Describes the California Community Colleges' goal to advance the state's economic growth through quality economic development programs. Discusses the importance of assessment and presents the results of an outcome evaluation, stating that California will collect $1.42 in taxes over the next 10 years for every dollar it spent on economic…

Describes activities developed by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University and the Illinois State Library to prepare librarians for a new role in local economic development. Discusses results of a survey on library support for community development in terms of services and business materials collections. (AEF)

A self-empowerment leadership program used a metacognitive approach to provide Native participants with a process for dealing with life's challenges, both personally and within their communities. Interviews with 42 participants explored their move toward self-sufficiency and how far they were able to go in transforming individual self-sufficiency…

Identifies two competing tendencies in higher education: becoming more market-oriented and working for the benefit of society. Argues that partnerships between the community and institutions of higher education are an effective way of contributing to community development. Describes the potential of South Africa's historically disadvantaged…

Explores administrator and staff perceptions of mission-critical agency capacity in a predominantly Hispanic region that has a high degree of acculturation and elevated use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Domains explored are financial resources; proposal development; agency policies; organizational structure; communication; leadership;…

This paper reports on an innovative use of online learning, within a distributed learning environment (DLE), to support students in an undergraduate programme in Indigenous health and community development to reflect on their experiences in professional placements. The professional practice curriculum at Yooroang Garang School of Indigenous Health…

The author became familiar with the work of Paulo Freire while studying at university in the 1980s in Aotearoa/New Zealand. At the time she was involved in a community development project where groups of solo mothers were brought together to be politicised. She then became involved in the anti-racism movement and in international aid and…

The final chapter highlights five themes that thread through this volume: awareness of self, awareness of others, community building, social action, and art as a context for learning.

The growing dominance of the creative economy challenges cities and regions to move beyond the impulse toward "big ticket" economic development strategies like stadiums and convention centres and consider increased support for community-level strategies that encourage social and cultural diversity. Vibrant street scenes, eclectic…

The Alberton Project was a three-year community capacity building project that ran from 1999 until 2002. It aimed to revitalise the local community surrounding the small Victorian town of Yarram. Evaluation of the project involved participant observation, monitoring of media reports, surveys and interviews. Outcomes are reported with reference to…

The Instituto Tecnologico de Sonora (ITSON), a public and autonomous university in Cuidad Obregon, Sonora in Mexico has, since its inception, maintained a commitment to society and public service. To transform this commitment into valued results, it has used Mega Planning as its framework over the last eleven years. This article illustrates the…

Community gardens fulfil many roles, including the reclamation of public space, community building, and the facilitation of social and cultural expression. This paper discusses a nexus between research and education for sustainability that evolved out of an examination of the role of community gardens in fostering community development and…

In response to a state budget deficit, the University of Minnesota Extension restructured its field staff, establishing a new regional and county delivery system, shifting all supervision of field staff to campus faculty, and encouraging greater field staff specialization, program focus, and entrepreneurial efforts. Nine economic concepts and…

The University of Dayton's Raymond L. Fitz, S.M. Center for Leadership in Community has a long history that is emblematic of its mission to "initiate and sustain partnerships with urban neighborhoods and larger communities by working at comprehensive community building and providing a context for connected learning and scholarship" (Fitz…

In the Community in the Classroom project, 10 Appalachian community-based groups are exploring ways in which literacy education can contribute to community development. This project is challenging assumptions about the role of education, looking beyond the traditional economic context of adult education, and shifting the focus of literacy from…