The purpose of this paper is to provide an alternative operationalization of amenities that does not privilege certain kinds of natural resources and climatic conditions and that can be used for assessing the quality of life in small towns. The amenity inventory presented here extends previous literature by including a broad range of amenities…

A community school is a place and a set of partnerships connecting a school, the families of students, and the surrounding community. A community school is distinguished by an integrated focus on academics, youth development, family support, health and social services, and community development. The community school strategy is central to efforts…

Background/Context: Parent involvement in education is widely recognized as important, yet it remains weak in many communities. One important reason for this weakness is that urban schools have grown increasingly isolated from the families and communities they serve. Many of the same neighborhoods with families who are disconnected from public…

The purpose of the study was to make a qualitative assessment of the impact of school consolidation on several rural Nebraska communities that have recently lost their schools. This research uses a multiple-case study design with interviews conducted in three Nebraska communities. The data from this research fell into four broad themes: social…

Open access to facilities and equipment, both at the college and in community centers can help to broaden the base of education in the whole community. (RN)

The teacher and his relationship to the community were the focus of this article along with the cooperation of the school with the community's objectives and attitudes. (RK)

Asset mapping--drawing a map of what is valuable in a community--is an exercise in community development. A process for determining assets in the individual and in the community is provided in this workbook. It begins by asking the reader to perform a self-assessment to determine personal assets. Knowledge of each asset enhances self-awareness,…

Explores community analysis as a community resource development base. Examines and classifies community elements necessarily included in community improvement plans: associations, institutions, agencies, businesses, constituencies, and individual effecters. Lists questions involved in determining the community's state of health and the uses of the…

An interested and enthusiastic advisory council will provide ideas and suggestions whereby the students may have supervised work experience programs in the community and resource personnel at the school. The author offers suggestions to the instructor for forming such a council based on the needs of his students. (Author/AJ)

Describes Wenatchee Valley Community College's Community Resource Center (CRC), created to promote information exchange, community dialogue, and alliance building to help solve community problems. Reviews the role of the CRC's advisory board and the ways in which the CRC has served the community. (DMM)

Colleges of teacher education should give serious consideration to providing training programs to prepare community educators and inform prospective teachers and school administrators of the potential of the educative community. (JD)

Higher education is being asked to pay more attention to student learning and to contribute to advancement of community social and economic conditions. As a result, educational institutions will no longer be self-contained. Community members and organizations have become critical partners in framing goals and intentions of educational reform, and…

This paper addresses the nature of educational reform and recommends strategies to better reflect the needs of rural schools and their communities. The furor over education reform is largely produced by those who stand to gain from it, including politicians who promote their own agendas and consultants, professors, and experts who make a good…

The document contains the texts of nine papers presented at the first conference of the New Zealand Association for Community Education. "Community as a Basis for Education" focuses on ways of utilizing community resources for education and offering learning programs based on the needs of community members. "Community Education and…

Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) in Florence, South Carolina, has implemented the Academy for Community College Leadership Advancement, Innovation, and Modeling (ACCLAIM) community-based programming (C-BP) model for developing a regional economic development strategic plan. FDTC offers 27 associate degrees, 10 diplomas, and 9…