This Children's Defense Fund 1998 report on the well being of America's children highlights the critical need for renewed commitment to children by all sectors of society. The introduction describes health and educational outcomes for poor children and calls for adults to redirect their priorities and develop solutions to these problems. The…

The definition of work has undergone a massive transition within the last decade, and this trend has major implications for vocational education. Earlier ideas of work included that it was full-time, permanent, and for life; in addition, work provided opportunities for career development, a clearly-defined employer-worker relationship, and clear…

This booklet provides information on implementing the Landscapes for Learning (LFL) program, which was conceived to bring children, youths, and communities together to learn about landscaping while beautifying local schools and communities. The booklet begins with a discussion of the concept of environmental stewardship. Described next are the…

In forestry, as in other fields, technological advances have resulted in significant changes in work practices and skill requirements. Vocational training and improvement of forestry workers' skills through lifelong learning can help achieve sustainability in forestry. The objectives of lifelong learning are to integrate people into working life…

Addressed primarily to elementary school teachers working with children in grades one through three and grounded in developmentally appropriate practice, this book provides a practical framework for making teaching effective and learning meaningful for children in these early grades. Chapters in Part 1 of the book each present one of six teaching…

This document contains three papers on human resource development (HRD) in Latin America. "Looking at the Literature on Workplace Democracy in Latin America: Factors in Favor and Against It" (Max U. Montesino) discusses selected issues related to workplace democracy in Latin America and identifies salient issues for further research,…

From a macroeconomic perspective, the evolving demand for skills in the United States has been triggered by the accelerated expansion of computer and information technology, which has, in turn, brought significant changes to the workplace. Technological advances have made some wholly manual jobs obsolete. But even for many other workers, a rapidly…

The U.S. agricultural labor market is already, in many respects, a binational one, and it will become increasingly one in which workers who are born in Mexico will follow a variety of worklife trajectories that take them back and forth between both countries. Recognition of this reality has important implications for policy development and program…

The effects of literacy and livelihood programs on female learners' participation in literacy were examined through case studies of groups of women who participated in four literacy and income-earning projects in Kenya. Data were collected through focus group discussions and a questionnaire. The four programs were started between 1968 and 1999 and…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on increasing participation in learning that was conducted as part of a conference on human resource development (HRD). "Factors Influencing Employee Participation in Training: An Empirical Investigation" (Reid A. Bates) reports on a mediated model of employee participation in training…

This book, which is based on a 7-month ethnographic study of working conditions and employment practices at a biomedical electronics factory, examines the impact that high tech has had on the relationship between management and workers in the manufacturing industry. The following are among the topics discussed in the book's 10 chapters: (1) the…

This publication contains the three communication skills units of the three levels of Support Materials for Agricultural Training (SMAT) in the area of farmers as employers: Level 1 (starting), 2 (continuing), and 3 (completing). The units are designed to help the learner improve his or her written and spoken communication and numeracy skills…

This document, the second in a series on diversity in the classroom, explores relationships, addresses issues, and provides a framework for examining multicultural education. It also offers practical ideas for bringing multicultural education to the classroom and school, touching on underlying assumptions and beliefs about cultural diversity,…

Vocational education (VE) in Switzerland is characterized by diversity and pragmatism and is shaped by the country's geography, political system, economy, and culture. Roughly two-thirds of all Swiss youth participate in some form of vocational training at the upper secondary level. Vocational certificates and higher vocational certificates can…

This self-assessment and planning guide is designed to help schools evaluate their physical activity and nutrition policies and programs based on national standards and guidelines. It assists schools in identifying strengths and weaknesses of their health promotion policies and practices, developing action plans for improving student health, and…