Describes the unusual community/university collaboration at the Community Literacy Center in Pittsburgh. Shows how education and inquiry can help construct an intercultural discourse in which teens enter a policy discussion about suspension and in which college mentors enter the discourse on inner-city teens. (SR)

Four steps toward changing educational policy and politics are (1) create a coherent community conversation about the new literacies; (2) change the level and kind of discourse in schools and districts; (3) conduct literacy audits; and (4) study problems that arise from this process and address them. (SK)

Discussion of systems design in education focuses on relationships with other systems dimensions of the design framework. Relationship options that imply different patterns of instruction are described, including information exchange, cooperation, coordination, and integration, all focused on a community-based system of learning and human…

Discusses service-learning programs initiated by colleges which demonstrate benefits of practical work experience for students, services received by the community, and improved public relations for the college. Notes that a campus-based volunteer coordination effort is the missing link between students eager to serve and the agencies and…

Some school districts are experimenting with learning experiences outside the classroom that benefit the community and engage students in a more meaningful and multisensory learning experience. Students involved have a higher success rate in school and are encouraged to develop higher order thinking skills. (CJS)

The Detroit Compact is a comprehensive education partnership that seeks to graduate more high school students who are ready for jobs or college and to stimulate necessary changes in the school system to make the increase possible. It involves businesses, students, the community, and state and city government. (JOW)

Dropout prevention programs in schools must work with the community to meet the needs of students and families. Types of parent and school-community involvement include parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, and representing other parents. (JOW)

Describes a community awareness program exhibit used to inform the public about the role agricultural plays in society and in individuals' lives. (JOW)

Examines the debate over creation and evolution in Wilmington, North Carolina's principal newspapers in order to consider the ways in which this debate exemplifies patterns of public discussion among academics and non academics, including conflicting attitudes about education, authority, and persuasion. Proposes ways to read and intervene in such…

Presents an interactive electronic conversation among a group of scholars. Participants examined the nature of relationships between professionals and school communities and debated the degree to which conflict was either inevitable or useful in sustaining this connection. They tried to imagine the organizational structures and policies needed to…

Discusses three ideologies relating to school design that attempt to positively address functional and technical trends in school construction. Discusses privatization and the ideologies of schools as marketplaces and communities, as well as cautionary comments on technology's influence on replacing the traditional school facility. (GR)

Explains how the University of Connecticut (Stamford) moved its suburban campus to the city center where it would be closer to the students. Discusses the master planning that assessed the move's impact on the business district, what the benefits would be for the students and the community, and the architectural design concepts used. (GR)

Describes current practices for after-hours use of schools in selected European countries, Canada, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The practices include public use of school playgrounds, use of boarding schools for student retreats, sharing school premises with government agencies and social services, providing areas for adult…

The University of New Mexico's Community and Regional Planning Program worked with two border towns that share water resources--Columbus (New Mexico) and Puerto Palomas (Chihuahua, Mexico)--to help them prepare a community comprehensive plan needed for water-project funding. The program conducted action research involving local schools and people…

Discusses three approaches to participatory research typically followed by academics: (1) initiator, (2) consultant, and (3) collaborator. Argues that participatory research is part of a larger community-change project, and that determining how academics will fit in the project requires answering several questions about the nature of individual…