In an effort to better fulfill its public service mission, the University of California, San Francisco, has undertaken an intensive assessment and strategic planning process to build institutional capacity for civic engagement and community partnership. The first stage was a qualitative assessment focused primarily on three local communities,…

The question of how best to serve its constituents arises for any organization that is part of a campus or community. This guide is intended to address questions regarding assessment of impact, identifying targets for improvement, and ensuring organizational recognition. Seven strategies for maximizing impact are presented: (1) Be focused; (2) Be…

This article describes the Swedish initiative of municipal technology centres from a gender point of view. These centres provide after-school technology education for children aged 6-16. By means of an ethnographic study, the effects of the use of single-sex groups in increasing the interest of girls and boys in technical activities have been…

The active intervention in a child's world leads very quickly to active intervention in a neighborhood, a family, a peer group, a school, and a larger community. Child advocacy, then, becomes linked with social community organization and social change, involving not just children but communities." (Author)

New York's Commissioner for Child Development heads an agency with a yearly budget of $101.2 million and a staff of 450. (RY)

The Chicago Public Library has established four reading and study centers in public housing developments, staffed by development residents. (JB)

Reviews the kinds of community services available to older people within their communities through public and private agencies. Focus is on the senior center and such services as information and referral, transportation, counseling, recreation, education, and health. (JT)

Case study of two community centers through observation, interviews, and questionnaires used Candy's domains of self-directed learning (SDL). Results revealed the potential of community learning, raised questions about the domains and the nature of SDL, challenged the humanist perspective of the autonomous unified self, and suggested the…

Community adult education centers in Germany (Volkshochschulen) have the following characteristics: autonomous; open to all; easy access, convenient times and locations, and low fees; comprehensive; and focused on community service and lifelong learning. They collaborate with secondary and vocational education and build networks among community…

The National Center for Community Education provides training to local 21st Century Community Learning Cetners to enable them to provide learning opportunities for children and families. The future will depend on community education programming, community involvement, advocacy, and public will. (JOW)

Discusses how Texas established 21st Century Community Learning Centers in the state. Describes a typical day in a local center and the impact on participants. (JOW)

Describes the work of Edith de Nancrede in developing theater programs for youth at Chicago's Hull-House during the early part of the twentieth century. Describes how her intense dedication to theater and education contributed to the success of Hull-House and to the achievements of its leader, Jane Addams. (PRA)

The University of Rochester's community nursing center is an entrepreneurial model for faculty practice based on sound business principles to enhance financial success. These principles include development and pricing of the product of nursing services, consumer dialogue instead of advertising monologue, and a diversified income base. (SK)

Factors contributing to the failure of a community wellness center in rural Alberta included arbitrary choice of the community by regional health authorities, power issues, lack of leadership, and different interpretations of what a wellness center is. Solutions include having community members identify community needs and finding a project…