Contribution: Case study of a rural-focused educational program with two components: 1) introducing high school students and teachers to smart and connected technologies (SCTs) that can be used to solve local problems and 2) engaging the local community in supporting local technology-driven entrepreneurship. Background: Rural communities typically…

Communities Alive For Living and Learning (Project CALL), designed at Kishwaukee College to help three local, rural communities develop educational, recreational, and cultural programs, is described in this report. The first sections of the report consider the need for and purposes of the project. The Project Coordinator's report presents an…

The systematic, practical ideas presented for improving the quality of life in a community are based on the belief that people, working together, sometimes with and through local government and sometimes through the vigorous efforts of voluntary organizations and associations, can help their communities increasingly become the kinds of places that…

A strong local economy which allows residents of a community to work and shop near their homes is perhaps the best safeguard against the threats of urban sprawl, economic stagnation, physical deterioration and loss of unique identity facing many small towns. Utilizing a six-phase process advocated by the University of Wisconsin-Extension,…

Aurora, a village of 147 residents in north central Kansas, was the focus of a 1978 investigation of the community development potential for Kansas rural villages. Students and staff from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare worked with community residents to identify three programs the village wanted (a recreation program, a…

This handbook provides instructions to help communities form county rural development (CRD) committees. Guidelines are applicable to committee work in general and to community involvement in identifying and discussing local problems, determining community needs, setting goals, identifying available resources, securing adequate leadership, and…

Covering 1979-80, which was the final year of the initial four year grant period for the Partnership for Rural Improvement (PRI), this report details the major assessments and program adjustments made during that year. Several program developments of critical importance to understanding the transition occurring in PRI are highlighted in the…

Results are presented of a study on the economic development efforts of ten rural community action agencies (CAAs). This report describes the role played by the various CAAs in the economic development of their communities: the problems faced by the different agencies, the program approaches tried and how these approaches were developed, what the…

Now completing its second year, the Partnership for Rural Improvement (PRI) is a four year rural development program funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Its fundamental purpose is the development of a linkage system connecting the research and development of knowledge about rural improvement with the dissemination and use of that knowledge.…

Case studies of local development projects in Scotland, Norway, Australia, and the United States (Minnesota) indicate that federal education programs of a "generative" nature (those linking educational improvement to other improvement efforts, emphasizing process, and stimulating grass-roots participation) are most likely to promote…

Many rural communities share these complaints: (1) an exodus of the best and brightest young people; (2) a changing and ambivalent self-concept about the identity and the future of the community; and (3) a scarcity of good jobs to act as the mortar that bonds the other elements together. The South Dakota Rural Schools and Community Development…

Covering 1978-1979, the third annual report of the Partnership for Rural Improvement (PRI) highlights the progress made toward major program objectives and points out certain weaknesses in the model. Section I discusses program rationale, program design, and evaluation research design. Section II summarizes a selection of the major achievements…

An essential component of community-based rural development is the leadership and problem-solving abilities of local people. The Colorado Rural Revitalization Project--a joint venture of two universities and a state agency--provided educational, consultative, and technical assistance services for a 1-year capacity-building program in 47…

An annotated bibliography lists publications, films, slides, and tapes issued by Washington State University's Partnership for Rural Improvement (PRI) between 1976 and 1983. A section covering educational materials lists 10 guides, reports and case studies; 1 film; 1 slide presentation; 3 video cassettes/tapes; and 7 audio tapes. Subjects dealt…

The Rural Community Assistance Consortium (RCAC) was established to increase member schools' ability to attract and maintain funded programs and qualified resource personnel to upgrade human and community resources in rural areas. The RCAC consists of 15 predominantly black land-grant colleges and Tuskegee Institute in 15 southern and border…