A strong local economy which allows residents of a community to work and shop near their homes is perhaps the best safeguard against the threats of urban sprawl, economic stagnation, physical deterioration and loss of unique identity facing many small towns. Utilizing a six-phase process advocated by the University of Wisconsin-Extension,…

This booklet for field workers and project developers describes two consecutive IPREFA projects in Honduras that integrated a responsible parenthood element into a functional education program and integrated several agencies into project planning and implementation. Preliminary information provides a basis for this nonformal education program and…

One hundred years of rural development in India is surveyed, tracing the impact of colonial administration up to and including the decades of independence--an administration built on elitism, centralism, and paternalism. Four major rural problems of famine, abuses of land tenure, peasant indebtedness, and rural disaffection and how political…

An innovative project in training teachers for community development was begun in three remote villages in Sri Lanka in 1975 by one of the country's 28 teacher colleges. Under supervision by a resident Teacher Educator, teacher trainees were placed in villages for two weeks per term not only to teach the two courses per day required by all of the…

This bibliography is part of a series of bibliographies treating various topical areas in nonformal education on an international scale. Though not a comprehensive bibliography, the broad topical organization of current programs and proposals in nonformal education throughout the world provides the user with a foundation for further research.…

Focusing on broad social and cultural influences on organizational behavior within the Thailand Ministry of Education, this study examined the response of the Division of Adult Education to political and administrative changes imposed on its goals and purposes of the national literacy effort by the gradual strengthening of its planning system. For…

Development programs have usually been organized for a one-way flow of information, from the experts to the users. This is especially true of American programs in "less developed" countries. A better arrangement would allow at least a two-way flow of information, so that, for example, clients could tell experts what problems need to be solved.…

Social capital helps communities respond positively to change. Research into managing change through learning in communities and in small businesses, particularly farm businesses, has highlighted the importance of relationships between people and the formal and informal structure of communities to the quality of outcomes experienced by…

This book illustrates the benefits of integrating different approaches to community and regional development for rural Australia. The key theme is community capacity building through lifelong learning, seen as integration of formal, nonformal, and informal education and training at all levels. Other foci include the local-global context, issues…

A case study of a rural community in Western Australia examined factors responsible for the progress made in breaking down barriers between youth and adults and building community cohesiveness. Community documents and interviews with school personnel, students, and community members revealed that the high school worked with the community to build…

A significant theme in the literature on rural education is the extreme interdependence between rural schools and rural communities. Belief in this interdependence has led to a number of initiatives focused on strengthening both student learning and the local community's economic and social resources. Most of these initiatives involve some degree…

This report summarizes 1997 activities of the Inter-American Foundation (IAF), an independent agency of the U.S. government. The IAF promotes equitable, participatory, and sustainable self-help development in Latin America and the Caribbean by awarding grants directly to local organizations, as well as by entering into partnerships with public-…

This report summarizes 1998 activities of the Inter-American Foundation (IAF), an independent agency of the U.S. government. The IAF promotes equitable, participatory, and sustainable self-help development in Latin America and the Caribbean by awarding grants directly to local organizations, as well as by entering into partnerships with public-…

This paper analyzes principles of knowledge diffusion and provides a framework for applying new ideas or innovations, particularly in relation to rural community development. As new knowledge is created or old knowledge is found to have new applications, the art of spreading knowledge and managing innovation has become more crucial in both urban…

The four Regional Rural Development Centers are linked to the land-grant institutions and engage in activities and projects that seek to improve the social and economic well-being of rural people. This combined report of the four Centers begins with a highlighted project from each Center. The projects are presented in some detail to provide…