Background: There is a lack of research on psychotherapy interventions for transition-aged students ages 18 to 21 that integrate horses or other equines in the provision of services. A critical early task in researching such complex interventions involves elucidating an intervention's critical elements and theoretical assumptions. Purpose: The…

In the recent years, crowdfunding (a phenomenon where individuals collectively contribute money to back different goals and projects through the internet) has been gaining a lot of attention especially for its socio-economic impact. This dissertation explores this phenomenon in three distinct but related essays. The first essay explores the nature…

This paper examines the strengths and weaknesses of different models of education. The author, a teacher of humanities at Newark Academy in New Jersey, aims to move beyond some of the rhetoric about "progress" or rhetoric that implies there is something inherently right or wrong about different systems for organizing schools and…

This article details the Northwest Indiana Public Safety Data Consortium (NWIPSDC), a privately funded data-sharing network housed at Indiana University Northwest, an anchor institution, that includes several private-sector participants and over 30 public safety agencies at all levels of government (local, county, state, and federal). The NWIPSDC…

For someone who has never been convicted of a crime, the author spends an unusual amount of time in state prisons and youth correctional facilities. She does not work for these criminal justice agencies; instead, she studies prison culture, and--in small ways-- has become a part of it. The author is a university professor trained in sociology and…

Work-based learning (WBL) has long been used in career and technical education (CTE) to allow students to practice the knowledge and skills they acquire in the classroom within a "real-world" business or industry setting. High-quality work placements reinforce schoolbased instruction by providing students with a context for applying…

Curriculum integration is one of the concepts which has been discussed for years. Telecollaborative projects, which employ elements of distance learning, provide opportunities for putting the idea into practice. Analysis of eTwinning projects undertaken in Polish schools aims at demonstrating the integrative role of distance learning approaches…

University-community engagement is increasingly emphasized at institutions throughout the United States, yet there remains concern and confusion about how to conceptualize community engagement to provide benefits for both the university and the public. This article summarizes the history of community engagement and describes dominant paradigms of…

Since its inception, Metropolitan State University has demonstrated a strong commitment to community partnerships and the integration of community engagement into student learning and scholarship while meeting community-defined needs. This article presents examples of reciprocal partnerships in the context of a shared community-university library…

Decades of research show that high school dropouts are more likely than graduates to commit crimes, abuse drugs and alcohol, have children out of wedlock, earn low wages, be unemployed, and suffer from poor health. The ChalleNGe program, currently operating in 27 states, is a residential program coupled with post-residential mentoring that seeks…

The ACE model, an impact model that offers a number of specific, interrelated equations to provide quantitative results of college operation in the local economy, is discussed. The components affected include local business, governments, and individuals, with both positive and negative economic impacts on each group. A table presents Cypress…

Examines quantitative economic impacts of community colleges on their communities through a case study of Cypress College (California). Results indicate favorable economic impacts on local businesses, local individuals, and local governments. An economic impact model is described. (JDS)

This research project attempts to determine the economic effects of arts activities and cultural institutions on a local community (Baltimore, Maryland). This document contains an economic impact model that uses 30 equations to determine direct and secondary effects on businesses, government, and individuals and a case study of the model involving…

The Learning Exchange Network is explored to show how it (1) takes advantage of the strong points of the previous models for self-directed learners; (2) counters the liabilities of the previous models; (3) serves the smaller populations of semirural areas; and (4) includes an implementation plan. The practicality of the network is discussed. (CT)

Examines how collaborative, community research on adolescents can generate local data to guide community policies and programs on behalf of adolescents and contribute to our scientific knowledge base. Discusses the limited utility of the scientific knowledge base for nonresearchers interested in promoting youth development at the community level.…