Employing an institutional case study approach, this manuscript features two high-impact learning opportunities open to Albion College students who seek to contribute to solving real-world problems in collaboration with local and surrounding communities: Albion College Community Collaborative (AC3) and Human Rights Lab. The programmatic approach…

This study present findings related to students' community and political engagement and activism after participation in an action civics institute. The institute, iEngage, is a weeklong summer experience for rising fifth through rising ninth graders that utilizes the action civics inquiry cycle to foster civic skills and cultivate participation…

This article offers an extended treatment of two social justice efforts in a rural university town as historical examples of civic engagement with contemporary implications for Writing Democracy and similar projects. The article begins with an analysis of local activism initiated by John Carlos in 1967 while he was still a student at our…

Describes a personal experience in the effort to avoid widespread herbicide spraying. Provides insights for building a successful campaign: involvement, finding support, acceptance of differences of opinion, autonomy from political factions, and not assuming people are closed to healthier alternatives. (MCO)

Describes the establishment and results of a study committee asked to review existing pesticide policy, vegetation management programs and provide improvement recommendations in Thurston County, Washington. (MCO)

Discusses the history of a citizen's organization on San Antonio's West Side, Communities Organized for Public Service (COPS), which only organizations such as churches, block clubs, and civic groups, can join. Concludes that "COPS has proved that it has vote-getting ability far past the 5,000 people who attend citywide conventions."…

Community activities of Black, former student activists, and nonactivists who attended college during the 1960s were investigated in a longitudinal study conducted in 1969 and 1978. Community involvement among both groups was similar. Although the sample size is small, this is the only study where the data was obtained while subjects were still…

A survey in an unincorporatedurban area compared the major community problems of concern to two groups: (a) randomly selected citizens, and (b) recognized community leaders. The results showed a large divergence of concerns as well as a striking number of citizens who felt themselves to be without spokesmen. (Author/JB)

The cable television situation in New Jersey, particularly as it pertains to the educational potential of the medium is disucssed in this brief document. The stated purpose of the report is to inform New Jersey citizens of some of the options and opportunities that remain open to them in developing municipal cable television systems that are…

This article relates the history of a successful campaign waged by concerned citizens in a community against the local planning commission to preserve an endangered portion of woodland. (JD)

This case study concerns the forming of a Marietta, Ohio unity committee, entitled Citizens for Social and Racial Justice, in response to the local Ku Klux Klan's (KKK) request for a parade permit in order to demonstrate against blacks in this city. Marietta, the county seat of Washington County, Ohio, has a population composed of both white and…

Addressed to citizen groups, local government officials, and others concerned with the development of cable television in their communities, this report summarizes briefly some of the major issues surrounding local decisionmaking for cable television. This summary presents some of the more detailed information found in the companion publication,…

This guide is written for teenagers who may be considering becoming active in their communities. It explains ways teens can increase their power and effectiveness in community life and some of the things they will encounter along the way. It begins by emphasizing the importance of community service, illustrating the ways that teens already may be…

While much of the drinking water in the United States is safe for consumption, protecting its quality and assuring its availability are becoming increasingly difficult. This booklet is written for individuals and groups who are concerned about the drinking water in their communities. It provides a general introduction to the complex issues of…