School gardens can teach kids about cooperation, nature, science, creativity, and community service. Gardens also help teachers address students' diverse needs and interests. Tips for school gardeners include: make it easy to use, keep groups small, be inclusive, build partnerships, have clear rules, think year-round, have fun, and celebrate…

Recent efforts to improve writing instruction include emphasizing writing as a process rather than a product, new evaluation methods, allowing students a more active role, providing a real audience, and using desktop publishing and the World Wide Web. Sidebars present parents' role, the connection between reading and writing, and a professional…

Vancouver (Washington) is rebuilding its entire educational infrastructure. Community involvement in the planning process for each school has created a sense of ownership, created spaces that implement good educational ideas and accommodate community activities, and given each school its own "signature." An emphasis on efficiency has…

Community revitalization efforts based on community partnerships between educators, civic leaders, local employers, entrepreneurs, and parents are gaining momentum. Local schools play a leading role in many of these. Discusses three models of school/community interaction, how relationships build social capital, mapping community assets, getting…

Four elementary schools and two local organizations in Seattle's South End collaborated to improve student performance, strengthen the community, and create a model for school reform. Programs included day care, one-on-one reading workshops, volunteer mentors, community events, adult education, and writing workshops. Presents four tips for…

Two-thirds of Montana's school districts are rural, and most students attend schools with enrollments under 300. Such recent trends as peer tutoring, multigrade classrooms, and project-based learning have always been practiced in these small schools. One small community's successful effort to save its school, classroom practices in one-room…

Millionaire Stuart Sloan pumps $1 million a year into the budget of T.T. Minor Elementary School, located in a predominantly Black, poor neighborhood in Seattle (Washington). Sloan's generosity helps provide an extended school year, before- and after-school programs, small class sizes, extra meals, uniforms, ongoing staff training, and an outreach…

A summit in Boise (Idaho) aimed to help 130 youth develop leadership skills and connect to service learning opportunities. Participants identified tolerance and substance abuse as issues of concern and generated action plans for addressing these problems. Profiles several participants and addresses the role of the community in developing healthy…

American's aging schools need replacing. New schools should enhance teaching and learning and accommodate the needs of all learners; serve as community centers; involve all stakeholders in the planning process; provide for health, safety, and security; make effective use of all available resources; and be adaptable to changing needs. Examples of…

A Seattle (Washington) initiative is dedicated to building a system for out-of-school care, especially for low income, minority families. In this interview, the program coordinator describes how area out-of-school providers cooperated to train staff, train trainers, and elevate the field to a profession. Major issues that affect program quality…

Urban school districts in the Northwest are not immune to the challenges facing inner city schools such as poverty, teacher shortages, and low test scores. Strategies for turning obstacles into opportunities for urban youth include recruiting strong school administrators, building a stable source of committed capable teachers, closing achievement…

The goal of the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program is to provide academic enrichment opportunities and youth development activities for children attending low-performing schools. A look at several rural and urban programs in Oregon and Washington reveals that successful programs mesh with the school culture and partner with…

Award-winning teachers from rural Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho discuss their innovative programs and the advantages of small-town life and small schools. Teachers, students, and community members know each other and participate in school activities, teachers have more flexibility and control over what they teach, bureaucracy is minimized, and…