The Central Bucks (Pennsylvania) Educational Foundation is one of approximately 1,500 public education foundations established by cities, towns, and school districts across the nation. About 65 urban districts have foundations belonging to the Public Education Fund Network. Annual budgets range from $3 thousand to $2 million. Benefits and startup…

Describes Cheney's successful use of volunteers in parks and recreation programs. They raised funds, worked for park maintenance and improvement, and organized sports programs and special events. Reports survey results from Washington communities on voluntary efforts of fraternal and social organizations, businesses, and senior and youth groups.…

Discusses ways in which Australian families may be supported by government policies in the 1990s. Topics include conservatism and family issues; changing trends; basic resources for families; and the process of mobilizing community support. (RJC)

In response to a 1983-84 school board mandate to evaluate its K-12 science program, a Maryland public school system invited local scientists, administrators, science teachers, parents, students, and graduates to serve as evaluators. The same community-based model was subsequently used to evaluate the mathematics program. (MLH)

Education in the twenty-first century must include community service as part of its mission. School-based community service fosters the development of "niches," establishes the school as a community talent base, allows schools more flexibility in relevant program development, permits school access to community financial and service…

The Personal Responsibility Education Process (PREP) is a grass-roots approach to character education that seeks to strengthen student responsibility. Instead of promoting one set of values, it helps schools rediscover their own values and reinforce them. A sampling of several Missouri school districts illustrates the diversity of the process and…

Describes the Community Farm of Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the context of critical social, economic, and environmental issues related to agriculture and the rural environment and the emerging movement for community-supported agriculture (CSA) in the United States. Discusses how CSA works, biodynamic agriculture, and opportunities for environmental…

An experience on teaching a drama class and staging performances with available resources is described. Some of the more challenging circumstances are highlighted and it is demonstrated that a sense of humor and community support is needed for the show to go on.

Despite a number of savvy strategies, it was a tough year at the polls for libraries. Both building and operating referenda had the lowest passage rates this decade, with only 52% of capital referenda and 57% of operating referenda finding success. In fact, in the 18 years since Library Journal has been tracking these votes, 2005 had the lowest…

Child-only cases, minors who receive welfare benefits as individuals, lose their eligibility at age 18 but face the same challenges to self-sufficiency as other "emerging adults." This study examines how 59 youth in 4 New York State communities thought about and prepared for the termination of their benefits. In 8 focus groups and 12…

Background: Although rural adolescents use of alcohol is at some of the highest rates nationally, rural adolescent alcohol use has not been studied extensively. This study examines how community attitudes and behaviors are related to adolescent drinking in rural environments. Methods: Data were gathered in 22 rural communities in the Upper Midwest…

This paper examines the extent to which legitimacy affects program continuation, and focuses on the process by which programs attempt to maintain legitimate status through conformity with the larger environment. Legitimacy is defined as cultural support from a program's larger environment, such as the school district or community. An innovative…

Guidelines for implementing a multi-source approach to funding child care programs are offered in this paper. The funding plan discussed consists of five steps: (1) building a climate of acceptance, (2) documenting the need for funds, (3) establishing realistic short- and long-term goals, (4) identifying possible funding sources and their special…

An outstanding physical education program usually enjoys the support of the community, and this support will, in turn, enhance the program. It is the responsibility of the physical education teacher and supervisor to develop community support for his program through various public relations efforts. Because students are the primary interface…

Purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Little Tennessee Valley Charrette, a 3-county experiment in community participation in identification of educational needs and planning new programs. An evaluation team interviewed charrette participants and group discussion leaders to obtain information on the program as the basis for…