The climate and biodiversity crises are global challenges that require collective solutions that start with education. The Learning about Forests (LEAF) program advocates for outdoor learning and hands-on experiences, allowing students to connect with nature and develop a deeper understanding of the natural world. In order to empower schools,…

Recognizing the special relationship that exists between neighbors, communities across the nation are spearheading innovative programs to build, amplify, and leverage social networks in distressed communities to reach residents not yet enrolled in higher education. Grounded in existing relationships and established trust, the Chamber of Commerce…

Using the school-community council as a vehicle, this manual leads school staffs, parents, community representatives, and school council members step-by-step through suggested tasks to strengthen schools and to help restore confidence in the public school system. Chapter 1, "Schools and Communities Working Together: A Rationale," defines…

A growing number of charter schools are being designed, launched, and operated by community-based nonprofit organizations (CBOs). This resource guide is intended to target a priority technical assistance need: creating and sustaining a healthy relationship between a new charter school and a founding community organization, leading to the creation…

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)…

As a result of declining enrollments and the associated need for budget reductions, many school districts are confronting the issue of school closure. This guidebook presents an alternative to closing schools, namely, the option of transforming them into community centers and addresses the issues involved in cooperative planning with the community…

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: A well-rounded story of the strength of education is being presented by the staff and students of the Ramona Unified School District in Northern San Diego county. Select audiences of service clubs and community groups that have influence on public attitudes are visited by an educational team. Each…

This idea book comes from projects undertaken by American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) chapters and state and local retired teachers associations around the United States. The projects described range from simple acts performed by one volunteer to elaborate schemes funded by corporations, from involvement in existing programs to the…

This handbook serves as a brief introduction to industry-education partnerships. It provides individuals in schools, businesses, and community organizations with basic information on partnership initiation and management. It also outlines strategies that will help in avoiding some of the problems that may have defeated previous partnership…

Community-based organizations (CBOs) have been an integral part of the employment and training programs of the past two decades and have provided a wide variety of services to youth and adults alike. The vast differences between different CBOs make it impossible to draw definitive, generalizable conclusions about them. It appears, however, that…

This handbook was created to serve as a guide for all programs. It describes mentor roles, responsibilities, and successful individuals engaged in one-to-one relationships in mentoring programs. It describes mentor roles, responsibilities, and successful strategies and techniques designed to assist mentors in their work as role models and trusted…

This examination of the needs of families with students who have emotional/behavioral disorders proposes that schools provide services in the areas of (1) community programs; (2) information services; (3) advocacy and resource use; (4) home and community parent/family training programs; and (5) parent/family support and counseling. (DB)

This catalog contains more than 600 abstracts of model programs in California designed to help business, education, and community groups establish or expand partnerships in support of local education. An executive summary precedes the abstracts. The program abstracts are divided into 21 sections corresponding to specific forms of involvement.…

This pamphlet suggests what to evaluate in a school-business partnership, how to evaluate it, and how to determine whether a partnership has made a difference. The section called "Why Evaluate?" lists six questions to which evaluation frequently yields the answers. The next section explains the purpose of four steps in preparing to evaluate…

This report is designed to assist communities engaged in or contemplating initiatives focused on at-risk youth. Much of the information comes from evaluations of the Communities in Schools, SafeFeatures, and Children at Risk initiatives. Brief descriptions of experiences or practices of the community programs are used to illustrate points made or…