A study was conducted at Valencia Community College (VCC) to evaluate VCC's success in meeting the community's need for volunteers, to determine the needs of student volunteers, and to discover what kinds of students were participating in the student volunteer program. Results of a questionnaire completed by 72 student volunteers indicated that…

Directed at the problem of providing equitable long term rural development, this collection of papers deals with the criteria on which research and educational priorities should be based, given the vast problems and limited resources in the U.S. today. There are 11 papers in this collection: "National Outlook and Perspective" (a plea for…

These proceedings focus on psychological and other concepts relevant to community service; patterns, problems, and trends in community service by community and junior colleges; the effort to make such service relevant to the inner city; and the administration of cultural development and leisure activities, short courses and seminars, community…

This book is intended for fieldworkers or researchers and indigenous communities who are planning collaborative projects or research. Narratives of educational projects in Alaska Native and New Zealand Maori communities illustrate the ways that collaborative projects were developed in indigenous communities in the late 20th century. To illuminate…

Noting that faith communities play a vital role in connecting to families and children and often become involved in and supportive of education issues important in their local community, this document discusses the development of partnerships involving public schools and faith-based communities. The document compiles a series of talking points for…

This guide provides Maryland teachers with information regarding how to evaluate and improve service-learning. Seven suggested practices for school-based service learning were derived from interviews with 80 Maryland teachers actively engaging their students in service learning. These seven best practices, which might provide a framework for…

Describes examples of successful career programs indicative of the educational partnerships between large urban school districts and their communities. The Urban Education Studies examined more than 60 programs in five major urban school districts for awareness of student needs, career counseling, program diversity, work-study situations, and…

Profiles individual projects in six school districts across the country participating in the School-Community Connection initiative funded by the Institute for Responsive Education. These projects focus on school improvement through partnerships among schools, parents, and the community. Rural and urban elementary and secondary schools are…

Organizing a committed team to foster effective school-community partnerships is discussed, focusing on the critical role of leadership. Collaborative leadership, comprised of diverse members and different perspectives, is most successful. A list of qualities and skills that are necessary for collaborative leaders is provided. (LAJ)

A Seattle (Washington) initiative is dedicated to building a system for out-of-school care, especially for low income, minority families. In this interview, the program coordinator describes how area out-of-school providers cooperated to train staff, train trainers, and elevate the field to a profession. Major issues that affect program quality…

An Idaho community worked together to build a performing arts building on school property. Students from the school, which had been using the Foxfire approach for several years, selected the site, did the surveying, and helped with the timber frame construction. The project fostered a renewed sense of community for a town suffering from declining…

In the fall of 1989, President Bush and 50 state governors gathered to discuss why the American education system was failing. A major conclusion of the summit was that parents have a tremendous influence on their children's education. For change to occur in educational outcomes, parents must realize that the primary responsibility for their…

This issue of the Canadian quarterly "Transitions," in French and English language versions, examines the prevention of youth crime, with a specific focus on activities, trends, and research dealing with Canadian families. Major articles in this issue are: (1) "A Snowball's Chance? Communities and Families Working to Prevent Youth…

Experiential education, service learning in particular, offers one pedagogy for teaching democracy. This paper presents a rationale for teaching democracy through service learning and provides general and specific guidelines for accomplishing the goal. Models of service learning are described that teachers can incorporate into classroom…

This report reviews economic and social issues facing rural schools and communities in the 1990's, focusing on the mutual dependence and collaboration between communities and schools. Rural America, dependent on resource-based industries, has faced distressed economy and declining populations. With a historical overview of rural America under the…