Taking Action in Your Community
Number of unique resources found: 70
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Resources for National Community Action Month 
Description: A "Hot Topics" compilation of resources for National Community Action month.
Social Psychology Network - Community Psychology Resources
Description: A webpage with links related to community psychology, including community building, community health, action teaching, service learning, and more.
Youth Acts, Community Impacts: Stories of Youth Engagement with Real Results
Author: Tolman, Joel; Karen Pittman; Barbara Cervone, Kathleen Cushman, Lisa Rowley of What Kids Can Do; Sheila Kincade, Jeanie Phillips, Sabrina Duque
Description: Youth Acts, Community Impacts forces the question of whether or not we have powerful examples of community impacts that are the result of youth acts. In response to this challenge, Youth Acts, Community Impacts offers eight case studies--and a number of short profiles --documenting efforts in the United States and around the world, all connecting the dots between youth action and meaningful community change.
– Evaluation –
Applying CYFERnet Resources to Evaluate Community Outcomes: Developing Community Resources
Author: Jakes, Susan (21 more by this author); Marczak, Mary S.; Shannon, Lisa Cassidy; Taylor, Shirley H.
Description: A bulletin that discusses applying CYFERnet resources to evaluate community outcomes. In particular, it describes an evaluation plan for a community-based program designed to develop community resources and to increase community members' confidence in their ability to make a difference in their community.
Applying CYFERnet Resources to Evaluate Community Outcomes: Drinking and Driving Prevention Program
Author: Jakes, Susan (21 more by this author); Taylor, Shirley H.; Marczak, Mary S.; Shannon, Lisa Cassidy
Description: A bulletin that discusses applying CYFERnet resources to evaluate community outcomes. It includes a program plan, and a process development evaluation plan applied to a drinking and driving community program targeting teens.
Applying CYFERnet Resources to Evaluate Community Outcomes: Using Timelines
Author: Jakes, Susan (21 more by this author); Garcia, Aleta; Peterson, Donna J.; Shannon, Lisa Cassidy
Description: A bulletin that discusses applying CYFERnet resources to evaluate community outcomes. It includes a discussion of using timelines in program and evaluation planning applied to a program seeking to increase teen involvement in social action in the community.
Applying Resources to Evaluate the National Outcomes: Increasing Community Involvement
Author: Jakes, Susan (21 more by this author); Shannon, Lisa Cassidy; Roper, Robin Goff
Description: A bulletin about applying CYFERnet resources to evaluate community outcomes. It includes program goals and objectives, and an evaluation plan to evaluate Community Voices, a leadership development program.
Building Communities of Conscience and Conviction, Lessons From Recent Experience
Author: Dodson, David; Julie K. Thomasson
Description: This is a report on how MDC has been successful in getting individuals involved in local issues. It speaks of the principles of excellence, equity, and inclusion.
Author: Hahn, Andrew
Description: A summary report of a study that examined the long-term outcomes and sustainability of community initiatives for children, youth and families. Describes what happens in the community after funding ends.
Community Science Education and Leadership (SEAL) Project
Author: Dasher, Steven
Description: This Power Point presentation from CYFAR 2003 draws from the presenters' experiences with the Animal Ambassadors Community Science Education and Leadership (SEAL) Project. Community SEAL is a research project that focuses on community collaborations, cross-age mentoring, and science education outreach in an at-risk community.
Endgames: The Challenge of Sustainability
Author: Cutler, Ira
Description: This report was created based on interviews with over 20 key informants representing foundations and community-based initiatives. Report outlines the issues related to sustainability, provides recommendations and proposes a theory of sustainability.
Author: Shannon, Lisa (4 more by this author)
Description: A resource that provides an example of how one might evaluate citizen development in a program designed to reduce vandalism in a community
PRAGmatics: The Journal of Community-Based Research: Poverty
Description: This newsletter, which highlights university community partnerships, highlights action research projects. This newsletter includes articles on the Self Sufficiency Standards (a measure of Household poverty), the impact of regressive and ineffective tax policies on low-income households, and the problems of recidivism (people who were released from prison going back to criminal activity) in low-income communities.
The Community Survey: A tool for Participation and Fact Finding
Author: Andranovich, Greg; Robert E. Howel
Description: Practical guidance for conducting community surveys that can stand alone or be part of a broader community assessment/ planning effort.
– General Information –
Author: Stevens, Debbie (1 more by this author)
Description: This guide for 4-H Clubs and members suggests ways youth can participate as an active
asset in their communities to promote emergency and disaster planning. It includes sample activities, links to resources, and action steps for serving as a catalyst in jump-starting preparedness planning in business, community and families. The guide can be used by traditional 4-H clubs, specialty clubs, school enrichment or 4-H Afterschool programs.
Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: Election Process
Description: A kid focused resource from The U.S Government Printing Office (GPO). The GPO publishes and shares official and authentic government publications to Congress, Federal agencies, Federal depository libraries, and the American public. This resource explains the election process for Federal officials.
Building Communities of Conscience and Conviction, Lessons From Recent Experience
Author: Dodson, David; Julie K. Thomasson
Description: This is a report on how MDC has been successful in getting individuals involved in local issues. It speaks of the principles of excellence, equity, and inclusion.
Building Community Collaboration and Consensus
Author: Petersen, C. R.
Description: The purpose of this site is to provide practical information for buiding collaboration and partnerships. It is designed to help community members locate the assets and resources that already exist in their communities and then develop and complete their goals and objectives. Included are guidelines for building a collaboration, an example of a community collaboration in Madison county, and a power point presentation about collaboration.
