This book examines the place of the arts in the schools and how to establish that place. The document makes the case for the role of the visual arts, music, dance, drama, architecture, and aesthetics in educating boys and girls while simultaneously using the arts as a vehicle for school renewal. A special focus of the book is the rational for, and…

The architect, as a facilitator, helps design-project participants reach a consensus on priorities and a project program. (Author/MLF)

The key to marketing a town is determining and promoting the town's "differential advantage" or uniqueness that would make people want to visit or live there. Exercises to help communities gain important insights into the town's competitive edge include a brainstorming session with knowledgeable community members, a visitor…

This guide is designed to help organize and conduct a forum about sustainability with conservation groups. The ideal number of participants for this activity is 12 to 32 people. Sections of the guide include: (1) "Before You Begin"; (2) "About This Conservation Issues Forum"; (3) "An Agenda"; (4) "Welcome and Introduction"; (5) "Participant…

The KIDS Consortium is a private, non-profit organization that seeks to promote, facilitate, and institutionalize the involvement of children and youth in their communities in Maine. Kids as Planners, the central program of the KIDS Consortium, gives students the opportunity to become apprentice citizens by working with adult citizens in hands-on…

This manual provides communities with a listing of resources designed to help communities plan and develop school-community partnerships and community-development projects and processes. The main purpose of the manual is to supply a "ready-made" listing and description of resources so that models and topics are easily located. The list of…

This workbook presents suggestions for people who yearn to build strong, active, involved communities. It discusses how organizers can conceptualize networks and the practices that will help to bring this about. The guide discusses issues that arise in the first stages of community development, beginning with basic questions about understanding…

Asset mapping--drawing a map of what is valuable in a community--is an exercise in community development. A process for determining assets in the individual and in the community is provided in this workbook. It begins by asking the reader to perform a self-assessment to determine personal assets. Knowledge of each asset enhances self-awareness,…

Every community has areas--public parks, schoolyards, sidewalks--that are neglected, vandalized, or just plain run down. Young people can help clean up those places by getting involved in a community cleanup project. As explained in this bulletin, a community cleanup is a project in which volunteers of all ages work together to spruce up a chosen…

Computer equity is the equal opportunity for each individual to use a computer and learn the same subjects at the same level. Every community has some aspect of computer inequity, be it based on gender, income level, race, age, academic achievement, geography, or subject matter. The community activist who wants to promote equal access to computers…

The Margaree Education Coalition and the New Learning Project were formed as a result of a Nova Scotia (Canada) community's fight to keep its local school open in the face of government plans to consolidate schools. It is their belief that stability in public education is accomplished through the accommodation of diverse, community-specific…

Building a rural community-school development project where students engage in community-based learning experiences requires changes in the way schools prepare rural youth for the future. This publication examines the kinds of changes a school system must make before planning and implementing community-based learning strategies. Changes in…

This guide is designed to help teachers incorporate African American history into the classroom curriculum. Designed to increase self-awareness and cultural sensitivity, the guide contains a variety of flexible lesson plans and activities for grades 3 through 12. The first section, "Teacher Background Information," presents introductory…

This collection of briefs comprises a guide to minority-activity planning designed by the Steering Committee for Minority Communications of the Westinghouse Foundation. They are intended to further the following Westinghouse goals: (1) to encourage youth to pursue careers in technology; (2) to develop strong links with the minority community; (3)…

The purpose of this monograph is to provide guidelines for planners who are working with current problems in nonformal education. A typology proposed defines nonformal education as ranging from those activities organized outside the formal system to those in which nonformal education is part of the educational system. An overview is given of the…