This paper introduces the reader to microfinance integrated with health and nutrition education as a promising strategy for Title II practitioners. The paper provides an overview of how microfinance, particularly village banking, can contribute to the food-security objectives of Title II. It describes a variant of village banking, called…

"Credit with Education" is a way to provide self-financing microfinance (or small-scale banking) to women, primarily in very poor rural areas, while at the same time providing education for business and family survival. Within the village banking environment, attempts to integrate education with village bank meetings have fallen into two…

For the middle school-aged female athlete, self-esteem, empowerment, and self-confidence are often bolstered through participation in interscholastic competitive sports. These traits are also traits of leadership. This digest discusses how many contributing factors and people mold the student athlete into a leader but the process must be…

This paper discusses a case study that serves as an example of a conflict mediation program in a small high school in Missouri. The program began with the following goals: 1) to reduce the number of conflicts in the school; 2) to empower students with the ability to solve their own conflicts; 3) to teach conflict resolution skills to students; and…

Examines the motivating forces and characteristics of participatory research, presents a brief outline of social theory, and discusses the issue of knowledge as the single most important basis of power and control. (SK)

"Leadership for the 90s" trained 21 senior volunteers in "shared-servant" leadership to facilitate peer development in an association. Leaders showed significant improvement in conducting meetings, communicating clearly, speaking in public, and planning effective presentations. (SK)

Describes an introductory horizontal caving experience for college-age women who were uncomfortable with their bodies, insecure with movement, and unwilling to take big risks. The darkness and quiet of the cave released inhibitions and promoted group cohesion, feelings of intimacy and safety, self-discovery, and self-confidence. (SV)

Interviews with three people who use wheelchairs (aged 10, 41, and 72) revealed they were not well informed about Americans with Disabilities Act standards and their civil rights; they were knowledgeable about architectural accessibility. The perceptions and experiences of these different age groups can help occupational therapists provide…

Attempts to clarify the nature of power and the distinction between individuals empowered by the existing system and those struggling for freedom by changing the system. Challenges the notion of freedom and emancipation being attained through personal transformation. (SK)

In order for women to protect themselves from AIDS, they must be empowered with a sense of self-worth and negotiating skills to practice safe sex. Advocates for women's health care should promote empowerment as an important prevention strategy. (SK)

Education may be viewed as at threat to the prevailing power structure although it is essential to the structure's reproduction and development. Reflective learning is essential to the reproduction of existing socioeconomic relations, yet at the same time it represents a potential catalyst for radical change. (SK)

The Multiple Menu Model is a practical set of planning guides that teachers can use to design indepth curriculum units. This model differs from traditional approaches by balancing content and process, involving students as inquirers, and exploring knowledge's structure and interconnectedness. Components include menus for knowledge, instructional…

Whole-community organizing is a new approach to community change that is supported by theories of social relations and interaction. It uses an asset-based approach to community development. Empirical studies have identified ways to mobilize community assets and build community from inside out. (Contains 58 references.) (SK)

A literature review identified three perspectives on empowerment: self-efficacy derived from individual action and psychology; mutual empowerment through interpersonal relationships; and social empowerment, the removal of social, economic, and legal obstacles to individual influence. However, many community leadership education programs fall short…

Assessed how the youth empowerment process encouraged positive youth development. Observation, interview, and focus group data from an urban community health promotion project indicated that practitioners created environments conducive to adolescents taking responsibility for their quality of life by welcoming and enabling youth. Power was…