In an era of increasing complexity, the majority of local land-use decisions in the United States are made by volunteer citizen planners. Often these elected or appointed volunteers enter their positions with a passion for their communities but without appropriate background training. The Michigan Citizen Planner Program was developed to address…

While active citizenship education programs are assumed to have positive benefits for the active citizenship practice of participants (UNESCO, 2009, p. 4), there is actually little evidence that programs do (de Weerd, Gemmeke, Rigter & van Riji, 2005, p. vii). This paper discusses a research project that aimed to determine and increase the…

Research was conducted to explore the level of evidence of impact collected through program evaluation (outcome studies) by Extension as published in "JOE." Articles reviewed were those listed under the headings of "Feature Articles" and "Research in Brief" in 5-year increments (1965-69, 1975-79, 1985-89, 1995-99, and…

The AgShare Phase I Program, conducted at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, was formed to create open education resources for teaching and community development through action research. The study was conducted by an interdisciplinary team of investigators from fields of veterinary medicine and agri-business. Two master of science students…

Linking between schools in the United Kingdom and schools in sub-Saharan Africa has been a feature of the educational landscape for more than twenty years, but became a government priority between 2000 and 2010. Whilst the interest in Ireland was less, both countries resourced linking programmes primarily as a means of raising awareness of…

This dissertation examines the phenomenon of how communities can effect change in policy and practice to support greater ecological and cultural sustainability. The general purpose of this research is to examine selected local initiatives for ecological and cultural sustainability to better understand the role of adult education in those efforts.…

This paper analyses a community theatre project initiated in 1991 in Ratones, a community in Southern Brazil. It began as an extension project of the State University of Santa Catarina and became an independent project coordinated by former participants, still in collaboration with the university. Aiming to evaluate the benefits of this theatre…

This paper points out that both formal and informal historical precedents in community mental health have emphasized citizen participation as an essential element of the system's success. It reviews citizen involvement procedures in use in one midwestern catchment area, and concludes that citizen representation appears to be inadequate, in…

Examines what participation in a first-year residential learning community means to students 2-3 years after their involvement in the program. Results showed that participants valued greatly their involvement and can articulate how it helped them succeed. Most recall the sense of community that existed, the personal growth they experienced, their…

Describes study of rural or small town community development programs funded by the Small Town Emphasis Program. Outlines program factors including competition, innovation, needs assessment, low income involvement, networks, technical assistance, efficiency, strategy, and timing. Provides examples of six programs and recommends future development…

This publication presents a collection of true stories that demonstrate the ways in which children's, parent's, and staff's lives have been enriched as a result of their involvement with Project Head Start. The stories describe remarkable achievements of individuals, often made in the face of great disadvantages and difficult circumstances, which…

The purpose of this project was to (1) engage in a statewide survey of early intervention programs concerned with the school-age child and his or her family, and (2) to examine a "family impact" model focused on two systems: the family and the school. A particular focus of the survey was on programs whose methods of impacting, (i.e.…

This document offers eight case studies - and a number of short profiles - documenting efforts in the United States and around the world, all connecting the dots between youth action and meaningful community change. The publication begins with reflections on why it is often so hard, especially in the United States, for young people to find the…

This report reviews activities carried out from 1980 to 1982 under Project Education and Community Development, a home intervention program designed to enhance the social and educational environment of minority group families in Ofakim, Israel. After a brief introduction (Part I), the accomplishments of each component program are considered…

This paper reports the evaluation of a project undertaken by the Sarawak Education Department to improve the quality of education in upper primary classes in rural Sarawak, Malaysia. The project is known officially as the Programme for Learning Enrichment, and commonly as the Van Leer Project, after the international agency which provides the main…