Analysis of Australian Community Survey data (n=6,242) identified three categories of volunteer involvement: assisting those who need help, serving the wider community, and being involved in volunteer groups. Volunteers in each category had different characteristics. Key influences were having resources to contribute, existence of recruitment…

Dan Mader, CEO of Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc., discusses his firm's uses of the design charrette (an intense design work session), and talks about how important it is to have the community involved in each project. (EV)

Describes place-based education, a curricular approach that encourages students to engage in solving local problems, stimulates a desire to learn, and helps students connect to their community. (PKP)

Describes Cheney's successful use of volunteers in parks and recreation programs. They raised funds, worked for park maintenance and improvement, and organized sports programs and special events. Reports survey results from Washington communities on voluntary efforts of fraternal and social organizations, businesses, and senior and youth groups.…

Suggests that communication between teachers and parents and other community members is noticeably enhanced when the following indicators can be clearly observed among the communicators: warmth, empathy, respect, genuineness, listening, and concrete practicality. (MG)

Describes the community adult education activities at the Westerra Institute of Technology in Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada. Demonstrates the utility of Stephen Brookfield's conceptual model of community adult education. (JOW)

Addresses the need to make urban forestry information and resources available and understandable to everyone in an effort to organize and educate communities. The seemingly hidden aspects of the urban ecosystem are examined; and a sidebar looks at the air, carbon, and energy cycles and sustaining quality of life, in particular. (LZ)

Outlines six steps for building local coalitions aimed at stopping community dioxin exposure. Discusses the dangers of dioxin exposure and the advantages of coalition-building. (LZ)

Challenges the assumption that disagreement among environmental experts is a rare occurrence and suggests the public offers valuable expertise that should be included in the environmental decision-making process. Looks at forms of bias and methods for improving the quality of technical knowledge and expertise. Sidebars discuss actual conflicts.…

Although parent involvement is essential, state education agencies have provided little financial support for staff and programs needed to improve school-family connections. This article discusses elements of good parent involvement programs and describes several successful examples. Advice is given for creating and managing school volunteer…

A high school principal describes a 48-hour plan he constructed to deal with adolescent suicide. Essential steps include activating the emergency contact chain used for school closings, enlisting community support, relaying the facts, refusing to glorify the suicide, helping staff help students, and evaluating the plan. (four references) (MLH)

Gatekeepers, or nontraditional referral sources, have proven to be an effective means of case finding and outreach for mental health needs of isolated senior citizens. A two-year project administered by county public health department found the gatekeeper concept to be an effective means of case finding in the public health setting. (ABL)

This description of the Canadian government's assessment of the social impact of hydrocarbon exploration in the Arctic demonstrates barriers to citizen involvement: ad hoc nature, travel and child care problems, and lack of enough volunteers. Recommendations for community participation in impact assessment are given. (SK)

This primary health care model is based on four assumptions: emphasis on collective, not individual, needs; coordination of preventive/episodic care with secondary/tertiary care; comprehensive, holistic approach; and partnership and equality among professional disciplines and community members. Stakeholders involved are medical, nursing, and…

Discusses how to get a community to participate in educational facility development that is effective provided one starts with a format that is fun. It presents a sequence of workshops that have been proven successful in developing community participation. (GR)