The development of the U.S. community college concept for increasing access, success, and transition in both transfer and career programs has been well documented (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). With such success has come increased international interest in both the organizational model of the community college and the instructional approaches taken…

A model for community services that stresses the necessity and value of community involvement in the planning of community service activities is presented. The role of the community service sector of the educational institution is to establish a center which will provide leadership in uniting and coordinating community efforts to meet individual…

This collection of articles addresses the role of community colleges in serving the specialized interests of organized community groups. After introductory comments on the topic, Seymour Eskow discusses how societal changes necessitate a reexamination of the role of the community college and an increased orientation to community organizations.…

Developed for community educators interested in planning activities for National Community Education Day, this packet of materials presents planning ideas and examples of activities undertaken during the first National Community Education Day held in 1982. After messages from the National Community Education Assocation (NCEA) and the American…

A survey of 67 professionals who design and implement leadership programs identified who they considered to be ideal partners. Results indicate that institutions of higher education should work with community-based organizations to plan and deliver these programs. (Contains 13 references.) (JOW)

This publication features thirteen articles on community involvement. Several programs and individuals concerned with the role of the community in educational development and improvement are discussed. The main points made in all of the articles are: 1) research on community involvement appears limited, and 2) research "experts" are grass roots…

The award-winning website for Union Public Schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the communications department's most powerful tools in building positive relationships. As with raising a child, the challenge lies in finding ways to nurture a growing entity--constantly providing it with meaningful information, adapting it to social changes, and…

Demands on community-based prevention programs for performance accountability and positive outcomes are ever increasing in the face of constrained resources. Relatively little is known about how technical assistance (TA) should be structured to benefit community-based organizations and to lead to better outcomes. In this study, data from multiple…

Drawing from successful community education practices around the United States and focusing on the unique characteristics of Wisconsin's communities, people, and institutions, this booklet offers ideas and resources for the development of community education programs. An introductory section examines the components of community education, such as…

The needs assessment process is broken down into nine steps: (1) identifying community leaders; (2) defining assessment terms; (3) developing areas of concern; (4) conducting the assessment; (5) data analysis; (6) prioritizing; (7) analysis of probable success in meeting needs; (8) planning the program; and (9) evaluation. Surveys are discussed,…

A group process approach to community involvement in community based mental health services is discussed. There are numerous difficulties involved in attempting to establish meaningful and effective community participation including program complexities, and interpersonal and staff complexities. It is suggested that to effectively approach…

Emphasizing the intersection of policy and politics, this paper uses Theda Skocpol's polity-centered approach (1992) to analyze two key moments in the history of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program: (1) 1998, when the program's budget grew from $40 million to $200 million; and (2) 2003, when President Bush attempted to cut…

Community colleges across the country are engaged in large-scale federal and state initiatives to train low-income individuals for the nascent field that's become known as "green jobs." Many green economy advocates believe that green jobs training can be part of career pathways that help move unemployed and disconnected individuals--who are often…

The use of data for making educational decisions and to assess educational outcomes has been legislated by political bodies and codified by accreditation. Faculty have always used data to inform the grading process--data is gathered throughout the term to inform the letter grade assigned at the end. However, in today's educational environment,…

Methods for encouraging community involvement and training community volunteers for decision making positions in community schools are described. The functions of community schools are to provide a broad diversity of learning opportunities and to involve citizens in assessing community needs, evaluating services, and advocating…