Using a critical brokerage perspective to advance theoretical insights in the development of a community university partnership and understanding of the organizational embeddedness of a community empowerment agency in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, this article suggests that partnerships between American universities and communities are perfect vehicles for…

School choice is increasingly the new normal in urban education. But in cities with multiple public school options, how can civic leaders create a choice system that works for all families, whether they choose a charter or district public school? To answer this question, the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) researchers surveyed 4,000…

This article discusses an application of the Lewinian/Kolb experiential learning model in the context of undergraduate participation in the Missouri Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) program. CAPS is designed to simulate common, everyday experiences among people living in poverty as participants take on the roles of family members working…

One of the great concerns of the business community involves the workforce pipeline: employers want to be sure that new entries into the labor pool, whether from the K-12 or postsecondary systems, are prepared for the jobs that await them. In Philadelphia, business and community leaders have joined forces to give students workplace learning…

Although the for-profit retail and nonprofit education markets are not identical, many of the strategies used by reformers to improve markets for banking and food services could nonetheless benefit public education. As district and community leaders, charter school authorizers, and policymakers expand the marketplace of schools, they would be…

Community surveys in rural Pennsylvania (393 responses) investigated how residents view women in their local community. Results suggest that women are as involved as men and perceive similar characteristics as important to being influential, but their underrepresentation as leaders has resulted in perceptions that women are not very influential.…

Examined the effects of training community leaders in prevention science in the context of the Communities That Care (CTC) model fo community empowerment. Data from an evaluation of CTC in 21 Pennsylvania communities and interviews with 203 community leaders show that training is positively, although modestly, associated with participant attitudes…

Data from nearly 50 community leaders in 4 nonmetropolitan Pennsylvania counties show that both positive and negative impacts from tourism development were expected; local support was essential. Some feared that tourism was a threat to the rural atmosphere. (SK)

R. Benjamin Wiley has led the Greater Erie Community Action Committee (GECAC) in Erie, Pennsylvania, since 1969, creating a wide range of human services programs. His passion for education is reflected in the GECAC Learning Center, which offers numerous training and educational programs for residents of all ages, and in the GECAC Community Charter…

In order to identify some basic types of information concerning industrial development which might be useful to decision-makers at the local level, an opinion survey was conducted in five bordering nonmetropolitan Pennsylvania counties. A 13-item questionnaire was mailed to 222 local organizations, categorized by response rate as follows: (1)…

The comparative impact of 2 intensive rural leadership development programs on male and female participants in Montana and Pennsylvania was examined. One goal of the one to three year programs (to increase the participants' involvement in public affairs organization) was tested by analysis of pre- and posttest data regarding participants…

An evaluation of four experimental programs designed to stimulate participation of agricultural and rural leaders in public affairs assessed the effectiveness of leadership training on young men and women in California, Michigan, Montana, and Pennsylvania. Varying from two to three years in length, the programs emphasized the analysis of major…

Intensive leadership development programs in Pennsylvania, Michigan California, and Montana positively affected the participation of program graduates in public affairs organizations. The programs, begun in 1965, and designed to prepare young men and women from rural areas for more effective leadership in agricultural and public affairs, consisted…

In this article, we present a novel way to integrate psychological theories and research methods in an applied social psychology course as a means to foster engagement in a university-community partnership. We taught an advanced course on the application of social psychological theories and research methods to junior and senior undergraduates. Our…