Drawing on recent research with NGO-driven projects in rural Cajamarca, Peru, we examine the paradoxes of relying on wind, solar and micro-hydro generation of electricity for rural community development. In spite of cost, vagaries of these energy resources and limited material benefits, especially with wind and solar systems, villagers are eagerly…

This study examined community leadership education programs employed in rural communities and organizations of several states to empower both local leaders and residents. In particular, the study investigated the relationships between community leadership education program design and structure (contact hours and content) and six outcome indices of…

This brochure offers descriptions of three Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory (McREL) programs designed to improve elementary and secondary education in the midwestern United States. "Project ACCESS" helps students explore career options. "Decisions About Technology" helps increase learning opportunities through the…

In fulfillment of the Colombian National Government's educational policy aimed toward improving the rural population's level of living, two fundamental projects have been implemented. These projects have led to the creation of schools, the continuous extension of grades, and the creation of "Concentraciones de Desarrollo Rural." They…

The Western Isles Community Education Project established preschools and community training projects which stimulated the coordinated development of preschool and related community education training structures, leading to an evaluated model of community self-help in the form of a network of playgroups (Guth nam Parant) in the scattered…

This report summarizes a postconference evaluation of the "Linking Family and Community Strengths" conference, held in Louisville, Kentucky, in June 1996, and describes 12 community projects based on conference lessons. Six months after the conference, an evaluation was completed by 100 of 192 participants. The conference aimed to…

This collection of articles provides an overview of some of the recent social science research projects performed by state agricultural experiment stations. The examples highlight social science's contribution to problem-solving in rural business, industry, farming, communities, government, education, and families. The following programs are…

Tanzania inherited a basically illiterate population that is largely rural. Hence, Tanzania is according top priority to rural development. Education is a vital input but its impact depends not only on the quality and relevance of the education given but also on its interaction with complementary inputs in agriculture, small-scale industry,…

This directory contains resource materials and listings of organizations, funding resources, and databases pertaining to cultural programs in rural American communities. A bibliography contains over 100 entries including books, newspaper articles, catalogs, case studies, audio visual materials, and journals covering rural programs and activities…

This chapter describes a community development project in Siete Pilas (Spain), a village whose economy is based primarily on small family farms and unskilled labor. The project grew out of the Sierra Education Program, which in 1980 sent adult-education teachers to five villages in the Sierra de Ronda region. The goal was to stimulate a socially…

Fortunate in being located on a highway and in having electricity and a convenient water supply, the village of Sangma, India, is populated mainly by very low-income families struggling for existence. Most adults living in Sangma are away from home at work most of the day; due to the fragmentation of the joint family system, young children are…

Concerned with the role of education in the development of rural areas, this report summarizes some of the major findings of the Australian Education and Local Development (ELD) projects combined with information collected from New Zealand rural areas during 1983. The five major studies contributing to the report are: (1) a case study of the…

This book examines cases of rural community development initiatives in the United States, Canada, and Europe, identified during a study of multicommunity collaboration projects. Section 1 includes 36 community development ideas operating at provincial, regional, and local levels. Included are ideas such as bank community development corporations,…

The four Regional Rural Development Centers are linked to the land-grant institutions and engage in activities and projects that seek to improve the social and economic well-being of rural people. This combined report of the four Centers begins with a highlighted project from each Center. The projects are presented in some detail to provide…

Operating under the philosophy that people can learn from each other, the Nonformal Education Project trained 24 Ecuadorian campesinos in seven rural mestizo villages to instruct their peers in basic litaracy skills, negotiating techniques, and the development of self-esteem. Within a year of operation some of the original "facilitators"…