To determine 1999 Magna Award winners, judges looked for successful programs that were developed or actively supported by school boards, essential in promoting the district's mission and advancing student learning, bold and creative, and capable of being replicated. The grand prize winner was Hartford (Connecticut) Public Schools' extended-day…

Discusses how newly built schools are becoming community activity centers with input from the community. Gives several examples of how communities were involved in the school planning and redesign process that also created room for community use of the school. (GR)

Argues that the context of counseling factors can make a difference in the counselor/client relationship and the process and outcome of counseling. Suggests that context has been ignored in counseling theory, research, and practice and that attention to context can contribute to more responsive and effective counseling services. (Author/MKA)

Describes a project for students to study storm water runoff, erosion, sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, wetlands, ground water, and the effects on waterways of acidity and household pollutants through experimentation and fieldwork. (CCM)

A rural Minnesota district with a declining regional population and little public support involved the community in developing a consensus for reforms and creating a common vision and action plan for each school. Innovations were adopted regarding curriculum, scheduling, technology use, and marketing approaches. (MLH)

Discusses the increasing interest on college campuses in public service, and reports on 1998, 1999, and 2000 national conferences on "Strategies for Renewing the Civic Mission of the American Research University." Notes conference recommendations, such as establishment of a permanent Institute for Education for Democracy. Stresses importance of…

Discusses issues and trends in the university's mission of community service. Notes a 1999 leadership colloquium of college presidents which urged student participation in public and community service. Identifies new problems, including civic disengagement and the growing gap between rich and poor. Examines the service learning movement and offers…

Sacramento schools achieved a turnaround in three years, after a new board reassigned inept administrators and devised a High Standards, Great Results Program comprised of the Puzzle (core achievement beliefs, community/parent support, and participative management) and Vital Signs (goals for readiness, attendance, literacy, and graduation rates).…

The startup of 465 federal 21st Century Community Learning Center Programs has propelled the idea of school/community collaboration onto national and local agendas. Collaborative action teams in the Southwest have identified three factors that encourage collaboration: the organizing group's commitment and diversity, administrative and campus…

At Owsley County Elementary School (Booneville, Kentucky), the number of parent and community volunteers has doubled over the past 5 years. The school employs a full-time coordinator of parent involvement, has a parent center, and reaches out to the wider community with a monthly newsletter delivered to every county household. Benefits of parent…

A seafaring school-to-work program in Kealakekua, Hawaii, encourages community members to help high school students rediscover ancestral roots and prepare for the future. On both ocean and land, students learn an integrated core curriculum of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Community professionals and business leaders…

Group treatment, education, support, and organizational and community participation are now available through telephone and computer technology. A review of professional, popular, and social psychology literature, and a conceptual framework for social work practice is presented. Ways to prepare social workers and guidelines for practice are…

In the past decade, heritage and environmental interpretation shifted from technical emphasis to social perspective, reflected in five international trends: growing concern with theory, increasing ecotourism and consequent changes in environmental interpretation, reactions to globalization (homogeneity versus uniqueness), interpretation of…

Analyzes data emerging from a study that examined membership criteria for school teams. Six midwestern urban schools were followed for six months during the process of selecting and initiating parental and community involvement on advisory councils. Participation and attendance rates among minority participants were lower than for nonminority…

Describes a California elementary school serving Hispanic students that successfully involved parents, businesses, and community members in improving school safety, refurbishing the neighborhood, and purging the area of criminal activity. Police and Korean-American merchants have contributed to multicultural celebrations, and PTA participation is…