The Peninsula Enrichment Program in Queensland, Australia, organizes community-based enrichment/extension activities for disadvantaged bright children of preschool to high school age. The article describes funding made available by community service clubs, selection of program speakers, selection of children, and attitudes of parents. (JDD)

Advocates the testing and placement of incoming college students, arguing that students need access to information on their personal attributes and institutional options. Identifies criteria to be considered in selecting placement tests and making placement decisions. Offers suggestions for creating a systematic placement process. (DMM)

This article describes the development and implementation of a district-wide plan by the Columbus (OH) Public Schools to integrate computers into school programs. Included is a discussion of Summer Tech, a community education program to provide high-quality, low-cost computer education to the entire community. (IAH)

Monitoring the progress of teams over 18 months and analyzing the activities of 2 teams revealed financially stable and supportive sponsoring agencies and the community were critical factors in implementing services. Future programs trying to promote development of geriatric services should try to address these issues through community…

Discusses projects to establish school playgrounds that are planned, built, and used by individuals of different generations. Such projects involve set-up, which includes determining needs, selecting a site and project leader, designing the playground, and establishing committees; construction; and follow-up, which includes playground maintenance…

The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford was established to provide community-based medical education. Students have extensive clinical training at community health centers, and 48% of graduates eventually practice primary care. To support generalist education, faculty changes in attitudes, behavior, and knowledge and curriculum…

This article describes service outcomes for people with disabilities, achieved by local Oregon communities during the past five years as they have implemented a community capacity building model called the Community Transition Team Model. Principles of successful programs included active participation of diverse stakeholders, change viewed as a…

Lessons worth noting from existing community-service programs include the importance of reciprocity and benefit to the volunteer; accountability to the community; youth leadership; a multigenerational approach; crossing the color line; and open mindedness. The service movement provides real possibilities for mutual advantage. (SLD)

Discusses the Free to Grow initiative, a five-year program aimed at increasing the capacity of Head Start to help prevent substance abuse. The collaborative program is designed to assist a number of local Head Start programs to develop and implement model substance abuse prevention projects that will strengthen both the families and neighborhoods…

This article describes the founding and development of the Sycamore School for Academically Gifted Children in Indianapolis. Covered are the school's origin in a parent group, establishing the school philosophy, hiring a staff, and finding a facility. The school's evolution in the areas of curriculum, facility expansion, budgeting, and staffing…

Effective advocacy for staff development requires actions to develop support from in- and outside the school district. Advocacy involves vision, commitment, outreach, good planning, proof of program quality and effectiveness, alignment of staff development and school district goals, and understanding of client concerns. (SM)

Character education builds community by establishing a set of core values that match a school's ideals. Character-education proponents should inspire teachers to discuss ethics in their daily activities and model transformational/transactional leadership styles. Leaders must know their environment, formalize an infrastructure, involve others, and…

A rural track residency is a collaborative educational entity. Crafting such a residency program involves creating a nurturing relationship between academic, corporate, and community cultures that balances values and risks and focuses on mutual benefits of collaboration. Steps in the process, obstacles encountered, and solutions are described.…

Reviews the evolution of efforts to develop effective, sustainable school health programs, arguing that efforts were significantly driven by public health priorities and have not adequately accounted for educational perspectives. A model illustrating linkages between different school-based inputs and strategies and long-term health and educational…

Describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an HIV prevention program promoting condom use among sexually active adolescents. It mobilized target communities to guide program development and implementation; created a mass media campaign to promote correct condom use; and recruited public agencies and organizations to distribute…