For almost 20 years, from 1917 to the 1930s, the traveling Chautauqua circuits and festivals brought education, inspiration, and entertainment to remote and not-so-remote communities. Now in the 1980s, emphasis is once more being placed on the value of local community life, on self-reliance and mutual help with respect to the social, cultural, and…

Designed to assist organizations preparing to celebrate the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution through community and school events, this guide provides educational ideas that can be useful in directing the public's attention to the Constitution and the values it represents. Information is included on selecting forum formats, such as mock…

This document profiles 11 examples of arts and education institutions across the country that are working to solve community problems. Programs, which reflect a number of purposes, are organized by category. Large Urban Profiles, include: (1) "Bridgemaking" in Chicago: Chicago Arts Partnership in Education; (2) Learning by Working: Young Artists…

Designed to provide assistance to natural resource managers in the preparation of conservation educator programs and materials, this manual describes specific procedures for developing programs that would have significant environmental impact. Five steps are identified and explained under separate chapter headings. Each chapter concludes with a…

This manual was developed for those interested in promoting change to improve health conditions of their communities. Parts I and II focus on fundamental health education processes and discuss techniques and approaches for working with community members to plan and develop programs that are responsive to the community's expressed needs and goals.…

This exploration of the growing field of literacy voluntarism encompasses the literature, history, trends, and issues of the volunteer role in literacy programs. The majority of the literature is characterized as descriptive and program specific; the research is found to lack definition and theoretical foundation. The literature also reflects…

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is a private non-profit foundation supporting programs across the United States and on a limited basis internationally. The Foundation is interested and involved in improving the quality of life through community self-improvement, education, social welfare, economic development and environmental management. In…

This document explains how to establish study circles for public dialogue and community problem solving with the aim of building strong neighborhoods. The foreword explains the value of study circles in addressing the challenges currently facing all kinds of neighborhoods and presents 10 specific guidelines for organizing study circles in a…

This document is a step-by-step guide to organizing a study circle program to serve as a vehicle to achieve communitywide dialogue for action and change. Part 1 provides an overview of communitywide study circle programs, with special emphasis on their operation and impact. Part 2 details the following steps in organizing a communitywide study…