This article presents an interview with Juan Sepulveda. Sepulveda was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to the position of Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics on May 19, 2009. In this capacity, Sepulveda is responsible for directing the efforts of the White House Initiative in…

Can civic engagement become a "core business" of the contemporary university, or is it an attractive "add-on" that is not affordable in the current economic climate? Contemporary universities often play an important role in local community development and, as such, have the opportunity to develop civic engagement strategies to…

The rapidly evolving digital world inspires much use of nautical terminology: (1) navigation; (2) discovery; (3) the voyage; and (4) the new terrain at the end of the journey. Considering how quickly new technologies are arriving on smartphones, the nautical adventure is continuing at an increased pace. Innovations in basic library services follow…

Discusses the elements useful for developing a conceptual framework for social change efforts: the characteristics of the social problem, the target unit, the nature and intensity of purposes for change, and the appropriate change methods. (Author/JOW)

Three seminars examined strategies and tactics for community mobilization in Latin America. The sessions--which were held in Bogota, Columbia; Quito, Ecuador; and Recife, Brazil--involved a total of 75 participants from 27 organizations. Addressed during the seminars were development, leadership, mobilization, and learning in the context of…

Reviews Black political strategies of the 1960s and 1970s. Calls for a further shift in strategy, in light of the fact that the most urgent and primary task of Black leadership is the internal reconstruction of the Black community through strengthening both its common frame of reference and common resource base. (Author/GC)

Based on the ideas of participants at a Native American youth conference, this document sets out an agenda to bring about a new future for Native American youth by the year 2000. The agenda presents 12 interrelated goals concerned with the development of a stronger, more self-reliant Native American society. Several strategies for action are…

Rural economic development depends on implementation of strategies that capture the competitive edge of the total rural environment. It will not succeed by weak duplication of traditional urban development strategies. The historic dependence on the natural resource base that is the common denominator for rural areas must be regarded not as a…

This speech examines how people perceive relationships among families, communities, and governments, and how these perceptions influence current family and community policies and programs. It also suggests new ways of understanding the nature of the social world and offers examples of policies and programs that stem from traditional beliefs and…

This book highlights the role of citizens in solving public problems. Part 1 presents the insights of several successful Americans to show why the rethinking of self-interest, power, and public life is the key to bringing new meaning into the lives of Americans. Part 2 describes changes occurring across the United States, which are conceptualized…

Discusses the role of rural public libraries in the information age. Characteristics of rural communities that library planners should consider are conservatism, the lack of professionally trained librarians, library trustee involvement, the need for marketing, and gender balance. Suggestions for recreating rural libraries and providing…

Describes the creation and development of a Citizen Leadership Institute (CLI) and its corresponding Citizen Leadership Training Program (CLTP) by Gulf Coast Community College in an effort to foster systemic change in community problem-solving. States that solutions found by CLI may contain responses to similar problems faced by sister…

Humans, not things, are of primary importance when talking of development. All over the world, two separate, contradictory types of development may be seen: the first, centered on man, the second, on wealth. One of the ways in which man can gain control over his own future is through the school. It is essential to find out which type of…

The Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) is a national program that supports the efforts of community colleges in distressed rural areas to move their people and communities toward prosperity. RCCI's goals are increasing access to education and developing regional economies. RCCI demonstration sites have produced a wealth of information about…

The Duke Endowment's Program for the Rural Carolinas is a 5-year effort to assist the revitalization of rural communities. Guiding principles of the program are that the rural Carolinas matter, this generation of workers matters, effective community development involves the entire community, solutions must be locally determined, healthy…