Our century has unprecedented new challenges, which need creative solutions and deep thinking. Contemplative, deep thinking became an "endangered species" in our rushing world of Tweets, elevator pitches, and fast decisions. Here, we describe how important aspects of both creativity and deep thinking can be understood as network…

Describes an environmental action program taking place in the schools of five counties in Pennsylvania. The program deals with environmental problems on a practical level and offers technical and consultant assistance to schools and individual teachers. Specific action programs are described. (Author/IRT)

Conducted large, systematic, descriptive study of parent-led programs (N=10) to prevent drug and alcohol use and abuse. Explored history of parent groups, structure and activities, roles of group participants, and perceptions of parents, youth, and community leaders. Results indicated that parent-led prevention was an active, although small-scale…

The purpose of this project was to organize an effective, comprehensive, public relations program in a medium size school district and, hopefully, increase the image of the district. The data contained in this report will demonstrate a clear need for the organization of a public relations program, the extent to which an effective, comprehensive…

The superintendent of central Iowa's CAL Community School District describes how his small district maintains quality community-based education despite financial problems and federal/state neglect of rural schools. He notes that Iowa citizens have established a rural education lobbying group. Part of a theme issue on rural education. (SJL)

This book describes the success of mentor programs and of individuals such as Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush, Bill Cosby, and Arnold Schwarzenegger among many others, who have worked as mentors in public schools. The first section describes the work of Eugene Lang and his "I Have a Dream" program. The second section describes the work of…

This paper describes the concept, training, and experiences of community facilitators as change agents in a nonformal education project in rural Ecuador. Presently, the social, economic, and political context of the rural Ecuadorian consists of poverty, racial prejudice, economic exploitation, and psychological dependency. The project attempted to…

There were 2.7 million incidents of child abuse or neglect reported to authorities in one year. Between 1986 and 1992, the total number of children killed by firearms rose by 144 percent. A 1990 survey of inner-city young people in Baltimore found one in four teenagers had witnessed a murder and three in four knew someone who had been shot. What…

Eight 1980 innovative programs in continuing education are described which won awards from the American College Testing Program and the National University Extension Association. Awards were granted according to programs' transferability, innovativeness, workability, and impact in one of four categories: instructional programs, student services…