The Iowa Community Betterment (ICB) program provides support to communities attempting to maximize their own resources and create development. In two ICB projects, Edgewood citizens developed badly needed affordable housing and built a golf course, and Greene residents boosted tourism by building a paddlewheel riverboat and supporting local…

A new 4-H program, developed and tested in Virginia, aims at teaching youth about their communities and how they function, and also seeks to involve them as part of that function. (Author)

This booklet is written from the perspective that small towns can survive in changing times with the right leadership. It is intended for use by educators involved with community development or by extension educators. The attitudes and behaviors of leaders are key factors that will help communities cope with change. No longer will a town survive…

Community forestry is an approach to forest management that could protect the environment while benefiting the rural poor by restoring local control of natural resources. Three interrelated issues must be addressed: land and resource tenure, development of local organizational and management skills, and adapting technology for sustainable…

Rural economic development depends on implementation of strategies that capture the competitive edge of the total rural environment. It will not succeed by weak duplication of traditional urban development strategies. The historic dependence on the natural resource base that is the common denominator for rural areas must be regarded not as a…

This report describes s a study that examined how seven groups in Edmonton, Alberta, used a community development model called Community Capacity Building and Asset Mapping. The first three sections discuss the model's development and purpose and the methodology used to examine its application in community planning. Presented next are the results…

This book describes the mindshift that is the key to successful community capacity building and to the development of social and economic structures that nurture local sustainability. Its focus is how the development of community, through community capacity building, connects, animates, and informs citizens. Chapter I introduces community building…

Uses question-and-answer format to profile Edna Compton, director of Dungannon (Virginia) Development Commission, an economic development group formed and managed by local people. Commission improved education, housing, and employment in area. Compton discusses process, achievements, and goals held by commission and herself. (TES)

This book presents a "bottom-up" action learning and action planning approach to community economic development. It is based on a learning experience for adults to promote community economic development that became the Community Economic Development Program. The book is organized in 11 chapters that cover the following topics: (1) framework for…

This case study of successful fund raising by a Seattle community coalition is intended to provide information to other community groups as they develop fund raising efforts. The case study begins with a presentation of information gleaned from a review of past newsletters and financial statements of the Southeast Effective Development (S.E.E.D.)…

Rural communities with populations of under 15,000 are the least resilient to negative economic shocks, but local initiatives can reduce the negative impact of rapid economic change. Data from a study of three rural Australian communities and one "community-of-common-purpose" were used to develop a model of how the informal learning…

Develops a framework for examining how social capital contributes to the well-being of rural communities. Reviews the educational and social science literature on social capital, contrasting rational choice and embeddedness perspectives. Introduces the concept of entrepreneurial social infrastructure, which adds equality, inclusion, and agency to…

This manual represents an educational program designed for public officials, interested citizens, and professionals interested in improving the economic climate of the municipality or region. Its purpose is to teach economic development skills, thus enabling participants to develop community economic growth plans. Focus is on four essential…

This report of the Family Resource Coalition of America examines the interrelationship of sustainable community economic strategies and sustainable family units. The introductory section of the report consists of one article, "Integrating Community Development and Family Support." The second section, "Community Building: A Movement…

This digest summarizes the underlying structure, concepts, and ideology of the Project NEXUS manual, "A Community Approach to an Integrated Service System" (CAISS). Project NEXUS is a 3-year project charged with the development and field-testing of a technical assistance manual to aid communities in the development and/or improvement of…