This document identifies steps in organizing and conducting a community survey and provides materials for assembling a well-focused survey form. Planning and conducting a successful survey involves the organization of a planning group, selection of relevant topics and information to be collected on each topic, preparation of a survey form,…

Social, cultural, political, and organizational characteristics of urban schools that make them difficult settings for teachers are discussed. It is suggested that, while an emphasis on professional community would be beneficial for all students, it is particularly pressing for urban schools where other resources for school reform are limited.…

This book draws upon the experience of adult and community educators and youth and community workers to explore the nature and practice of local education. Chapter 1 examines the nature of local education and argues the benefits of setting aside "community education" in favor of "local education." In chapter 2, the local educator's role is…

A study was done of the public service programs of the colleges and universities of the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) region and how they contribute to the regional development of northern New York State. The study asked the 21 institutions of the ANCA area to respond to a survey seeking information on various aspects of each…

Part of an effort to increase the capacity of local citizens to address critical issues facing their communities, this paper reports on a project to develop and test a replicable process for organizing community forums at community colleges. Following introductory remarks, the first section discusses the role of the community college in community…

In 1992 the Pew Partnership launched a national initiative aimed at discovering new knowledge about how citizens accomplish significant, lasting improvements in their communities. The Partnership chose smaller cities as the focus for this experimental effort, granting each of 14 cities up to $400,000 for a 3-year period. Eight of the cities later…

This article describes the formation of an educational partnership developed in a rural, Appalachian, coal-mining community. Williamson Main Street, Inc., a downtown revitalization program, and Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College (Southern) combined their efforts to create the Tug Valley Economic Development Institute (TVEDI).…

This supplement to "Adult Education and Development," a journal for adult education in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, refers to and is intended as a companion volume to "Combatting Poverty through Adult Education: National Development Strategies" (Croom Helm 1985). In addition to an introductory chapter and a conclusion, this…

At the hearing recorded in this document, which was held at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama, testimony and prepared statements were received concerning the role of urban universities in economic and community development, with special attention to other forms of incentives that the Federal Government could be providing to…

This report describes and evaluates the Colorado Rural Revitalization Project (CRRP). CRRP was established in 1988 as an experimental approach to institutional collaboration to provide community development services among selected rural communities of less than 5,000 people. CRRP consisted of a partnership among rural Colorado communities,…

Begun in 1978 by a small group of Colombians who were affiliated with a private organization and who were interested in children's upbringing, education, and development, the Promesa Project began by organizing discussion groups among about 20 mothers and their children between 3 and 7 years of age in four remote villages on the shores of the…

A case study was conducted of the organized, cooperative efforts of women in six communities in Bolivia. From December 1978 through January 1988, visits were made to women's organizations called "mothers' clubs." Effects of club membership on members, their families, and their communities were examined. A research review showed that: (1)…

The third in a series of volumes of curriculum essays on the concepts, issues, and strategies of community development education and training is presented. Five sections with 20 papers are as follows: (1) introduction: theories, definitions, and origins of experiential education--"Experiential Education for Community Development" (I. Harris, P.…

A working paper on U.S. church-related funding for (or sponsorship of) South African programs is presented to guide support-seeking organizations in South Africa to appropriate resources and to inform interested parties outside South Africa about potential resources and ways in which they might cooperate or assist. Information is provided in two…

The property tax base in Vermont's towns are overburdened as property taxes are usually the only funding method available to finance schools, police departments, highway work, recreation programs, and government in general. Attempting to offer their citizens a balanced program of services without exorbitant taxes, local officials are striving to…