Volunteers monitor watershed health in more than 700 programs in the US, involving over 400,000 local stakeholders. New Mexico Watershed Watch is a student-based watershed monitoring program sponsored by the state's Department of Game and Fish which provides high school teachers and students with instruction on methods for water quality…

The findings in this article will be presented in relation to developing and implementing processes of school, family, and community partnership programs in two primary and two secondary schools in Quebec from 2001 to 2005. The action research project was based on Epstein's (2001) comprehensive framework of six types of involvement: parenting,…

A practicum was designed to keep an after-school and evening youth center in operation in spite of the loss of the main source of financial support (i.e., the contributions of the founding church). The program director, youth ministries director for an urban parish, sought additional support and implemented various strategies to keep the program…

Twenty-two key professionals were invited to submit written comments and to attend a 1-day consultation designed to identify strategies for expanding the availability and quality of training for youth workers. Participants responded in writing in advance of the meeting to three sets of questions: type of people involved in youth work and…

This report describes the evaluation process of Portland, Oregon's Student Mentoring Program (SMP), a program which brought college students from four private universities and at risk eighth grade students from four middle schools in mentoring relationships. The evaluation design is described, as are the various measurements used to assess program…

Service learning links community service and volunteerism with academic learning. It is a collaborative effort that brings schools, community-based organizations, parents, and other community members together in a common enterprise of individual and community growth. Service learning is based on a number of existing links between schools and…

This document contains four papers that were written in preparation for a national conference on building partnerships to help adult learners make the transition from volunteer literacy to adult education programs. Discussed in "Technology as an Instruction Strategy for Program Transitions" (Eunice N. Askov, Barbara H. Van Horn) are the…

The workbook for Ilokano was designed for language training of Peace Corps volunteers in the Philippines. It consists of: a list of commonly-used phrases for greetings, leavetaking, shopping, asking for directions, managing a conversation, and introducing oneself; a more extensive vocabulary/phrase book of words and expressions used in everyday…

At Florida's Miami-Dade Community College, a service learning component was implemented in a reading course designed to prepare students to pass the statewide test required to obtain an associate degree. In the service learning option, students were required to perform 15 hours of tutoring in reading to at-risk elementary students or adults,…

This Digest reviews some ideas and suggestions about parental involvement in middle school education, focusing on the language arts. The Digest reviews the research on how to increase parental involvement in middle schools and presents several programs already in use at various middle schools. The diverse programs outlined in the Digest feature…

This document consists of two guides that were developed to assist small rural communities in northern Alberta (Canada) in conducting surveys. A community survey can be used to develop long- and short-range plans, define and solve problems, establish priorities, confirm public opinion, develop community support and stimulate action, and reveal new…

This issue of the Canadian quarterly "Transitions," in French and English language versions, examines the prevention of youth crime, with a specific focus on activities, trends, and research dealing with Canadian families. Major articles in this issue are: (1) "A Snowball's Chance? Communities and Families Working to Prevent Youth…

Homeless parents, like all parents, want their children to have a good education, and most are eager to help in any way they can. Some suggestions are offered for helping homeless parents become partners in their children's education. Parent concerns should be addressed directly. They should be assured that their children can learn, that schools…

This report summarizes the activities of the South Carolina State Library for 1995-1996. Sections include: (1) library governance and mission statement; (2) brief library history; (3) details about the organization and operations of the library, including a description of each of six departments with a list of employees and their duties, an…

In fiscal year 1992, state funding to the South Carolina State Library was reduced on four occasions, but the library staff performed at high levels. Despite a 38 percent reduction in the library materials budget, the State Library had its best year ever in terms of providing information, with the number of items loaned continuing to increase. In…