Describes rural revitalization efforts for small towns in central Washington. Planning analysis by Eastern Washington University faculty and students emphasizes community participation. Details revitalization of the town of Wilbur from planning stages to final outcomes. Describes overall project results. (KS)

Analysis of survey data from 539 community leaders in 120 rural Pennsylvania school districts found that, when the effects of need and socioeconomic and ecological characteristics were controlled, past community action and community solidarity had significant effects on adoption of various local economic development strategies. (TD)

Argument was for the importance of community development corporations (CDCs) as both tools for rural development planning and mechanisms for alleviating problems and economic impoverishment. (JC)

An article by the Secretariat of the Economic Commission for Latin America, United Nations, which discusses regional factors affecting rural and community development in the Caribbean, existing community development programs, and emerging trends in the region. (Author/DR)

In rural America, creating quality work-based-learning opportunities (such as career days and field trips) depends more on understanding students and their families, parent and community involvement, and economic development than on students' ability to compete in a "global economy." Craig Howley's sidebar explains community…

The Facilitator's Role in Collaborative Rural Development Project began in 1979 as a study of 12 rural development efforts which comprised the North Carolina Rural Employment Laboratory and was expanded in 1980-81 to include rural development in 6 other states (California, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Vermont). A wide range of…

Rural economic development presents a paradox of growth in population and jobs without corresponding improvement in local economic well-being. Four forces may impede nonmetropolitan development efforts. Growth of multiestablishment corporations makes traditional regional economic development models unrealistic. Rural industrialization is socially,…

Rural and economic development efforts are inadequate responses to changing rural conditions. They fail because they are often top-down driven and few influential people are involved. Minnesota's Project Future is designed to help distressed communities take charge of their own direction. Developed on the principle of collective empowerment, this…

Rural Africa includes some 80% of the African population; its people are poverty stricken, illiterate, ill-sheltered, and ill-nourished. These circumstances make rural development absolutely vital. However, past rural development policies have failed to take into consideration the structure and division of labor in the farm family, the traditional…

Bringing together the thinking and practical experiences of Asian Member State representatives in the United Nations, this report on Asian rural youth and out-of-school education is derived from a 1974 seminar held in the Philippines. The seminar conclusions and recommendations presented emphasize the following: (1) Potential of Out-of-school…

A strong local economy which allows residents of a community to work and shop near their homes is perhaps the best safeguard against the threats of urban sprawl, economic stagnation, physical deterioration and loss of unique identity facing many small towns. Utilizing a six-phase process advocated by the University of Wisconsin-Extension,…

Presented in capsule form for the convenience of busy policy makers, planners, and program managers, this booklet summarizes major findings of a three-year study on practical aspects of rural development, with particular emphasis on ways of alleviating extreme poverty among disadvantaged rural families. Using case studies from Bangladesh, India,…

The effects of land reform programs on community development and the overall socioeconomic development in the three Near Eastern countries of Jordan, Iraq, and Syria were assessed. Land reform was defined as the: redistribution of rights in land ownership and management; reform in the land tenancy patterns; and land settlements, including the…

Of the total number of illiterate people in the world, half are in India. National programs for adult education in India are the Community Development Program, Farmers Functional Literacy Project, and National Adult Education Program, participants in which include voluntary agencies, state resource centers, and district resource units. When the…

More than 60 successful programs and projects developed specifically under Title V of the Rural Development Act of 1972 by 13 southern states and Puerto Rico are reported in this synopsis of Title V achievements in the southern region. A summary of benefits to people in 82 pilot counties of the rural South lists improved job opportunities, homes,…