Based on the view that communities that have good schools and better educated residents are safer, more stable communities where business and families thrive, this pamphlet describes how community-based organizations can support family-school compacts and affirm the importance of family and community involvement in student learning. The pamphlet…

This issue, the fourth in a series on demographic forces shaping U.S. public education, discusses how the aging of the population affects education. The first section, "Shades of Gray," discusses how as the population ages, schools may face tougher competition for public resources, noting how tensions have surfaced in one Florida county.…

This document presents a policy framework for improving the personal security of women and girls. The document includes: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Policy Background" (the concept of personal security, the societal context of women's personal security, consequences of violence for women and girls, long-term policy concern, and…

This report reviews the activities, strategies, successes, and problems of diverse school reform efforts across a 14-state sample of community organizations. In 1999 and 2000, interviewers visited over 40 organizations and conducted telephone interviews with dozens of other organizations involved in education reform. They met with directors,…

This report explores the perspectives, issues, and capacity building needs of 51 community organizations that are fighting for better public schools nationwide. It analyzes a series of interviews conducted between July 2000 and March 2002. The interviews involved organizers, senior staff, and parent leaders. Overall, respondents described a range…

The Recovery Month observance highlights the societal benefits of substance abuse treatment, lauds the contributions of treatment providers, and promotes the message that recovery from substance abuse in all its forms is possible. The observance also encourages citizens to take action to help expand and improve the availability of effective…

This report is a summary of discussions that took place at the Learning and Community Transition, Lakes District Rural Dialogue, held in Burns Lake, British Columbia, on March 29, 2006. This dialogue emerged further to a meeting of northern federal representatives which was organized to better coordinate federal support for northern B.C.…

In development policy, community participation has increasingly come to be seen as a way to encourage community interest, involvement, ownership and ultimately, sustainability of projects. Education has also been affected by this discourse. The following paper examines two countries affected by conflict (Pakistan and Yemen), asking what type of…

This videotape presents the National Satellite Videoconference on mentoring for youth. The video opens with a discussion of mentoring and presents panelists who make statements about mentoring and youth programs and respond to questions called in by videoconference participants at approximately 500 downlinked sites. Panelists were: (1) Shay…

The Kuru Development Trust is a development support program that is owned and controlled by the communities in which the organization operates, the majority being San, or Bushmen, communities in the Kalahari region of Africa. Following a holistic approach to development, Kuru is involved in a wide range of activities, including income-generating…

Bahamian women often carry the bulk of responsibility for family well-being, particularly in the domain of parenting. This ethnographic study investigated the role of Bahamian mothers and their perceptions of parenting. Face-to-face qualitative interviews, comprised of a series of open-ended questions, were conducted with 18 mothers on the islands…

This toolkit helps community-based organizations create a community guide to the school budget, demystifying school finance for citizens and engaging them in the process of using the school budget as a tool for school improvement. It explains the major steps organizations have used in their own initiatives, offering advice and examples of tools.…

Although increasing numbers of organizations are speaking out on behalf of children, politicians need to hear first-hand from families about their concerns for their children. This book provides parents and others with skills necessary to organize effectively and speak out on issues that affect children at home, at school, and in the broader…

This issue of the children's magazine, "The Goldfinch," focuses on Herbert and Lou Henry Hoover. The articles included are: (1) "Getting To Know Herbert Clark Hoover"; (2) "Lou Henry Hoover"; (3) "Meet an Iowa Author"; (4) "The Great Depression"; (5) "A Different Kind of Coupon"; (6)…

Schoolyard ecosystem programs, such as mini-farms, gardens, or nature trails on school grounds, are usually designed to promote greater insight and understanding of ecological relationships and develop an appreciation of an individual's responsibility for environmental quality. This paper focuses on evaluation practices of schoolyard habitat…