Generally speaking, black, Latino and Native American learners continue to face a variety of barriers to opportunity that result in severe disparities in academic achievement and educational outcomes. The persistence of these inequities has prompted some funders to step back, reflect and ask themselves what else they need to be doing to remove…

This paper outlines a collaborative approach to the design of open educational resources (OER) with community stakeholders so they can be shared with other community practitioners openly, online and repurposed for other contexts. We view curriculum not as something that educationalists provide but rather something that emerges as learners engage…

The New York City Labor Chorus completed its 25th year in June of 2017. This paper comes after gathering of data for an ethnographic study of the chorus during the entire year, beginning September of 2016. The researcher had been a chorus member for five years and continued to be a participant while collecting data. This paper focuses on…

College and career pathways represent a significant national education reform movement supported by federal, state, and philanthropic funding. High school pathways combine career and technical education with rigorous academics, work-based learning, and integrated student supports to provide equitable access to postsecondary opportunities. Strong…

This paper presents findings from analysis of two learning sites, a classroom and a community-based youth organizing group for Latino adolescents where adult "educators" attempted to promote both critical and civic development for the participating learners. By examining the two unique learning spaces with similar youth development…

Using survey research from graduate student and community stakeholder respondents, this exploratory study examines two different dimensions of higher education-community partnerships. First, the role graduate assistantships supporting higher education and community partnerships in the context of graduate student development is examined. Second,…

Social change on behalf of the disadvantaged in a neighborhood or community can be achieved through various types of change agents, models, and approaches. One of the most effective models was developed by Saul Alinsky, a well-known American community organizer, and it was this model that provided the theoretical framework for the development of…

Members of a college community were surveyed to assess their awareness of the international student population at the local college. The questionnaire was administered by interview to each of 25 representatives of selected local civic groups in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The twofold purpose of the survey was to assess community awareness of foreign…

Applied theatre teaches community members to teach others, and helps communities process issues which directly impact them. It can also raise awareness of issues, pose alternatives, heal, challenge contemporary discourses, and voice the views of the silent or marginal. The arts become an important experience as people attempt to deal with tragic…

Healthy and successful cities are built out of blocks and neighborhoods. Cities are too large and varied to be regarded or run as uniform entities. Block associations are proposed to be one of the major tools that are available for stabilizing and maintaining urban neighborhoods in a fashion that is both inexpensive and responsive to the needs of…

This brief paper indicates three strategies that can be used by child care program directors to promote staff development. The first strategy involves the organization of community school-age child care programs into associations and support groups. The second strategy emphasizes the direct, frank and honest discussion of issues between the…

A study was conducted to investigate the complex influences which converge on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The literature revealed that in the past, most attempts by individuals or groups to have a voice in the renewal of a broadcaster's license met with failure because the FCC generally abandoned both its formulated policy and its…

This study uses a comparative analysis of 17 northwest Missouri communities to determine the relationship between viability of rural communities and: (1) leadership patterns; (2) specific aspects of community development organizations; and (3) community organizing strategies. Populations of the communities range from 1,000 to 2,500. Based on such…

A 4-H exchange program in which eight youth from the Dominican Republic came to Indiana and a like number of Purdue University-sponsored 4-H members visited the Dominican Republic is described. The program, sponsored by the U.S. Information Agency, was part of a larger program to strengthen youth leadership resources in both places through a…

A study attempted to measure the extent to which journalists feel free to express their opinions, the extent to which they perceive their views on issues represent a minority position in the community, and the degree to which memberships in organizations outside the newsroom affect their attitudes or actions. Subjects, 326 respondents from a…