A practicum study was planned and implemented by a working mother for the purpose of developing a child care resource and referral agency in an eastern metropolitan area. The objective of the practicum was to increase the number of child care referrals available to working families by 10 percent over a 10-week period. Of the 110 surveys mailed to…

This practicum was designed to provide teaching professionals with advocacy information, skills, techniques, and resources in order to increase participant awareness and self-confidence, and, ultimately, their community involvement. The primary method used to address this goal was the development and presentation of three workshops. These were…

A study was conducted to research and develop guidelines for the establishment and operation of a California community college foundation. The study involved a review of state regulations for the establishment of a non-profit foundation, a literature review, participation in two fund-raising seminars, personal interviews with foundation staff at…

A literature review and survey were conducted to help develop guidelines for the establishment of a post-graduate preceptorship program for new nurses. The major role of the preceptorship in nursing is to assist recent graduates in making the transition from school to professional life through a clinical experience during which the new nurse works…

A 20-minute-long videotape program, intended for regular classroom teachers involved in mainstreaming, was developed and implemented to meet in-service needs of elementary school teachers in Cherry Hill, a township in Camden County, New Jersey. Included in the videotape program were an explanation of Public Law 94-142; an overview of the decision…

A project was developed and implemented to increase developmentally appropriate activities for children in 79 Orange County, Florida, public schools participating in the Extended Day Enrichment Program (EDEP). Personnel from the EDEP were enlisted to produce curriculum kits, resource portfolios, cultural immersion workshops, and music, art, dance,…

This practicum sought to develop a video-based orientation program for a day care center. A one-time orientation meeting was not feasible for this community college-based center, due to flexible scheduling, staggered starting dates of new staff, and a diverse staff. An increase in staff size, space, and enrollment intensified the already difficult…

The goal of the project presented in the practicum was to help parents develop competencies in interacting with their children in ways which foster self esteem and cooperative behavior. The objectives of the practicum included, first, increasing parents' knowledge of: (1) the factors leading to high self esteem and cooperative behavior; (2) the…

This report discusses the implementation of a parent education program in a Long Island community. A questionnaire, which addressed the community's need for information for parents on child care services, was sent to the community's child care facilities. Responses indicated that parents had difficulty in locating an early childhood program, and…

This practicum was designed to strengthen preschool and elementary school teachers' abilities and commitment to working with parents and including them as active participants in the education of their children. It sought to help teachers identify beliefs about involving parents in the classroom and school, and to develop materials and activities…

The aim of this practicum was to increase parent, child, and caregiver satisfaction with the university lab elementary school site's extended day care program through training of caregivers and development of appropriate activities. Two groups participated, one for preschoolers through first graders, the other for second through fifth graders.…

A framework for gaining community involvement in planning for school-age child care initiatives is reported. The framework incorporates a plan than could be used as a model for the involvement of the public school system. Four primary components are described: (1) a "Kids' Council" Saturday meeting in which third graders in school-age…

The problem of families' limited access to community early childhood services and information was addressed in this practicum. Negative outcomes for young children and their families in a northeastern city were attributed to difficulties in locating and providing services for the developmental needs of children between birth and age 5. The…

As a practicum project, a developmentally appropriate training model was designed and implemented in a day care facility with 6 staff members, serving 40 children. Following documentation of the problem areas that inhibited application of developmentally appropriate practices in the particular day care setting, appropriate actions were…

A project was undertaken to reduce the amount of time required to screen first year students into an oversubscribed early childhood education program at a multicampus community college in Ontario, Canada, and to reduce faculty complaints concerning the procedure. The original process consisted of applicant questionnaires scored by faculty and…