Describes the application of multilevel statistical models to the evaluation of a multi-site community-based intervention and explicates key issues in the design,analysis, and presentation of results. The initiative described, "Fighting Back, is designed to reduce the demand for illegal drugs and alcohol in a community. (SLD)

Outlines four aspects of a revamped child care system in the United States: (1) neighborhood early learning programs; (2) a community support system for quality care; (3) reinvented financial assistance; and (4) a career development system. (KB)

Information was collected on 63 adults with mental retardation in supported living residences, 55 in small group homes, and 152 in large group homes. Compared to small group homes, those in supported living residences had greater choice, participated in more community-based activities, and were considered at greater risk of exploitation. (Contains…

This paper draws together two major strands in current Government policies for higher education -- the promotion of collaborative partnerships in higher education and the widening participation agenda. Both of these also contribute to the enhancement of workforce development. The paper explores the interface between these two policies through a…

Trying to 'save the environment' on a global level is no easy task. That's why Community-based School Environmental Education (CO-SEED), a New Hampshire based outfit, is helping schools and their students focus locally, by turning community resources into one big classroom. In this article, the author shares his experiences during his visits to…

This article features Project 540, a national civic education program directly engaging high-schoolers in the democratic process. Project 540 is a dynamic and moving initiative that brings students full-circle to produce civic action plans based on what their school and community have to offer. The author emphasizes that civic participation based…

For the first time ever, Citizen Through Sports Alliance (CTSA) convened a panel of youth sports experts from across the country to evaluate youth sports in the United States and articulate its successes and failures. The panel evaluated only community-based youth sports programs, focusing on those that serve children ages 6 to 14. The panel is…

This paper focuses on the use of images to promote reflection and analysis of inclusive practices. The image-based work was set in the context of a two-year action research study, which took place in Tanzania and Zambia, 2001-2003, in collaboration with researchers from the Enabling Education Network (EENET), based at the University of…

The article introduces radical pragmatism, an approach to working with girls in conflict with the law based on experience, research, and theory, including an analysis of the structural and gendered inequities in which girls live and make choices. There are three components. First, abolish punitive practices and stereotypes that do not attend to…

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation began developing a multisite initiative in 1986 that would employ community-generated strategies to reduce the use and abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs. From a community planning phase that began in 1990 through two phases of implementation, the Fighting Back initiative had been in place for twelve years,…

Schools, colleges and universities, and local communities now recognize the key role they play to encourage citizen participation and promote civic engagement. New civic engagement initiatives underway offer perfect opportunities for libraries to fulfill their traditional roles of promoting civic literacy and ensuring an informed citizenry. Today,…

The needs assessment, a popular tool for helping businesses determine what they need to do to improve their operations, services, and products, can serve as an excellent vehicle for meeting many of the objectives in an introductory business communication course. A needs assessment project, as with other university-business collaborations, provides…

We examined the frequency and stability of family contact with long-term institutional residents during a major deinstitutionalization project. Movers relocated to community accommodation between Assessments 1 (baseline) and 2. Stayers remained institutionalized. We investigated family contact longitudinally over four annual assessments. There was…

Beginning a community youth orchestra can be one of the most rewarding--and draining--experiences in music education. Forming a group requires administrative expertise, interpersonal skills, expert musicianship, and a lot of elbow grease. The author used all these attributes and skills when he founded the Spanish Fork (Utah) Chamber Players…

To understand the problem of illiteracy, a detailed review of the definitions of literacy and illiteracy is in order. A full definition of these terms in the current print and electronic context of adult American society in school and out of school, and for adult learners of English as both a first and a second language is presented here. Strong,…