Digital inclusion is the ability of individuals and groups to access and use information and communication technologies. Not all members of a community benefit equally, and some communities have been left out altogether. This paper is a guide for fostering digital inclusion throughout the United States so that everyone can take advantage of…

Because of the important role played by community learning providers, Premier Ed Stelmach asked Canadian Minister of Advanced Education and Technology to increase support for community education and literacy programs. Community Adult Learning Councils and other community providers of adult literacy and family literacy programming are primarily…

Rural America is growing again; and, the change in growth and migration patterns means new opportunities for small towns to expand their economic bases and to improve community facilities and services. Part of the Small Town Strategy series, this publication characterizes one small southwestern town that is typical of many others and outlines a…

This extension education publication contains insights and tools to help community members develop a strategic vision and action plan for their community. Presented first are an executive summary and an introduction that includes 10 reasons for a strategic visioning process. The first section, which deals with harnessing the power of vision,…

This workbook presents suggestions for people who yearn to build strong, active, involved communities. It discusses how organizers can conceptualize networks and the practices that will help to bring this about. The guide discusses issues that arise in the first stages of community development, beginning with basic questions about understanding…

The paper addresses the importance of developing a rural community's commercial sector for economic development by providing some analytical tools. Procedures are outlined to estimate commercial sector activity in a community, to estimate commercial sector activity for various counties within a state (Nevada is used as an example), and to develop…

Part of the Small Town Strategy series, this publication presents some of the more common techniques for identifying problems and setting objectives. A problem-solving process which can be used in many different situtations is presented. The process includes the following sequence: problem statement, goal statement; objectives, strategies,…

Many communities have economic development efforts, which are generally undertaken in an attempt to create productive employment opportunities and to strengthen the local tax base. Unfortunatley, the economic development efforts of many communities, especially rural communities, are not productive ones. Many rural development efforts fail because…

In the current tight fiscal environment, it is critical for state and community leaders to think broadly and systematically about how to finance important education, family, and child services, and community development initiatives. This guide presents a conceptual framework for financing child and family services and community building and…

This text is intended as a basis for community development educators to increase their understanding of the elements of community development, assess systematically the strengths and weaknesses of a community development situation, examine one approach to community development education and the principles from which it grew, and gain confidence in…

This manual describes an educational program for helping rural, small community leaders, decision-makers, and residents analyze their communities, think about alternatives, and plan economic development action strategies. The program is an effort to help communities explore short- and long-term development strategies, gain a vision of their…

Sustainability is a critical issue for the vast array of community initiatives that promote healthy children, strong families, and safe communities. Noting that sustaining an initiative over time requires maintaining sufficient fiscal resources as well as a combination of nonfiscal resources from the initiative itself and the broader community,…

Economic development efforts in small towns should focus on the birth, expansion, and retention of small enterprises. A consistent and rational policy towards new growth and an enthusiastic development team composed of individuals with knowledge of or access to others with knowledge of industrial sites, financing, utilities, labor, transportation,…

This community action guide was developed to implement the strategies for the advancement of women developed at the United Nations world conference in Nairobi that ended the Decade for Women in 1985. The guide is intended to: (1) increase understanding and awareness of the existence of the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of…

Presenting a base of general information that local business people and government officials involved with downtown revitalization should be familiar with in order to understand the range of options available and factors that will influence the outcomes of any revitalization program, the paper summarizes current theories, trends, studies, and…