The purpose of this guide is to illuminate best practices for meaningful engagement of youth in Community Schools and to recognize youth voice as a community asset that can help advance more equitable school systems. Youth voice plays an important role in redesigning how public education functions. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted education and…

Shifting Gears was launched in 2007 by the Joyce Foundation, a Chicago-based organization focused on improving the quality of life of citizens residing in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The primary goal of Shifting Gears is to increase the number of low-skilled, low-income Midwestern adults who obtain college-level occupational…

Studies of the amount of money spent by rural counties on General Assistance Programs identified three factors that contributed to the level of county support: the size of the population, local history of response to human needs, and the role of local public welfare and social service administrators. (JHZ)

The Families in Education Program, dedicated to nurturing a family-community-school partnership, provides this packet for Wisconsin schools to use throughout the year to promote families and learning. The articles in this packet contain ideas for making family-community partnerships work in the schools. Articles address the following topics: (1)…

Sexual abuse of children within the school environment is far more pervasive than educators realize, with studies estimating up to 500,000 annual occurrences. The Wisconsin Child Sexual Assault and Abuse Guidelines should help school staff develop policy, set up cooperative interventions with community resources, and become familiar with abuse…

A locally developed long-range plan is the key to effective library service, and can account for circumstances unique to the service area that could not be anticipated from a statewide or national perspective. These standards are meant to guide Wisconsin libraries in structuring their own locally-focused planning efforts. Standards in the…

This book identifies examples of programs in Wisconsin schools that reinforce the core set of community values identified by the Wisconsin Citizenship Initiative Task Force. Those values include courage, honesty, respect, individual responsibility, and civic responsibility. The profiled programs teach the core values and involve partnerships…

The 12 states comprising the North Central Region have been affected in similar ways by the farm crisis of the 1980s. Statewide surveys show sizeable proportions of farm operations that are experiencing moderately high levels of financial stress. The problems caused by chronic stress on family structure and functioning, the loss of mainstreet…

This resource and planning guide on school social work is designed to provide school districts in Wisconsin, community agencies, and school social work practitioners alike, with a system for enhancing the interrelationships of the child, the family, the school, and the community. Topics discussed are: (1) the practice of social work in the…

Work-based learning is a national educational initiative to provide avenues for all students to connect their educational goals and skills to occupational opportunities. The initiative's goal is to ensure a seamless transition from high school to meaningful, high-quality employment or further education. Mentors involved in work-based learning help…

Discussed is a geology education program which includes hikes, lectures, naturalist training sessions, workshops, writing, collecting, upgrading park facilities, and producing exhibits in state parks in the Lake Michigan District of Wisconsin. The importance of public education and sources of public information are stressed. (CW)

This study was conducted in Wisconsin to determine the current status of personnel within the vocational, technical and adult education (VTAE) districts responsible for research, planning, and development (RPD) activities, what activities were being performed by the districts, and the nature of involvement in the performance of these RPD…

This handbook presents information and ideas to help beginning teachers in Wisconsin learn about their relationships with parents and communities. It includes four reproducible sections in a three-hole punched format. The first section, "Getting Started," includes an overview of how family-school-community partnerships improve student…

Increased violence in schools, represented by possession of weapons, sexual or racial harassment, bullying, verbal intimidation, gang or cult activity, arson, or corporal punishment of students, for example, is a growing concern among students, educators, and communities. Since educators alone cannot ensure safety in schools, collaboration among…

This resource document provides information about technical assistance and educational materials that can guide the development, implementation, and evaluation of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) education. The resources also offer information about programs whose goals are to prevent the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and…