When the bell rings at the end of a school day, millions of children are left to their own devices while they wait for their families to return home at the end of the work day. Findings from a study conducted by the Afterschool Alliance, "America After 3PM," show that 15.1 million children are unsupervised when the school day ends. The…

Advocates including school-age children in community service programs as a way to give back to the community, build confidence, create a sense of power to make a difference, organize, solve problems, develop strategies, make decisions, and gain personal gratification. Includes guidelines for planning and ideas for community service projects. (SD)

With the Bicentennial Bookshelf as a foundation stone, communities will be able to stimulate public discourse on the meaning of constitutionalism in the United States through the use of this guide. Guidelines and model programs are provided for initiating reading and discussion programs, conferences, lectures series, and seminars and institutes.…

Focusing on creating community partnerships via collaboration to support the growth and development of children and families, this guide is intended to enhance the knowledge and skills Head Start staff need to be full collaborative partners in community efforts to help families develop, nurture their children, and experience success. Following an…

Based on their involvement in the Albany County, Wyoming, Elementary Education Fair, the authors offer guidelines that include beginning with a brief proposal describing the education fair, forming a steering committee, organizing the week into special days with one afternoon as a grand finale, and encouraging community participation and…

This guide to the creation and publication of a low-cost village-level community newspaper is based on actual experience in Indonesian villages. The guide focuses on participatory creation and management that allows the community to maintain total control over production. One newspaper, the Bulletin Kejar in West Java, is described as an…

Based on a program which was developed in Maine, this guide provides specific suggestions for establishing a new "tradition" of substance-free celebration at graduation and prom parties for high school students. An introduction discusses the dangers of drinking at high school parties, the benefits of alcohol and drug-free parties, and…

Describes the report "The Civic Mission of Schools," released on 13 February 2003. Discusses four key goals related to civic knowledge and skills; community involvement; political involvement; and moral and civic virtues. Notes that the report also provides practical guidance to K-12 schools and colleges and universities on supporting more…

Discusses the importance of competitions for gifted students and offers practical tips and techniques for utilizing competitions, not only to enhance talents, but also to nurture positive relationships between the school and community. Gives an example of a community's involvement in supporting competitions. (Author/CR)

To help Georgia school administrators, educators, and community members, this handbook suggests ideas and plans for strengthening school-community relations and increasing community involvement in schools. The first section lays out the four steps district administrators should take in developing a systemwide community involvement program,…

This is a guide for organizing Adopt-A-School programs, partnerships between schools and businesses or agencies in the community. The program currently underway in Washington, D.C., is described, and program goals including career awareness and improved attendance are outlined. Procedures and criteria for sponsoring organizations…

Describing community cable as television's best chance at zeroing in on the needs and interests of a specific local audience, as well as a fertile environment for breeding a new variety of children's television, this handbook discusses the potential of and issues and factors involved in local programming. Topics addressed are why community cable…

The Wisconsin Child Care Improvement Project's (WCCIP) community-based approach to building child care capacity is described in this document. The WCCIP assists Wisconsin communities in their efforts to increase the availability and accessibility of quality child care. The work provides a rationale and identifies needed resources and information.…

The goal of this development program is to combine greater community orientation with traditional concerns of academic geography. Describes objectives and activities designed to increase community awareness of, and opportunities to apply, geographic knowledge and methods. (Author/CK)

This document was prepared for participants of the 1986 Invitational Conference for Boards of Education in Maryland. It contains three sections that present scenarios dealing with the following issues: staffing, interest group involvement, and secondary schools. Each section includes: (1) a definition or discussion of the issues currently…