The Community Networking Initiative (CNI) seeks to increase participation of low-income, primarily African American, residents in a local community computer network. Examination of information exchange practices of CNI indicated that word-of-mouth exchanges with people in one's close social circle and contacts with community organizations appear…

Describes an early childhood literacy program called Begin with Books and provides ideas for starting up, finding, and administering similar programs in public libraries. Topics include corporate sponsors; staffing; partnering with community organizations; training; scheduling; and budget information. (LRW)

Pottstown (Pennsylvania) High School has integrated its community into learning by collaborating with parents; forming partnerships with businesses and higher learning institutions; forging connections among students, senior citizens, and school alumni; garnering support from community organizations and social services; and collaborating with…

Empowerment is a social-action process through which people gain greater control, efficacy, and social justice. One way to develop empowerment is through active, meaningful participation in community groups and activities. Social cohesion is an emerging construct that expands the notion of community participation to include elements such as shared…

"Community involvement," the standard cliche, does not come close to capturing the spirit and action that have structured the building, programs, collections, and services of the Haines Borough Public Library (HBPL), AK. Those achievements make HBPL the winner of the first annual award for the Best Small Library in America, cosponsored…

Historically, schools serving impoverished families trapped in America's urban "ghettos" have been resistant to community participation. Enhanced participation is critically needed, however, if long-term urban school-reform projects and efforts to develop more empowering, community-supporting forms of pedagogy are to succeed. This article examines…

School councils have operated successfully in non-government schools for many years. By contrast, the establishment of school councils in the government school sector has had a much shorter history. In New South Wales, school council members are elected representatives of the broader school community. This study focused on government schools in…

This paper analyses whether the Australian Landcare movement complies with notions of "post-productivist rural governance." The paper argues that Landcare has been a vast improvement on previous approaches to the management of the countryside in Australia, and that it has managed to mobilise a large cross-section of stakeholders.…

Background: Quality of life is a popular measure of outcomes and its widespread use has led to recent calls for a better understanding of the construct, emphasizing the need to build a substantial body of knowledge around what determines perceptions of life quality. Three widely reported and used conceptual principles are examined in this study.…

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC)'s Bushfire Program is unique amongst conservation organisations. The Program has been running for over ten years, focusing its campaign work mainly on government policy, legislation and commissions of inquiry. However, the Program was originally initiated to provide support to over 70 conservation…

Education has been identified as one of the primary agents of transformation towards development. However, low level of literacy and education is one of the major challenges facing most of the underdeveloped countries. Active community involvement and participation has emerged as an effective mechanism in improving the sustainable level of…

The cumulative result of almost 100 years of mining, milling, and smelting has left areas of Jasper County, Missouri, contaminated with high levels of the trace metals Pb, Cd, and Zn. The site was listed on the National Priorities List in 1990 and is now known as the Jasper County or Oronogo-Duenweg Mining Belt Superfund Site. The U.S.…

For students with moderate or severe disabilities, developing literacy skills is a critical component of successful communication, employment, and community participation. Finally, educators have a practical, concise guidebook for helping these students meet NCLB's academic standards for literacy. Appropriate for use in all settings, including…

This guide is designed to help educators and community leaders plan and implement professional development initiatives for family child care providers at the community level, and is based on Dayton Hudson Corporation's 1992 Child Care Aware (CCA) campaign to educate child care consumers about quality family child care. Part 1 provides an overview…

The Long Island Team is a collaborative system of K-12 students and teachers, university students and faculty, and community members who have been linked by telecommunications and in-person sessions. Since 1993 the group has culminated their work together at an annual sharing event. This paper provides the history of the learning community, a list…