As community gardens expand across the U.S., Extension professionals can support them not only in horticultural education but also in planning and organization. Knowledge of community garden management is helpful in this regard. Existing research focuses on outcomes and criteria for successful gardens, but is less clear about how community gardens…

What can family members learn about each other from writing together? What sense of community can develop between family members and across families as they write together? What areas of culture and community can be realized as families write together? These are the questions that fostered this current inquiry into a family writing project. Four…

This article describes the environmental education (EE) program developed in the neighboring community of Serra da Canastra National Park based on a research project focused on the maned wolf conservation. The article assesses three tools used to foster the community's participation in discussing local issues: (1) communal production of a book…

The Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) is a special entity within the National League of Cities (NLC). The YEF Institute helps municipal leaders take action on behalf of the children, youth, and families in their communities. NLC launched the YEF Institute in January 2000 in recognition of the unique and influential…

Describes a community building self-assessment tool which allows schools to continuously assess community outreach efforts and serves as a guide for outreach planning. Broad findings are reported along with implications at the state level. This article is a Washington Environmental Education Model Schools Program final report. (AIM)

Advocates community unification as opposed to individualism and privatization. Addresses the need for inclusion of social dimensions of faith in both Catholic education and sacramental preparation. (YKH)

School-community partnerships can weave together a critical mass of resources and strategies to enhance caring communities that support all youth and their families and enable success at school and beyond. Comprehensive partnerships represent a promising direction for efforts to generate essential interventions to address barriers to learning,…

Noting that the skills of community-building are some of the same skills needed to help families, this newsletter issue focuses on enhancing the resources and leadership in the community as the best way to provide support for families. The articles in the newsletter include: (1) "Building on the Strengths of Communities"; (2)…

In seeking ways to extend their campuses, institutions should assess the community's needs in relationship to their own goals and purposes. To better serve the community, a college or university must go to the people through publications, electronic media, exhibits, speakers, volunteers, and continuing education. (Author/MLW)

School-based youth community service programs are helping students develop individual and social responsibility, and build intergenerational bonds. Elements necessary to reap maximum benefit are described followed by five examples of nationally recognized programs. Project ideas and factors for success are offered. (SI)

This project was conducted as an experiment in the implementation of the guidelines set up by the agents' manual of the Texas study, SKILLS (Seniors and Kids Involved in Learning Life's Skills). Objectives of the intergenerational program included the following: (1) to further the work started by the SKILLS study, (2) to offer a variety of…

The Adult Basic Education Linkage Project (originally titled Project Reach) was designed to expand and promote linkage of adult basic education (ABE), English as a second language (ESL), and general equivalency degree (GED) programs in Western Pennsylvania with community groups and businesses and to conduct an extensive, ongoing outreach campaign…

Popular theatre that speaks to the common man in his own language and deals with directly relevant problems can be an effective adult education tool in the process Paulo Freire calls conscientization--a process aiming to radically transform social reality and improve people's lives. It can also serve as a medium for participatory research. Popular…

The concept of the school as community encompasses two distinct relationships: the school/extended community and the internal school community. As social needs and conditions change, so does the school role in the community. Topics covered in this book include benefits of collaboration between the external community and the school, the creation of…

Using the school-community council as a vehicle, this manual leads school staffs, parents, community representatives, and school council members step-by-step through suggested tasks to strengthen schools and to help restore confidence in the public school system. Chapter 1, "Schools and Communities Working Together: A Rationale," defines…