Uses a communication perspective to explore the development of a community leadership program in an economically troubled resort city. Traces how the communication practices are used in the first year of a grassroots empowerment initiative. Illustrates how meaning making and reframing enabled some group members to construct visions of a renewed…

Modesto (California) City Schools discovered common-ground thinking during a crisis over a safe-schools policy. Instead of shunning controversy, schools should face issues, invite all stakeholders, get training, formulate and approve policy, and train staff and the community to understand common-ground (religious neutrality) thinking. (MLH)

There is no formula for creating celebrations that truly inspire a sense of community on campus, but the authors describe the convocation program at Western Washington University and how it involves the whole community in creating a welcoming experience. They draw on the compelling campus traditions, give returning students an important role, and…

Explores how research can confirm that customer-driven educational-facilities planning actually works. Describes a matrix format for gauging value scores on a school renovation's importance to a community and on how the community believes the building is performing against that value. (GR)

Restorative justice promotes greater accountability, competency, and public safety through community care of juvenile offenders. The Prosocial Communities Solution builds an infrastructure around information sharing, coordinated supervision, and immersion in prosocial activities. Communities horizontally align parents with professional caregivers…

Presents key principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR), discussing the rationale for its use; providing policy recommendations at the organizational, community, and national levels aimed at advancing the application of CBPR; and emphasizing the establishment of policies to enhance equity that would both increase the engagement of…

This study explores how neighborhood context influences participation in local social organization through a multilevel-spatial analysis of residents in Chicago neighborhoods. We construct a typology of community participation based on two dimensions: instrumental vs. expressive motivations for participation and formal vs. informal modes of…

The term 'community arts theatre' is used here to describe theatre created and performed by groups of adults in Telford, Shropshire, a new town in the West Midlands of England. The author, who was the co-founder and a theatre worker at Telford Community Arts (TCA), argues that their work is best understood as grassroots artistic reflections of and…

Participatory action research (PAR) is increasingly recognized as a viable approach to developing relationships with communities and working closely with them to address complex public health problems. In the case of domestic violence research, where ensuring the safety of women participants who are battered is paramount, participatory approaches…

School-based management (SBM) in Thailand began in 1997 in the course of a reform aimed at overcoming a profound crisis in the education system. The present contribution reports on the introduction and institutionalisation of decentralisation and SBM with community participation in Thailand. The data reported here are based on an empirical survey…

The college campus is the natural place for open, lively debate on the important issues of the day. Robust public discourse is elemental to what higher education is all about. But what is the role of college presidents in that debate? Is it limited to merely ensuring an environment in which diverse points of view are welcomed and expressed? In…

The Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) Technical Assistance Center's newsletter, "ERCMExpress," provides comprehensive information on key issues in school emergency management. This issue of "ERCMExpress" discusses "Tapping into Nontraditional Community Partners for Emergency Management." Collaboration by schools with community…

The main aim of this study is to provide an overview of the research that has explored aspects of access that surround formal state schooling. The specific focus of this review concerns research on the relations within and between schools, communities and local governance institutions and their combined influence on access within local contexts.…

Society and the life experiences of children and youth changed considerably during the last century. Schools today are expected to do more than they have ever done in the past to implement effective educational approaches that promote academic success, enhance health, and prevent problem behaviors have grown significantly. Broad-based, school-wide…

This literature survey was conducted to provide information on Aboriginal language learning and teaching in Alberta. Specifically, it provides an overview of the current literature relating to: the language-to-culture connection, aboriginal language pedagogy and instructional practices, and parental and community involvement. The Aboriginal…