Focusing on the Community Action Program, an assessment was made of how much change has occurred in institutions which deal with the poor; what role CAP has played in realizing these changes, which CAP aspects or activities were related to institutional change; and community characteristics which might explain the changes or the role of CAP.…

Twelve urban community action programs (CAP) were examined in depth to determine how each of them operationally defined community action and to evaluate their performance. The criteria used were: (1) a clear statement of purpose and programs consistent with that purpose; (2) strong independent leadership and a built-in evaluation and…

The impact of the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) Community Action Programs (CAP) on 6 selected American Indian reservations (Gila River and Papago, Arizona; Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico; Pine Ridge, South Dakota; Turtle Mountain, North Dakota, and White Earth Chippewa, Minnesota) are evaluated. After considering the development of Indian…

This booklet is a school and community action guide designed to assist local communities in the identification of needs, exploration of alternatives, and implementation and evaluation programs to address issues affecting children and youth. The action guide is presented as a four-step process of: (1) conducting a needs assessment; (2) organizing…

Regarding county-level leadership, evidence is presented to support four main contentions. County leadership is dominated by a relatively small number of very influential people. By and large they are the same people in 1968 as they were in 1964. While no appreciable change has occurred in the constituency of this dominant group as a result of the…

The previous history of unsystematic practice of educational evaluation has created for the present evaluator a set of problems resulting from a tradition of fear, mistrust, suspicion and disbelief among the educational community. Absences of evidence of critical influence have resulted in the underfunding of evaluation. Common problems faced by…

The City/County/Regional Government Volunteer Programs Coordinator Program was inaugurated by ACTION as one of several projects to test whether the Federal government can play an expanded role in the volunteer movement. ACTION invited interested city, county, and regional governments to submit proposals for participation in a series of 1-year,…

This document presents a report on a 2-year study of community anti-drug coalitions in 11 cities that have community initiatives programs. Through an extensive review of the literature, conversations with prevention experts, and interviews with members of the programs, an examination was made of the lessons learned by the coalitions. Since formal…

Describes a community needs assessment process that moved community decision makers into action. The needs assessment was conducted jointly by program development staff members from the office of continuing education and public service at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and by members of a small rural community. (CT)

Allies Against Asthma, a working group of the Consortium for Infant and Child Health (CINCH), conducted a comprehensive asthma needs assessment in Hampton Roads, Virginia, in 2001. Results from extant data and parent surveys indicated that asthma prevalence was high (15% to 18%), 45% to 50% of children received primary care for asthma in the…

The Join Together Policy Panel on Preventing Substance Abuse has formulated six recommendations that can facilitate community efforts to prevent substance abuse. These recommendations are directed to federal, state, and local policymakers and the communities they serve. The recommendations are: (1) federal, state, and local policies should…

This document presents a set of ten steps that can be used by a wide range of concerned people to mobilize a community to solve problems connected with the growing population of underachieving minority youth. Step I, "The Initiation," outlines how to develop a coalition to assure a strong foundation for mobilization efforts. Step II,…

This manual is intended to be used in conjunction with a 1-day training workshop to help parents of children with emotional disorders establish working alliances with protection and advocacy agencies for people with mental illness (PAMIs). The workshop prepares parents for developing specific plans for forging alliances with the state PAMI. The…

A high priority area for behavioral community psychologists involves working to strengthen informal support systems within communities. A collaborative effort between a community group and academic based psychologists focusses on a community problem--dog litter in an urban area. An original demonstration project was used to influence the political…

This handbook uses a Title IX Ethnic Heritage Studies Project conducted in Illinois as a model for suggesting methods and approaches that might be used by school personnel in introducing multicultural studies to a school community setting. Specific strategies are outlined and described for the following areas: (1) funding; (2) staff training; (3)…