The Iowa Community Betterment (ICB) program provides support to communities attempting to maximize their own resources and create development. In two ICB projects, Edgewood citizens developed badly needed affordable housing and built a golf course, and Greene residents boosted tourism by building a paddlewheel riverboat and supporting local…

Discusses the issues involving the work of development and environmental education agencies. Presents definitions for the terms development and environmental education; the process of developmental education; the concept of developed communities; and proposes the need for future debate to clarify the issues. (MDH)

A pilot sustainable-development project in Scotland trained community participants in participatory research and involved them in investigating local quality-of-life issues and presenting them to the community. The project revealed ways to improve the program by increasing involvement of local social movement groups and resolving conflicts of…

Kansas City YouthNet is taking on a leadership role in promoting community youth development (CYD). YouthNet's efforts to shift the measurement and evaluation focus from delivery of staff services to individual youth achievement is expected to lead to additional funds, a new CYD infrastructure, and improved lives of youth. (Author/JOW)

Do the actions and agency of citizens in civil society affect the public sphere? Whether these people and their activities contribute a discourse of the public or only a marginal realm is critical to understanding the relationship among community development, civil society, and social change. (Author/JOW)

Outlines the rationale for promoting comprehensive development in troubled communities. Argues that such approaches employ strategies that address the social, physical, and economic needs and circumstances of community residents. Looks at historical and current approaches and examines the experience of the Ford Foundation's Neighborhood and Family…

A British project to develop a learning community had to overcome challenges of trust, lack of participation by young men, and the tendency to be led by funding. Project lessons include the following: community learning is community development; providers are co-learners; and information technology is an inspirer and an equalizer. (SK)

Describes a workshop in spoken word poetry. Presents a brief history of spoken word poetry. Describes ways of building the community and using hip-hop and rhythm in spoken word poetry. Lists and discusses nine exercises in rhythm and tone. Discusses the final week and the process of revision of the workshop. Concludes with a checklist of logistics…

Argues that the metaphor of "networks" is valid only in reference to formal relationships, not informal connections such as self-help groups or family and friends. Evaluates uses of network analysis and concludes that "circle" may be a better metaphor for informal connections. Contains 63 references. (SK)

The Korean Community Adult Education (KCAE) program is designed to instruct Korean society in globalization, the information age, and local community development. KCAE developed from the notion that adult education could contribute to meeting and solving community-based problems and tasks. (JOW)

The emotional life of community organizations and their members has been neglected in community development, although it can have an impact at individual, societal, and micro-social levels. Both the instrumental tasks and the emotions of organizations must be addressed. Understanding group dynamics can create awareness of this dimension. (Contains…

Discusses Community Service Learning for Unemployed Youth, a program that uses service learning, career development, and community development principles with unemployed youth. The program actively engages young people in their own learning by giving them the opportunity to perform services that directly benefit their community. (Author/MKA)

Factors contributing to the failure of a community wellness center in rural Alberta included arbitrary choice of the community by regional health authorities, power issues, lack of leadership, and different interpretations of what a wellness center is. Solutions include having community members identify community needs and finding a project…

In Brittany, a project that integrates training and social development was designed to meet local labor market needs. Key features are innovative uses of training (pretraining, alternating training and work) and strong company involvement in local regeneration. (SK)

Notes that connecting the teachers' stories and experiences presented in this themed issue are such themes as using real life issues as the curriculum, risk taking, student ownership, and community building. Discusses how these teachers believe in the importance of making curriculum relevant and meaningful to the lives of the children by…