Participatory Action Research employs social sciences research methods to develop actionable local knowledge. In seeking meaningful and inclusive ways of generating knowledge together in the workplace, Participatory Action Research practitioner-researchers combine action and reflection with theory and practice to improve local situations and…

All private colleges and universities make strategic capital investments and consider the use of debt to fund those investments. From the commonplace purchase of photocopiers to the construction of new academic buildings or dormitories, investment decisions that yield long-term financial benefits must follow on the heels of careful analysis. To…

This 60-minute videotape presents an interactive teleconference where national experts, local educators, and community leaders share ideas on how to improve schools and reach the National Education Goals. The Satellite Town Meeting focuses on modernizing schools with technology and buildings for a new century and offers an opportunity for…

This informational packet provides guidelines to help schools make the most of their school grounds and contains the following: a handbook; a loose leaf activity pack; videotape; and poster. The handbook provides information on each stage of the school ground development/change process, offers the rationale for improving school grounds, and lists…

This 25-minute videotape briefly describes the current condition of many of England's secondary school grounds and shows what can be done to improve them. Empowering students to help in redesigning the surrounding school grounds into a conservation area is described. Examples are provided showing how grounds influence student social relations;…

This videotape highlights the extent to which school buildings are deteriorating in America and the problems this causes for teaching and learning, describes the Energy Smart School campaign, and details the factors needed in building an Energy Smart School. To build schools that last and to recoup some of the building expense, it suggests…

This 22-minute videotape describes how school grounds can be transformed into an educational and social development resource that can enrich the lives of students. It discusses design techniques that break up the school grounds into a variety of places and scale them to size to give students options on where to spend their time and what to do. How…

A 2-hour videotape presentation explores the crisis in school building quality in the United States as illustrated by public schools found in Ohio; the challenges dilapidated school facilities impose on child health, safety, and the physical learning environment; and the difference that money makes in providing high-quality educational facilities.…

Faced with increasing enrollment and state legislation requiring more laboratory work, this school system hired an architectural firm to devise a cost-effective "District-wide Science Facility Master Plan." The process of developing that plan and some of its conclusions are described here. Illustrations are provided. (DCS)