Although progress has been made in the past decade in dealing with social and economic problems, there are still problems that need to be addressed. These include the need to revitalize decayed urban areas, and to develop human resources in these areas. This paper suggests that a comprehensive community education approach may be part of the…

This booklet is one of eight developed both as resource guides to assist Wisconsin public schools in offering quality reading instruction and as models for improvement where there is a need for change. This second booklet presents the concept of community education and stresses the need for community involvement in education in implementing Right…

The genesis of the Ocean Beach, California, Community School is described in this volume by three of the participants in its formation. A grassroots effort, the school was started amidst a certain degree of controversy and resistance from already established community organizations. The authors describe the processes they went through to gather…

The American Issues Forum (AIF) is the national program for the Bicentennial developed by the National Endowment for the Humanities and cosponsored by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration. The purpose of the Leadership Packet is to provide those who are interested in developing AIF Programs with suggestions about how to plan and…

A resource book for the development of arts education in the community is presented in four sections. Section I lists seven of the Wisconsin State Plan Community Related Objectives: to initiate or expand communication between arts groups, arts institutions, and public and private organizations; expand arts education programs for adults through…

The United Way of America has issued a Call to Action that asks the United States to make the achievement of literacy a top national priority. The goal is to achieve literacy by the year 2010. The Call to Action includes a set of strategies, objectives, and actions based on United Way's community problem-solving approach. At the heart of the Call…

The papers selected for this reader represent the broad range of "practice oriented" interests, problems, populations, and interventions found in both rural social work and at the Seventh National Institute. Section 1 contains four papers which deal with program development and community practice, i.e., planning social services in a…

In order for the potential of cable television to be applied for educational benefit, educators must effectively communicate their priorities and needs to both licensing authorities and cable companies. This guide familiarizes educators and school committees with their options and prepares them to take part in local franchise negotiations. It…

Asset mapping involves documenting tangible and intangible resources of a community viewed as a place with assets to be preserved and enhanced, not deficits to be remedied. Kretzmann and McKnight (1993) are credited with developing the concept of asset-based community development (ABCD) that draws on appreciative inquiry; recognition of social…

A study was done to assist the U.S. Office of Education in ascertaining whether there is the need and desire for mayor and city involvement in the area of consumer education and to assist the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) in determining whether or not its role in the promotion and establishment of priorities for consumer education for cities…

This document explains how to establish study circles for public dialogue and community problem solving with the aim of building strong neighborhoods. The foreword explains the value of study circles in addressing the challenges currently facing all kinds of neighborhoods and presents 10 specific guidelines for organizing study circles in a…

This manual explains how to implement the Master Teacher in Family Life (MTFL) Program. This training model is designed to teach natural leaders within poor communities the information and skills to create an effective internal communication system to educate fellow residents about important issues and create and sustain a network of support for…

This book documents the experiences that were gathered in project DELSILIFE, Development of a Coordinated Educational Intervention System for Improving the Quality of Life of the Rural Poor through Self-Reliance. The project was carried out by the Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (INNOTECH) for the South-East Asian…

Ireland's economic and social problems in the 1980s spawned a new kind of community education. Key characteristics of the new community education are as follows: (1) it is a learning environment and located in the community; (2) it provides learning programs based on identified needs; (3) its control remains in the local community's hands; (4) its…

This document is a step-by-step guide to organizing a study circle program to serve as a vehicle to achieve communitywide dialogue for action and change. Part 1 provides an overview of communitywide study circle programs, with special emphasis on their operation and impact. Part 2 details the following steps in organizing a communitywide study…