Storytelling is the most powerful activity people can engage in to build community, because storytelling is how new empowering ideas are shared. Stories structure the inner landscape from which behavior is born. This guide to storytelling in the context of community building begins with a discussion of the importance of stories, with many…

Although the primary purpose of the Neighborhood Networks program in Hartford (Connecticut) is to help residents get jobs, the establishment of community computer centers can benefit senior citizens and children in addition to would-be job applicants. There are six primary types of computer centers: (1) those that introduce computers in general;…

This report documents the work of Amachi, a mentoring program for children of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Volunteers are recruited from inner-city congregations to provide one-to-one mentoring to the children. Beyond being the source of mentors, the congregations are a key part of the initiative.…

This CD-ROM presents a virtual visit to the School of Environmental Studies, located on the grounds of its major community partner, the Minnesota Zoo. This 11th and 12th grade high school was opened in 1995, and in 1999 it was named a New American High School by the U.S. Department of Education because of its new, innovative approach to learning.…

Effective aftercare interventions are the key to preventing recidivism among juvenile offenders. In 1987, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention established a research and demonstration program to develop, assess, and disseminate an intensive aftercare program targeted at these offenders. This program, the Intensive Aftercare…

This manual is a guide to setting up a project to work with disadvantaged urban youth. It is based on the Dalston Youth Project, an English program that combines mentoring with an education program to reconnect young people to mainstream education, training, and employment opportunities. The manual is designed to be used by statutory bodies,…

Family resource centers (FRC) are emerging as a promising program approach to solving urgent social problems. Evaluation plays an important role in learning how these programs work, what their impact is, and whether they should be expanded. However, FRCs pose unique challenges to evaluation. This report considers the challenges to evaluating FRCs,…

This booklet is part of a series of reports on "hot topics" in education. It discusses after-school programs, sometimes referred to as "extended-day" programs, which are often operated in school buildings but may be implemented in other community locations. The booklet offers a brief overview of the research on after-school…

This booklet is designed to assist people in implementing strategies to prevent negative outcomes for children. The process starts with the individual, acknowledging an inside-out approach to change. The next component in the model is a set of research-based facts that promote resilience by focusing on strengths instead of deficits. What follows…

This report provides a qualitative evaluation of Colorado's 56 Learn and Serve programs. It contains descriptions of 39 K-12 school-based programs and 17 community-based programs funded during the 1997-98 grant cycle. The profiles were written by the program directors, and each profile provides an overview of the program and includes general…

Self-help and realistic goals were keys to this Arizona community-based enrichment program that brought dropouts back to school and strengthened reading skills. (Editor)

Article focused attention on the first national Music in Our Schools Day, whose purpose is to stress educational goals and processes of music education in the schools so that community understanding of and support for music education will be increased. (Author/RK)

Discusses public school biculturalism and some of the successful efforts in the Southwest to improve the educational lot of Mexican-Americans there. (GB)

Article outlines a seven-step approach to setting up a systematic PR program and includes a quiz for evaluating your current success at PR efforts. (Editor)

The principal who puts public relations at the bottom of his priority list is short sighted and should expect his school's eventual breakdown, says an expert in the PR field. (Editor)