Emerging literature links neighborhood disadvantage to altered neural function in regions supporting socioemotional and threat processing. Few studies, however, have examined the proximal mechanisms through which neighborhood disadvantage is associated with neural functioning. In a sample of 7- to 19-year-old twins recruited from disadvantaged…

The Geosciences Institute for Research and Education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn has been an example of a successful and effective model in increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in the geosciences. The program emphasizes involving middle school and at-risk high school students from the Detroit area public schools,…

Describes lengthy process and repercussions related to the difficult decision by school board of the Okemos Public Schools in Ingham County, Michigan, to close an elementary school. (PKP)

This article describes one university's approach to transformative engagement: An engagement process based not on transfer of expertise from university to community (technology transfer), but rather on an interactive process in which all partners apply critical thinking skills to complex community problems. Iterative in nature, it is informed by a…

The study focuses on the problems of rural poverty as opposed to urban. In a discussion of the extent and location of rural poverty in Michigan, it is noted that rural poverty touches the lives of 350,000 individuals in the state. Data on welfare costs and related factors are also examined and brought up to date. Additionally, specific problems of…

Describes institutional overload and cultural clash as principal forms of disturbances which create problems in the areas of education, community solidarity, health care, social welfare, crime and public safety, and other municipal services. Advises rural planners and developers to focus on objective indicators of these areas, for successful…

Discipline in the nation's schools has become a pressing problem. The widespread use of punitive disciplinary methods, including probation, suspension, and expulsion, can estrange students from schools, negatively "label" affected students, and burden communities with unsupervised youths. Rehabilitative forms of discipline for students…

This final report is an assessment of an experimental class designed to determine whether students, grades nine through twelve with diverse backgrounds, could do field research on community problems. The course description and outline of the course define goals and methods of meeting these goals. Samples of materials used are included in the text…

The 12 states comprising the North Central Region have been affected in similar ways by the farm crisis of the 1980s. Statewide surveys show sizeable proportions of farm operations that are experiencing moderately high levels of financial stress. The problems caused by chronic stress on family structure and functioning, the loss of mainstreet…