In this paper, we report on our experience as rookies organizing, funding, and running a summer computing camp for middle school girls. The focus of the camp was building mobile applications using App Inventor. The three day/two night camp targeted girls in rural, high poverty school districts and was funded through an award from the National…

The author cites prevailing negativism about rural education and notes the advantages of using rural people as resources for gifted education in those communities. (CL)

In many communities, garbage disposal--solid waste management--is the third largest municipal expenditure and a fast growing budget item. Many small local governments have controlled the growth of these costs by recycling up to 40% of the total solid waste they produce. This guidebook can help communities identify and develop opportunities…

Community gardening projects can enhance community food security and improve the nutrition of project participants. However, limited information exists on the most effective models and methods for establishing community gardens in rural areas. A survey of 12 rural community gardening projects found a variety of program models: community gardens…

Rural and urban family literacy programs share similar challenges in helping families work through obstacles to participation, such as transportation and childcare. However, the scope and nature of these challenges and the program management strategies to deal with them differ in rural and urban settings. Some of the most creative solutions to…

High levels of parent involvement in their children's education result in higher student achievement; higher attendance levels; a decline in dropout rates; fewer disciplinary problems; and better student motivation, self-esteem, and behavior. Since unacknowledged parents withdraw from the school, schools should acknowledge parent participation. To…

The manual presents policy and procedural information drawn from early intervention programs for handicapped infants and young children. Materials are based on the Infant Development Center (IDC) in South Portland, Maine, a state program for handicapped children from birth to 5 years old, and on the Washington County Children's Program (WCCP), a…

A rural track residency is a collaborative educational entity. Crafting such a residency program involves creating a nurturing relationship between academic, corporate, and community cultures that balances values and risks and focuses on mutual benefits of collaboration. Steps in the process, obstacles encountered, and solutions are described.…

Compiled to promote the development of high quality, affordable, and accessible day care programs in West Tennessee, this manual helps prospective child caregivers decide which kind of day care to operate and describes start-up steps and program operation. Section 1 focuses on five basic questions of potential caregivers: (1) Which type of child…

This paper examines primary issues influencing rural educational cooperatives. The paper highlights the benefits of rural cooperative formation and outlines the key points in creating effective rural interdistrict cooperatives. It is directed toward those who are interested in policy issues surrounding cooperative development and maintenance. The…

Promoting coordinated and/or joint programs among local agencies is one strategy small, rural communities can use to cope with rapid population and economic growth. Interagency coordination is a process in which two or more organizations come together to solve a specific problem or meet a specific need. Coordination means more than just…

Intended to develop guidelines in gifted education appropriate for the approximately 212 Washington rural school districts with fewer than 2000 students, the booklet has 3 purposes: to describe Washington's rural community, to provide basic information about gifted education, and to encourage the planning and development of rural programs in…

A strong rural arts project should be collaborative. Collaborative projects accommodate diverse needs and agendas, develop non-school project advocates, are sustained by and rely on several sources, and strengthen communities. Because local artists are accessible, have a special commitment to improving education in their communities, and…

An introduction to planning interactive health education teleconferences via satellite discusses participant recruitment, satellite transmission coordination, scheduling considerations, format design, and use of site facilitators. Teleconference training of community service providers and community leaders should combine passive delivery of…

Outlines planning procedures and strategies that enable special education supervisors to fit work transition programs for disabled students to local circumstances. Discusses school and community needs assessment to establish program goals; alternative program models; and planning imperatives related to knowledge of the community, staff background,…