participants to work together as full partners in community…

Most of our public problems--from crime to racial tensions to substance abuse--directly involve and affect young people. The goal of this guide is to create opportunities for young people and adults to talk candidly about youth issues, develop new ideas, and work together to implement these ideas. It fosters democratic dialogue by advocating the…

The first guide shows individuals how to organize a series of small-group discussions in order to help participants consider ways to prevent crime and violence in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. Based on the concept of a study circle--small-group, democratic, and highly participatory--these groups bring people together to discuss…

A study circle is a group of diverse members of a community who meet with a facilitator to find common ground for solutions and actions. The Study Circles Resource Center proposes a program of Community-Wide Study Circles to talk about student success and develop ideas for action in the community and schools. This brochure provides a rational for…

Describes how members of one community organization tried to get their school district to move toward an Educational Planning-Programming Budgeting System. (Authors/MB)

Libraries and librarians can live up to their commitment to freedom of the mind by grasping the initiative, wherever possible, by supplimenting the traditional role with continuing seminars on the choosing and deciding roles of society. (Author/JS)

Growing numbers of school districts across North America are using study circles to build communitywide coalitions that make schools work better for everyone. Study circles are inclusive community conversations that lead directly to school or community change. They include a combination of large-group meetings and facilitated small-group…

This paper is based on the evaluation of the Tanzanian education campaign called "Man is Health." It reviews the genesis of the campaign, objectives and organization, training system, examples of the groups at work, preliminary findings, and other significant aspects of the total effort. (Author)

This package includes a guide for formation and implementation of community study circles on cultural diversity, an abridged version of the same text entitled "A Busy Citizen's Discussion Guide", for study circle participants, and a 23-minute videotape recording. The main guide begins with a section on the need for community conversations, based…

This discussion guide is designed to help students engage in the kind of dialogue about racism and race relations that can make a difference in their community. In study circles (small-group, democratic, participatory discussions), students have the chance to get to know one another, consider different points of view, explore disagreements, and…

Presents six steps for organizing community forum programs: establish forum steering committees; enlist community organization cosponsors; involve local media; develop related activities and community events; provide for panelist and moderator practice sessions; and develop forum promotional plans. Includes action steps for the forum coordinator.…

The results of this study support the use of trained volunteers in systematic controlled activities with prisoners. On the institutional measures, prisoners who participated in discussion groups with trained volunteers showed more positive change than did prisoners exposed to untrained volunteers. (Author/CS)

The American Indian Law Students Association, which has been in existence for 5 years, provides a forum where the ideas of the soon-to-be attorney can be expressed, and a common ground where the student becomes aware of current legal developments affecting the Indian community. (KM)

This paper introduces the Connecticut Community Conversations project and discusses the origins of the partnership between Public Agenda and the Graustien Memorial Fund in Connecticut. It describes Public Agenda's model of community dialogue and engagement and how it was specifically applied in the project. It then looks closely at the experience…