Rural communities face incredible challenges and emerging opportunities. Land-grant universities are well-positioned to assist by developing new approaches to inspire university students to become civically engaged, rural community members. With this aim, the Rural Scholars program at Oklahoma State University was developed as an opportunity for…

Finding ways to move knowledge-to-impact is a key priority for research funding agencies, universities, and academics. However, academic engagement with the broader community is not without tensions and challenges, including arriving at mutual benefit and relevance, and addressing power dynamics and often incompatible communication practices. This…

This paper presents findings from a survey of 34 food policy councils (FPCs) in California. The survey addressed organizational structure and functions, policy priorities and achievements, and the use of research or other information. We find that most FPCs have formed in recent years, operate with small budgets and limited or no staff, and…

Purpose: The aim of this study was to better understand how program planning and evaluation courses prepare students for their future careers in various health settings. Participants (n=20) from three different institutions with Health Education programs in the U.S. participated in the study. Methods: A modified snow-ball sampling technique was…

Previous scholarship has outlined possible models of civics education but have neglected to provide frameworks for evaluation of the way such educative programs contribute to ongoing active citizenship amongst the participants. This paper explicates a framework that can be used to analyse how effectively programs are developing active citizenship…

This is the second evaluation of the Donors' Education Collaborative's (DEC) grant making since its founding in 1995. The first evaluation was a cross-case study of three projects that embodied DEC's theory of action: lasting systemic school reform demands sustained funding to build organizational collaboration that simultaneously broadens and…

Among the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration's three thematic program areas is Horizons '76, which will provide opportunities for citizens to participate in planning future achievements and commitments. Various Horizons '76 projects are described, with recommendations and directions for community college participation. (NHM)

"Town Meeting, an unusual experiment in using television for improving citizen participation in the American democratic process, has given viewers in Minnesota and South Dakota an opportunity to hear about issues and to join in the decision-making." Based on remarks made to the Kettering Conference on Public Television Programming.…

The author suggests that citizen involvement can be influenced by two major factors: (1) the extension agent's personal orientation as a programer and (2) the programing situation. (CT)

A handbook for citizens taking on the responsibility of running a day care program for the first time, starting at the beginning and presupposing nothing, is presented. Sections are provided on: organizing to establish a day care service; getting started as a sponsoring group; functioning as an ongoing board of directors; board-staff relations;…

This handbook was designed to assist advisory councils, program staff and administrators, and community members in planning community education programs and in managing those programs effectively. Chapter I defines and describes planning: what it is, why it is used, and how to engage in the process. The critical role of planning leaders is…

The community development program, initiated in 1952, failed, in the author's opinion, because no sustained attempt was made to involve the people in the development process. Discussed are: program objectives, implementation, administrative structure, an evaluation of 15 program aspects, a community development strategy, and the failure of the…

This report is designed to help readers understand the experiences of communities dealing with issues of education and race. It chronicles the experiences of 8 communities that convened conversations about education and race involving about 1,000 participants in over 60 public forums nationwide. The report presents strategies and hands-on tools…

This document contains 13 reports from the 1981 White House Conference on Aging. The first report describes the community forums held around the country to collect citizen input on issues important to the elderly. An overview of the 1981 White House Conference on Aging scheduled for November 1981 is provided, biographical sketches of conference…

This booklet describes implementation processes that are most likely to bring project success. The experiences of the Rural Education Program in the field, together with the findings of the implementation research, lead the author to believe that a successful implementation process is one that utilizes mutual adaptation. This process promotes…