A collaboration between Outward Bound and Northeastern University allows a diverse group of 6-10 college students to participate in a community service learning project. Describes how the collaboration emphasizes "connected knowing," (the collective construction of knowledge) and reflective inquiry to increase the relevance of the…

The study of four community-based organizations (CBOs) participating in the Attendance Improvement Dropout Prevention program in New York City illustrates that it is important to distinguish among the characteristics of CBOs when schools think about forming collaboratives with them. CBOs may serve very different purposes for school needs. (SLD)

PACERS Small Schools Cooperative, a 29-school cooperative in rural Alabama, operates an innovative program in which student projects both serve the community and preserve community traditions. Describes how information technology enables the advantages of small schools to flower. Discusses addressing policies and mindsets that hinder development…

Describes a formative evaluation of a school-linked service delivery system for immigrant and low income families. Discusses local needs and the methods and results of the evaluation. Findings indicate that the program provides a range of appropriate services to intended beneficiaries but potential problems do exist. (RJM)

Addresses the feasibility of developing rural community transition councils to improve transition services for students with disabilities. Describes the role of local transition councils in relation to the context of rural communities and transition services. Includes suggestions for enhancing community cohesiveness and community capacity to…

This article discusses the role that university health centers and schools of public health can play in bolstering a community's capacity to solve its own health and human service problems, reviewing specific strategies and models that institutions can implement in partnership with local communities. (MDM)

One Hawaiian school, which serves gifted and dyslexic students, created the Mentorship Program for high school students and certain students in grades 5-8. The program sends students into the community with mentors experienced in various fields, teaching them real world skills in real world environments. Evaluation shows that everyone in the…

Touts the advantages of experiential learning through educational games, or simulations, as provided by outdoor-learning centers. The organization of outdoor learning is discussed along with ways for integrating community groups into the activities. Included are five examples, a bibliography, and contact information for two centers that support…

Reviews the broad social, economic, and political trends that are reshaping higher education, and introduces the two-issue series of American Behavioral Scientist (Volume 42, Issues 5-6) dedicated to analyzing innovative institutional and pedagogical endeavors and considering their potential for reshaping traditional practices. (DSK)

Presents a case study of an innovative school-based health and mental-health project that prevents early school failure. Attributes program success to social work development of broad-based partnerships involving families, schools, communities, and public-policy officials. Describes school/family partnerships that form the core of the model. (RJM)

Discusses the rationale behind the movement to link services to schools through school-linked, family resource centers. Describes several exemplary program, already developed, and outlines the promise this movement holds as a major social work strategy for revitalizing communities. Focuses on parental involvement, skill development, and how to…

This article describes an innovative model for supporting high-risk teens, including those in special education, who need social skills to protect them from sexual assault. Suggestions are made for prevention activities and involvement of community agencies with expertise for providing critical transition services to at-risk adolescents. (Author)

Addressing the "death of hope" in rural Nebraska during the 1980s farm crisis, the "School at the Center" project engages rural schools and communities in active learning projects: housing or historic-building repair, environmental repair, microenterprise development, exploration of local cultural heritage, and technology…

This analysis of the transformation of the Charles Sturt University Regional Archives from a library special collection to a multi-function regional repository highlights the importance of stakeholder interests in determining institutional configurations and collection development priorities. It also demonstrates the critical importance of…

This article describes a model of participatory action research and service-learning conducted with urban, high school African American, West Indian/Caribbean, and Puerto Rican/Latino youth and adult facilitators, in a nonclassroom setting, in a mid-sized northeastern city. Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) integrates critical theory,…