This report provides Canadian Aboriginal communities with information and resources for carrying out participatory action research and applying the results to community development. Presented in English and French, the report is based on a literature review and a 2-day focus group involving 14 community development experts, Aboriginal community…

Of the total number of illiterate people in the world, half are in India. National programs for adult education in India are the Community Development Program, Farmers Functional Literacy Project, and National Adult Education Program, participants in which include voluntary agencies, state resource centers, and district resource units. When the…

A study investigated the nature and function of 206 New Hampshire and 74 Vermont conservation commissions empowered to protect natural resources. Qualitative and quantitative research methods gathered data from a small number of commissioners and identified common patterns, then tested their prevalence through a survey of all commissions. Patterns…

This booklet tells the story of citizen organization and role in the school reform movement in the restructuring of the Chicago (Illinois) Public Schools. Chapter 1, "People Were 'Mad As Hell,'" relates the events immediately surrounding the Chicago Teachers Union strike that transformed discontent into community action. Chapter 2,…

An exploratory study designed to analyze the evolution of neighborhood movements in Rio de Janeiro City (Brazil) focuses on actions related to the struggle for public schools. The effort seeks to determine the degree of political autonomy of the neighborhood associations and the nature of the educational demands and their relationship with the…

This booklet offers a set of guidelines for developing a community-based coalition dedicated to improving the education of at-risk minority students. The guide offers and is organized around the following nine-step plan for the development and implementation of strategies to mobilize a community: (1) "the initiation: build core support"; (2)…

Written to help Hispanics understand the electoral process more thoroughly and to encourage them to participate more actively in the political arena, this manual begins by describing the present status of the Hispanic electorate and then explains how laws are made, how Hispanics can influence legislation, and how to organize a voter registration…

This document consists of a leader's guide that tells how to conduct a 1-day workshop and a workbook used by workshop participants to develop action plans to improve workplace literacy and the collaboration skills needed to implement those plans. It is intended that workshop participants should consist of 10-15 community members.) A memorandum in…

In 1987, the department of Rio San Juan was declared the first "illiteracy-free territory" in Nicaragua, since it had reduced its rate of illiteracy from 96 percent in 1979 to 3.7 percent. This regional literacy crusade was made possible by the facts that the necessary facilities had been provided; a network of consultative committees…

This handbook concerns the victimization of children, community awareness of child abuse, what Texas law demands of educators, in-service training on child abuse and neglect, and implementing anti-victimization programs for children. The victimization of children is discussed in terms of four basic types of victimization, facts and myths about…

The difficulties presently being faced by rural communities in the North Central Extension Region are well known. Many of these communities have economies which are closely tied to farming and therefore suffer economic hardship in direct relationship to those encountered by farmers. However, a dominant characteristic of communities in the region…

This paper summarizes the results of a National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) survey of community-based organizations (CBOs) about the effects of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). Findings are summarized in these areas: (1) changes in funding for training disadvantaged youth, (2) changes in service to youth, (3) the role of CBOs in the…

Innovative programs for the promotion of small-scale enterprise are being conducted by a variety of organizations, including universities, government agencies, international research institutes, and voluntary assistance agencies. Their activities encompass basic extension services, management of cooperatives, community action programs, and…

This project was conducted as an experiment in the implementation of the guidelines set up by the agents' manual of the Texas study, SKILLS (Seniors and Kids Involved in Learning Life's Skills). Objectives of the intergenerational program included the following: (1) to further the work started by the SKILLS study, (2) to offer a variety of…

IN ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, WHERE THE SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED LIVE IN HIGH DENSITY HOUSING, SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES INCORPORATED RECRUITED AND TRAINED EIGHT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE TO SERVE AS ADULT EDUCATIONAL AIDES IN A 6-MONTH PROJECT DESIGNED FOR THE NEW JERSEY COMMUNITY ACTION TRAINING INSTITUTE. SIX AIDES, AGED FROM 18 TO 48 WITH NINTH-GRADE TO COLLEGE…