Reviews current criticisms of community services programming in community colleges, focusing on the services' overexpansion of college mission and funding restraints. Argues that colleges cannot effectively intervene in every aspect of community life. Suggests that colleges redefine the notion of community services, retaining the educational…

Through participation in community service programs, adolescents assume meaningful roles and respond to real needs of their society as well as to their own need to be needed. Presents arguments for expanding opportunities for young adolescents to contribute actively to the community, including incorporation of community service in the curriculum.…

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…

Discusses a student-initiated community involvement program in Limestone, Maine, prompted by economic and emotional anxiety over closing of Loring Air Force Base. Student survey showed overwhelming support for community commitment. Introduces the Maine Community Foundation and the Aroostook County Fund, discusses their intentions, and delineates…

The Brushy Fork Institute at Berea College, Kentucky, helps develop the leadership skills that rural Appalachian communities need to solve local problems and spur economic development. Community members from 42 rural counties in 4 states (plus 2 student groups at Berea College) have attended weekend workshops at Berea College and returned home to…

Describes three Oregon school-community programs that improve student attitude and behavior: community-service learning projects for previously disruptive students, after-school programs that provide exciting group activities for students who maintain decent grades and stay out of trouble, and adult mentoring and group activities for high-risk…

Describes a project in which a school and a public library cooperated to display students' writing throughout the library's children's room. Notes that the fourth- through ninth-grade students ran three of the weekly regular after-school story hours for 5- to 10-year olds. Describes getting ready, parent participation, and the three library…

Living history and hands-on interpretation enable educators to capitalize on the curiosity, sensory needs, and creative enthusiasm of young students. However, objective evaluation in terms of measurable outcomes may be difficult. Suggestions are offered for linking curricular needs with personal growth by creating an atmosphere that promotes…

Describes the "Partners in Reading" project, which pairs adults from the community with eighth-grade students to read books together and journal together. Describes how the program has grown. Details the many positive reading/writing outcomes for students and for participating adults, how students feel more connected to adults in the community,…

Presents a case study of an educational partnership between an Albuquerque magnet elementary school and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Descriptions of the school and museum are provided as well as the program's goals, current activities and products, outcomes, and future directions. The Proyecto Futuro program, a multiyear…

Provides an example of how engagement with a public entity is incorporated into Portland State University's undergraduate curriculum. Details the development of a science-based service learning course that combines academic rigor with a community-based experience. (EV)

Examines a failed effort at university-community collaboration among three community-based organizations and the University of South Florida. Explores the dynamics of the interaction, analyzing the roles played by the competing goals and conflicting decision-making procedures of each party. Offers guidelines for universities seeking to establish…

Describes a collaborative community response coordinated by a local school health advisory board (SHAB) that addressed key findings from a youth risk behavior survey. Objective data helped focus school and community efforts, and the leadership of the SHAB successfully partnered a response with a number of community organizations. Surveys showed…

This article profiles Toni Schweitzer, a parent who has a fantastic kindergarten program for her four-year-old twins. The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the local community school where certified teachers and early childhood educators work side by side to offer a child-centred program that covers her entire working day. The program is…

Chronic school absenteeism has been identified as a precursor to undesirable outcomes in adolescence, including academic failure, school dropout, and juvenile delinquency. In spite of its effect on adolescent functioning, little research has been conducted to identify effective methods of truancy reduction, particularly among elementary-aged…