Learning to read and write is a fundamental right. Yet official figures by the National Bureau of Statistics indicate that 38% of African adults are illiterate. This study ascertained the level of literacy of Igbo-Ora community and the effects on community development. Mixed methods of survey were applied. A questionnaire of 32 items was used to…

Academic and public libraries are facing the challenge of finding new avenues of service and of creating value for their constituencies. This value is in the form of outcomes that result in bettering the people who use libraries and the community at large. The authors feel that librarians must find creative ways to make their communities better…

The "Planning Wheel" is an evolution of the original Systems Approach Model (SAM) that was introduced in 1986 by Murk and Galbraith. Unlike most current planning models, which are linear in design and concept, the Planning Wheel bridges the gap between linear and nonlinear processes. The "Program Planning Wheel" is designed to…

This paper briefly describes a model for broadening community educators' participation in economic development by improving the quality of developmental knowledge and leadership. Specific goals of the model include helping economic development leaders to understand existing community attitudes and structure, and helping leaders form development…

The rural communities of the North American Great Plains are experiencing fundamental economic and social changes that threaten their very existence. While local projects offer hope for survival, many communities lack the knowledge needed to envision and evaluate their possible futures. As a consequence, communities may pursue survival strategies…

Rural economic development requires local consensus and a coordinated effort by community leaders and the public at large. In 12 rural Georgia counties, the University of Georgia is implementing a Rural Revitalization Initiative (RRI) that emphasizes collaboration of public officials and private individuals across disciplines, professions,…

Engelhard is a very isolated rural community in Hyde County, North Carolina, economically dependent on seafood, small scale agriculture, and logging. In the mid-1980s the agricultural crisis, the decline in seafood landings, and changes in timber industry technology contributed to rising unemployment. Several decades of declining population and…

In recent years, service programs targeted for Georgia's rural communities have decreased proportionately in relation to those intended for the state's rapidly expanding population centers. At the same time, erosion of traditional manufacturing industries and an adverse agricultural economy have decreased the ability of rural communities to…

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…

Most Chicanos live in relatively well-defined areas called "barrios" within urban areas. These barrios are growing in population density due to such long-term forces as the: (1) declining opportunities in rural areas due to the gradual labor displacement and/or the bleak economic prospects faced by the smaller farm in this country; (2)…

Minnesota high school students and teachers are learning the technology of simulation and integrating it into business and industrial technology courses. Modeling and simulation is the science of using software to construct a system within an organization and then running simulations of proposed changes to assess results before funds are spent. In…

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 document focuses on the role of community college presidents in the varied activities entailed by economic development. Specifically, the paper addresses those activities that involve the political, financial, and economic aspects of regional or county planning, marketing and financing. First, definitions are provided of two types of economic…

There was a notable transition in the nature, content, and administration of rural policies in many developed nations in the 1980s and 1990s. These changes concerned issues of governance and institutional framework, the definition of "development," and policy goals and content. A key question, however, concerns the extent to which shifts…

Wesley College, a private urban secondary school, established a rural campus in the small town of Clunes, Victoria (Australia), where ninth-grade students could spend a term in a community-based, experientially-derived curriculum to enhance their sense of self and community. A study examined the extent to which Clunes community members regarded…