Afterschool programs inspire kids to learn, help them make better decisions, and give parents peace of mind. Throughout the pandemic, 21st Century Community Learning Centers have kept kids engaged and learning and met the needs of families nationwide. But the demand for these programs far exceeds the supply. 21st Century Community Learning Centers…

Whether playing outdoors or working on the farm, rural children acquire science and engineering skills throughout their daily lives. Although 11.4 million children in the United States grow up in rural areas, compared to 14.6 million in urban areas, relatively little attention is given to rural science education. This article demonstrates that…

All corners of the media are scrutinising David Cameron's "Big Society", from every conceivable angle. While the concept has caught the public's imagination, the greater challenge of fleshing out what the Big Society will actually offer and require of communities is unfinished business. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations…

In 2008, the Shreveport-Bossier Community Foundation selected education, health, and poverty as funding priorities. But the foundation realized that it needed more specific guidelines on how best to distribute grants. RAND developed a framework for making investment decisions that incorporates the best of traditional decision making approaches.…

Increasing community involvement in out-of-school time programs can yield significant benefits to programs and the students that they serve. Community partnerships have the potential to meet a wide variety of needs, from improving participant recruitment and attendance to contributing volunteers or other resources to programs. This research brief…

Transition is a dynamic lifelong process that seeks to meet individual needs as a person with disabilities moves from childhood to adulthood. Per laws in most states, once an individual becomes 18 years of age that person is considered an adult regardless of the level of his or her disability. Initiating planning for adult living activities and…

This booklet outlines the activities of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding for libraries and museums. IMLS grants support all types of museums from art and history to science and zoos, and all types of libraries, from public and academic to research and school. IMLS enables libraries and…

Explores reasons to create special events, change existing events, or discontinue events, in the pursuit of new audiences. Describes surveys of usership at Cleveland Metroparks to identify new audiences. Effective event design and implementation requires effective advertising, which is expensive, so a discussion of fund development, branding, and…

A four-week writer-in-residence program designed to stimulate the creativity of K-5 students was held in the Briar Glen Library Media Center, Wheaton, Illinois, with poet Joan Colby. This description of the program includes information on planning, funding, and future plans. (CHC)

Focuses on some of the problems faced by human service workers in rural communities and suggests the use of an outreach child advocacy model (with a nine-step diagnosis procedure) for intervention. The rural advocate will be more successful and acceptable to the community using a collaborative approach. (Author/LC)

This paper examines the organization, planning, development, and staging of foot races, bicycle races, or multi-event competitions as fund raisers for public or private groups in rural areas. Local businesses often assist in sponsoring such events in order to get free advertising and make money from newcomers drawn to the event. Organizers must be…

Aspects of cooperative services considered in this final report include the concept of total library service, the concept of universal access, organization, planning, basic library services, staffing, community resources, library facilities, funding, staff training, and public information. Special services to meet special needs (such as library…

This report describes how a public library and a high school library in Holbrook, Arizona, have both provided service to their clienteles through a common method: the full use of their community's resources. The Holbrook High School Library, which is completely automated, has been successful with its creative funding techniques and as a…

This case study of successful fund raising by a Seattle community coalition is intended to provide information to other community groups as they develop fund raising efforts. The case study begins with a presentation of information gleaned from a review of past newsletters and financial statements of the Southeast Effective Development (S.E.E.D.)…

Description of public libraries that are combined and housed with school libraries focuses on successful library combinations in Canada and Australia. Topics discussed include community needs; cost factors; staffing and administrative issues; cataloging differences; location considerations; services offered; funding; and advantages for rural…