This article describes the possible effect a smaller federal government would have on empowerment of families of individuals with developmental disabilities. The concept of empowerment and how families have come to rely on government support are discussed. The article also reviews the impact that decreased government support would have on early…

Presents historical background on family participation in early care/education programs. Highlights the vision and activities of four Wisconsin Early Childhood Centers for Excellence offering family-centered services with services to young children. Illustrates various strategies used to empower parents and strengthen bonds between parents and…

Examines attempts by black high school student activists in Chicago in the 1960s to gain community control of their schools. Their combined efforts did not lead to decentralization, but instead resulted in more black administrators and curriculum changes, as well as increased awareness of inadequate education, lack of black administrators, lack of…

Uses the author's experiences to illustrate the challenge of teaching in today's schools. Discusses ways to provide a climate in which students feel they hold ownership, and have relationships with the community of learners around them to engage in discussion about the subject material and further develop their own thinking patterns. Presents…

Academic preparation of principals in Israel is a fairly new commodity in a dynamic, but divided, educational system. Recent program developments are an outgrowth of rapid, complex changes in Israeli society, such as rapid industrialization, growing community and organizational autonomy, and greater respect for individual rights. Development of…

Addresses the role of outdoor education in educating for a sustainable society. Discusses elements in promoting social action (environmental awareness, empowerment, commitment) and 10 essential competencies in educating for sustainability. Describes related benefits of outdoor education such as increasing student motivation, utilizing multiple…

State-sponsored teacher networks in Vermont and California are compared, using interviews with teachers, network staff, and policymakers. It is concluded that state-sponsored networks can improve teachers' knowledge and motivation while empowering them. Recommendations are made for loosely coupled and capacity-building strategies to support…

Discussion of the reference practitioner-client relationship in academic libraries focuses on mediation and client self-determination. Highlights include the role of librarians, assessing the needs of the client, limitations in client capacity to make choices, empowering clients, and developing partnerships. (Author/LRW)

Describes a master's level course for teachers called "Foundations of Reading Instruction," which was built around students choosing their own goal of what they wanted to learn about the teaching of reading. Discusses the structure of their in-class workshops, goals, midway self-evaluations, the last weeks of their work on their goals, final…

Describes the successful involvement of homeless youth in the creation of a presentation to the Campaign for the Single Homeless (CHAR) in England. Asserts that it is vital that children's organizations support an active role for children and young people in policy development, and that it be done in the right way, whatever the cost. (EV)

Focuses on a mapping exercise based on the principles of Paolo Freire. It was used with non-student Latino North Carolina farmworkers to engage them in learning about health beliefs, behaviors, and injury prevention. Provides background information on the farmworkers' lives and the use of the mapping exercises. (CMK)

Describes how teachers can develop a student art auction as a way to raise money for an art program, the students, or other causes. Explains that an auction helps students feel like real artists. Discusses each aspect of the process from preliminary decisions to selecting artwork to bidding at the auction. (CMK)

Research suggests eight universal features that should be present in all youth development programs. Each feature is named and described, opposite poles are noted, and camp-specific actions to incorporate the feature are listed. A flow chart presents a series of questions to help camp administrators determine whether these features are present in…

This article describes the work of the Supported Learning Project (SLP), a program that provided personal support and development in self-advocacy to 31 British mothers with learning disabilities. The learning gains made by the mothers, the obstacles they encountered, and the project's success are discussed. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

A college professor uses Appalachian students' stories as a means of building community in the classroom and fusing the personal and theoretical. The sharing of stories helps students deconstruct outside definitions and stereotypes and enables them to take power over their own images and reinvent themselves. Once students accept themselves, they…