This case represents an effort to connect academic learning with educational reform in real time. It describes a district initiative to meaningfully engage a skeptical community and the subsequent attempts of university-based researchers to provide further entry points into the perspectives and concerns of educational partners. What is compelling…

Discusses self-government among Canada's Native peoples. Examines the idea of having each family represented within tribal government. Explains that Canadian government policy forces a departure from the traditional ways of selecting tribal leadership. Argues that Native Canadians must find their own means of self-determination if they hope to end…

Since its founding in 1983, The Jefferson Foundation has engaged increasing numbers of Americans in study and discussion of the U.S. Constitution. Through participation in Jefferson Meetings on the Constitution citizens will come to a fuller understanding of how the Constitution was made, why it designed the national government the way it did, and…

Schools cannot succeed without collaboration with parents and the community. Defining community education as active community involvement in the education of children, this booklet describes aspects of community education. Community education, the booklet points out, can take place at physical locations such as formal school buildings, which lie…

Designed for use by community education coordinators, elementary classroom teachers, PTA workers, school volunteers, and parents, this guide offers suggestions about ways to unite the school and the home in efforts to help children learn. The first section discusses the expanded role of the community education coordinator in parenting programs and…

This guide provides moderators with a sense of what deliberation means, their roles, the dialogue format, and principles and skills they need to keep in mind as they interact with the participants. The purpose of a deliberative dialogue is to bring community members together to discuss a relevant and important issue. The question addressed in this…

Community-based organizations (CBOs) have been an integral part of the employment and training programs of the past two decades and have provided a wide variety of services to youth and adults alike. The vast differences between different CBOs make it impossible to draw definitive, generalizable conclusions about them. It appears, however, that…

Describes a Michigan social studies curriculum enrichment project that combines historical analysis with documentary photographs of urban residents. The project utilizes photographs, public history, and oral histories to introduce middle school students to the concept of community. Includes photographs of urban activities and discussion questions.…

This newsletter describes the 6-year Supporting Diversity in Schools (SDS) project that seeks to create school environments free of racial prejudice and privilege. It briefly describes the program's working themes: (1) giving a voice to people who have traditionally been silent in the shaping of classroom practices; (2) developing pride in…

Materials for planning, organizing, and scheduling community activities for National Women's History Week (NWHW) are provided. The purpose of the week was to help male and female students become aware of the wealth of women's history that has been left out of the standard U.S. history texts used in most schools. Section 1 summarizes a sample of…

Focusing on creating community partnerships via collaboration to support the growth and development of children and families, this guide is intended to enhance the knowledge and skills Head Start staff need to be full collaborative partners in community efforts to help families develop, nurture their children, and experience success. Following an…

Relates the accomplishments of Maggie Lena Walker, an African-American social activist in Richmond, Virginia, during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Describes how Walker used education, religion, and community organizations to further her goals of improving economic and social conditions for blacks. (CFR)

Demographic changes are causing leaders in education, business and civic affairs to address new questions about racial and ethnic diversity. What opportunities does diversity provide? What difficulties does it create? What changes are needed in the ways that people look at problems, define solutions and do the everyday business of their lives? The…

Presented are ideas for promoting learning both within and beyond the walls of the schools. The first essay, "The Meaning of Commmunity Education: An Historical Perspective" by Ralph W. Tyler, examines community education in primitive societies, in the colonial period, and in 19th and 20th century America. The challenge of the present is also…