Designed to provide basic guidelines and examples that can be used by community colleges for organizing and conducting community impact studies, this booklet describes the experiences of Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC), Eastfield College (EC), and Valencia Community College (VCC) in conducting their impact studies. Introductory material…

Involvement of the church in rural community life was investigated by examining the "Fifty-Year Index to Rural Sociology." Findings revealed that 43 separate articles were published from 1944 to 1977 under categories of community life (7 articles); ministers: elite control (4); attitudes (5); beliefs, practices (6); churches (6); church…

Citizen involvement in the public decision-making process can be facilitated if appropriate forms and functions of involvement are used. The issue cycle, which can help public officials to ensure that citizens have constructive and timely input into the decision-making process, involves awareness of some condition in the community; community…

Intended for local municipal officials and their advisors on public finance issues, this publication describes the legal environment surrounding bonds and examines some of the factors affecting the political feasibility of bond issues. Four categories of state controls of municipal bonds are discussed: limits on the amount of debt municipalities…

This report describes a community development course focusing on income-generating projects for rural women. The first section outlines the schedule of activities for each day of the 16-day course. The second section defines course objectives, including purpose and methodology, planning, group dynamics, cooperation, communication, negotiation, and…

Rural economic development depends on implementation of strategies that capture the competitive edge of the total rural environment. It will not succeed by weak duplication of traditional urban development strategies. The historic dependence on the natural resource base that is the common denominator for rural areas must be regarded not as a…

This text is intended as a basis for community development educators to increase their understanding of the elements of community development, assess systematically the strengths and weaknesses of a community development situation, examine one approach to community development education and the principles from which it grew, and gain confidence in…

This guide for Peace Corps volunteers emphasizes the importance of visual aids in communicating ideas, concepts, and behavior, and in motivating people to change life patterns. Guidelines for the selection and effective use of materials in health education that will be understood in the target culture are provided. The packet illustrates and…

Puerto Rico is an interesting illustration of the environmental problems created when rural area is subjected to the forces and changes brought about by rapid industrialization and economic development. These problems, which are magnified by a high population density, rural poverty, a scarcity of usable land, and the absence of natural resources,…

The low-cost day care center described is industry-sponsored, not for the company's employees, but as a community service enabling welfare mothers to work while their children enjoy a development-enhancing curriculum provided by trained teachers, once welfare recipients. Executives believe business must help the disadvantaged solve their problems.…

Argues that although the nature of community problems requires the address of all of higher education, black colleges are selective as a group to bring a systems approach to the resolution of many societal issues, and examines six aspects of higher education: legal, political, programmatic, economic, administrative, and dialectical. (Author/JM)

This study cites examples of fund raising ideas and activities of neighborhood and community improvement groups in Seattle. The intent of the study is to offer documentation and analysis of successful fund raising activities to other nonprofit, voluntary community groups which are interested in seeking financial support for their activities.…

Given that a community is defined by the common interests of a group of people and that community development involves the joint efforts of these people in addressing shared problems, the most important component of the community development process is instruction in the skills needed for effective political and social involvement. Yet society…

Although 60% of the children served by foster care programs are black, none of the child welfare agencies in New York City are black-controlled. Control of child and family agencies would enable knowledgeable black entrepreneurs to define the kind of services to be delivered and where they are to be placed. In this way, the issues underlying the…

This report attempts to interrelate essential concepts in visual communication and gaming-simulation with problem solving and education in the fields of regional environmental planning, design, and community development. Use of these methodologies in educating the general public in regional planning topics is also covered. The use of visual or…