In an action research project, local citizens and community groups (often in collaboration with school professionals) investigate community-defined issues. Action research is geared to help people think clearly about an issue and find the resources they need to face it. In such a project, citizens develop skills in organizing, finding resources,…

"Medical Exploring," a program for young men and women interested in health careers, is the largest and one of the fastest growing of the career special interest programs of the Boy Scouts of America's Exploring Division. History, organization, and program of the group are described and discussed. (JT)

New voluntary agencies have grown out of the social changes of the 1960s. These grass-roots organizations, such as coffee houses, legal aid societies, and community counseling centers, differ in program style and attitude from traditional social agencies and may be more effective with alienated and cynical young people. (SJL)

Provides a brief overview of the circumstances behind the Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act (YEDPA) of 1977 and describes major program components of the act: Young Adult Conservation Corps; Youth Incentive Entitlement Pilot Projects; Youth Community Conservation Improvement Projects; Youth Employment and Training Program; and a…

Over the past seven years technology students and teachers at the Walkerton District Secondary School in Ontario, Canada have been designing and building projects for community organizations ranging from picnic pavilions to football bleachers. Both the community and the staff and students benefit from this practical experience. The article…

Relates community structural variables to leadership arrangements, paying special attention to the results obtained when three alternative measures of "reputational" leadership (visibility, legitimacy and centralization) are used in two samples of communities. (Author/AM)

Discusses the history of a citizen's organization on San Antonio's West Side, Communities Organized for Public Service (COPS), which only organizations such as churches, block clubs, and civic groups, can join. Concludes that "COPS has proved that it has vote-getting ability far past the 5,000 people who attend citywide conventions."…

Ethnographers have not adequately studied societal determinants of poverty. This article demonstrates the utility of using systems theory to assess interactions between local organizations, national bureaucracies, and corporations. Numerous futile attempts of some the poor and working class Bostonians to halt gentrification show how…

Updates a directory of national youth-serving and youth advocacy organizations which appeared in the spring 1985 issue of "Top of the News." The directory has been compiled to share information about new projects and publications among children's librarians. (EM)

Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation will be one of the first public recreation agencies in the country with facilities that are completely accessible to the physically disabled. (SK)

The manner in which the Cuyahoga County, Ohio Department of Environmental Health utilizes audio-visual presentations for communication with business and industry, professional public health agencies and the general public is presented. Subjects including food sanitation, radiation protection and safety are described. (BT)

Today, more Americans volunteer through religious organizations than through any other type of organization and 92 percent of faith-based charities report the ability to take on additional volunteers. The Corporation for National and Community Service is dedicated to ensuring that faith-based and community organizations have the capacity, tools,…

This report focuses on leadership development, especially on efforts that promote youth engagement as a youth development strategy. Part 1 is an edited version of the publication, "Youth Leadership for Development: Civic Activism as a Component of Youth Development Programming." It provides an overview of youth development theory, including an…

This videotape provides a live, interactive teleconference where renowned national experts, local educators, and community leaders share ideas on how to improve schools. It focuses on establishing partnerships with faith-based and community organizations to create stronger schools. The audience includes parents, teachers, school administrators,…

"Engaging Residents to Improve Results for Children and Youth, Families and Communities" is a "Toolkit" that is the product of an international working group composed of delegates from six participating nations--Chile, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. In 2002, the working group set out…