Reverend Val J. Peter, director of Girls and Boys Town, USA, states that loneliness is prevalent among today's children, no matter what their economic situation. Asserts that the reasons for loneliness include the growing need of parents to work, children having their own rooms, and overuse of personal technology. Asserts that Girls and Boys Town…

A partnership for medical student education and community health improvement between the Medical College of Wisconsin and a rural Wisconsin area illustrates four stages of partnership development and advantages over traditional student placement. Two elements key to such partnerships are long-term commitment and the ability and willingness of…

Budget cuts at the University of California at Los Angeles are causing drastic reduction of some community services, particularly in health clinics. At the same time, a controversial public-policy and social-research school will be created from existing graduate programs. (MSE)

Argues that universities are as well equipped as and more obligated than most other social institutions to listen to, understand, and respond to problems in American society. Suggests that the great universities of the 21st century will be judged by their ability to help solve the most urgent social problems. (SM)

Universities must become more involved in helping society address vital urban issues, and the faculty reward system should be restructured to encourage faculty involvement in urban service. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has made such a commitment, involving faculty in urban outreach, and university officers in clarifying institutional…

For the past 3 years, Miami University (Ohio), in partnership with 11 area schools and affiliated health and human service agencies, has been developing the Institute for Educational Renewal. The Institute, based on the work of John Goodlad, encourages shared responsibility for improving outcomes for students, families, and communities and…

A kindergarten rodeo organized by teachers in Hector, Arkansas, rekindled family and community interest in the school and helped develop a sense of connectedness and inclusiveness toward Hispanic families new to this previously all-White, Protestant community. Contains 14 references. (TD)

Increasingly, colleges and universities are engaging in service learning, but for service learning to be successful in rural communities, students and faculty must look beyond the stereotypes of rural life and see rural people and places for what they are. Rural stereotypes are discussed, and a "stay option" is identified as a common…

A power company and a New Jersey elementary school arranged for field trips to a local swamp. Encouraged by two teachers, student and parent interest increased to the point where an integrated "Greenswamp Curriculum" developed around the study of habitats. Eventually, benches, planter boxes, an overlook, and an indoor classroom were constructed at…

Traces the history of Ohio State University's Interprofessional Commission of Ohio, illustrating how collaboration among academics, helping professions, citizens, and community organizations can improve human conditions; chronicling the Commission's development from its inception to its present form; describing the program's evolution from…

Describes the early years, shift toward greater autonomy, and current structure and roles of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, a public policy research institute of State University of New York. Founded to facilitate relationships between the university system and state government, it has emerged as a more autonomous research…

Recommends that child care workers engage in community networking to form mutually beneficial relationships with people who can help children and families. Identifies good work, leadership, communication, advocacy, and sharing of credit as five fundamental components of power networking. (DLH)

Discusses the implementation of a safe school initiative at an East Greenville, Pennsylvania middle school, following gun violence at the school in 1993. Considers the role of teachers, students, parents, and community in the initiative, changes to curriculum and student activities, special safety measures, and alternative programs for conflict…

The Marie-Victorin school board, in cooperation with 11 community organizations in Longueuil, Quebec, launched "De A a Z, On s'aide!," a project designed to encourage an interest in reading and writing in families with children 0-4 years old and break the recurrent cycle of illiteracy that plagues poor neighborhoods. (TD)

Examples from 10 Appalachian rural schools demonstrate how developing curricula around local interests builds on students' prior experience and makes education relevant, and how educational experiences that are intimately connected to one's community develop a sense of civic responsibility. Information technology enables students to see the myriad…