Rural schools traditionally have played a central role in their communities. Now, as rural communities face declining quality of life and threats to their viability, collaborative partnerships between communities and schools offer a promising approach to community revitalization and survival. Researchers have identified three distinct, yet related…

This research summary reviews six publications that explore the need for integrated school-based community services and describe ways in which challenges can be overcome to create effective full-time schools. The publications include the following: (1) "Full-Service Schools: A Revolution in Health and Social Services for Children, Youth, and…

Businesses, community agencies, career educators and counselors, churches, parents, and other community members are increasingly being approached to become actively involved in K-12 career education through school-to-work, tech prep, or other related programs. Community involvement in career education can assume many forms. Businesses can…

Describes the Bronx Corridor of Success Initiative, a collaborative program linking schools, colleges, health institutions, and social agencies that promotes systemic educational reform in low-income communities. Discusses the strategies and outcomes from the first four years of the initiative, established in 1992, and lessons learned. (EMH)

Rural community colleges have an important role to play in the economic development of their communities and in preparing community members for technological, economic, and societal changes. Community-based programming (CBP) is one tool utilized by colleges to become aware of local problems by collaborating with citizens, leaders, and…

This CRitical Issues Bibliography focuses on higher education partnerships with the community. It is divided into: (1) general resources about the value of community and college partnerships and trends related to these collaborations; (2) model programs and best practices from programs and institutions that engage particular communities; and (3)…

Using Bronx Community College's (New York) National Center for Urban Partnerships as an example, the article describes the role a managing partner plays in facilitating collaborations that include multiple partners, sixteen in this case. Duties include convening meetings, offering services, assessing partnership progress, providing feedback to the…

This digest examines the value of collaborations among businesses, community organizations, and educational institutions, and explores how partnerships create new opportunities and challenges. The benefits of collaborative efforts for community colleges include: (1) furthering access and services to local constituents; (2) bridging secondary…

Describes Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) publications that pertain to collaborative activities undertaken by community colleges and their partners, the types of agencies that fund such programs, and the strategies that guide effective partnerships. Groups publications into three categories: (1) existing partnerships; (2) funding…

Uses the Los Angeles Partners Advocating Student Success, an interinstitutional educational reform effort, as a case study in collaboration. Discusses the role of the president, and contends that collaboration provides community colleges with new opportunities to promote access and enhance the educational success of underserved students by…

This volume addresses the theme of collaboration and partnership among community colleges, businesses, and the community by focusing on credit-based examples of innovative connections. Each chapter describes the ingenuity of individuals committed to establishing a relationship based on a recognized need or opportunity. Each chapter also offers…

Explores ways that rural community colleges can develop collaborations and relationships that foster educational access and economic development. Discusses the Rural Community College Initiative, a program that assists colleges in the United States' most distressed rural areas in designing locally effective educational practices. (EMH)

Argues for a new organizational culture of collaboration in the community college, one defined by student-centered goals. Discusses several projects that employ this new partnership model, specifically Santa Ana College's (California) Summer Scholars Transfer Institute, which developed from a collaborative assessment by the internal and external…

This digest explores various ways in which businesses have partnered with educational institutions to improve vocational education efforts. It begins the article with an acknowledgment that vocational education has undergone consistent reform in the last decade to satisfy the demands of public, corporate, and government sectors that hold community…

This issue of New Directions for Community Colleges focuses on ways of establishing and sustaining collaborative work between colleges and local school districts. Chapters included are: (1) "Building Bridges or Barriers? Public Policies That Facilitate or Impede Linkages between Community Colleges and Local School Districts" (Katherine Boswell);…