Author: Hahn, Andrew
Description: A summary report of a study that examined the long-term outcomes and sustainability of community initiatives for children, youth and families. Describes what happens in the community after funding ends.
Community Philanthropy and Racial Equity: What Progress Looks Like
Description: This report, based on visits to nine organizations, examines how community philanthropy can deepen social justice work, especially in the American South.
Community-Based Youth Leadership: A Pathway to Civic Engagement
Author: Wheeler, Wendy; Carla Roach
Description: This paper describes four insights gleaned from organizations where
youth are learning and leading as partners in democracy. The organizational profiles, drawn
from various initiatives and partnerships coordinated by the Innovation Center, including the
Ford Foundation-funded Youth Leadership for Development Initiative, collectively point to four
promising practices for organizations and communities to engage young people as leaders in
creating strong and healthy communities. These practices resonate with existing scholarship on
youth development, youth-adult partnership, civic activism, and community building. Taken
together, they highlight the critical role that community-based agencies can play as supporters
and facilitators of youth civic engagement.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities for Seniors
Author: Lane, Rosalie
Description: A factsheet that provides an overview of the changing role of seniors in the workplace.
Endgames: The Challenge of Sustainability
Author: Cutler, Ira
Description: This report was created based on interviews with over 20 key informants representing foundations and community-based initiatives. Report outlines the issues related to sustainability, provides recommendations and proposes a theory of sustainability.
Everybody Wins: Involving Youth in Community Needs Assessment
Author: Israel, Glenn
Description: This article presents a strategy for integrating community service learning with community development. It builds upon two methods in rural development: needs assessment and incorporating public schools in the development process. The strategy provides a way to conduct a valid needs assessment using survey research methods, while keeping costs low and involvement of local people high. It also provides an opportunity for students to have classroom and experiential learning on community development and needs assessment
Everyday Democracy: Ideas & Tools for Community Change
Description: The mission of Everyday Democracy is to help communities develop their own ability to solve problems by exploring ways for all kinds of people to think, talk and work together to create change. They do this through providing assistance, coaching, and serving as resources and trainers.
Federal Voting Assistance Program
Description: A great resource from the federal government on absentee voting.
Author: Nakazawa, Anthony ; Arlot "Bill" Hall; Anthony Garcia; Edgar Boone; Edgar Blatchford
Description: This is an excellent "how to" guide for community members who wish to effect change within their community. It provides a step-by-step approach to solving a problem, with chapters on Identifying the Issues, Building a Coalition, Making Personal Contacts, Utilizing the Media, Writing Letters, Giving Public Testimony, Understanding the Referendum/Initiative Process and Evaluating Your Progress. At the end of each chapter is an "action checklist" that outlines the steps you need to follow to most effectively solve your problem or resolve your issue.
Description: Webpage for Hands On Network, which leads a national civic movement bringing people together to tackle tough community problems through service. This is a growing Network of local nonprofit organizations that act as civic action centers—helping people “be the change” in their communities through effective volunteer action. The Hands On approach inspires volunteers, creates leaders, and changes lives.
Independent Sector: Working Better Together
Description: Published by the Three Sector Initiative, seven leading organizations representing business, government and nonprofits, the report details the ways the sectors have used collaboration to form partnerships with each other to address complex problems that no one sector can handle on its own.
Description: Kids Voting USA (KVUSA) provides curriculum for K-12 teachers which allow students to explore their right to vote preparing them to be engaged citizens. Students learn about democracy and elections, participate in an authentic voting experience, and are encouraged to have family discussions about civic engagement.
Leadership Development Through Community Action
Author: Brown, Kathleen; Vicki Kimmel Forby; Sandra Davis; Wendy Griesemer
Description: Description and ordering information for a school enrichment curriculuum on leadership and community development.
Description: From the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill, the NC Civic Education Consortium works with schools, governments, and community organizations to prepare North Carolina's young people to be active, responsible citizens. This website provides links to publications, resources, and a just for youth section.
Non-Traditional Alternatives to School Organization
Author: Hinz, Lisa (2 more by this author)
Description: This paper focuses on alternative ways of organizing schools. It includes discussions of charter schools, magnet schools, year-round schools, and other types of alternative school arrangements.
Nonprofit Center: Useful Links
Description: This website hosts a number of links that provide a wealth of information for and about nonprofit organizations. It includes links to advocacy resources, career development resources, fundraising resources, strategic planning resources, and links to many other resources for nonprofit organizations and for people interested in nonprofit organizations.
OMK—A Gold Mine for Civic Engagement
Author: Cross, Charlotte (2 more by this author); KEn Grey
Description: Sharing NH Operation: Military Kids (OMK) successful strategies for implementing civic engagement activities related to military kids will be the workshop focus. Participants will explore engaging: youth organizations (4-H, scouts), university connections (ROTC, student volunteers), community partners (veterans, spiritual community, after school groups), and public and private schools. In addition, participants will generate civic engagement plans for use back home.
Organizing Your Community Garden
Author: Hundhammer, Marjorie (1 more by this author); Kleffner, Joyce
Description: Brief description of social and horticultural factors related to establishment of community gardens
Steps to Organizing Your Community Garden
Description: From PBS Kids, a site to explain what voting is and why it is important. Included is a section to Learn More with links to sites for further information for kids.
Pew Partnership for Civic Change: Pew Civic Entrepreneur Initiative
Description: An overview of the Pew Civic Entrepreneur Initiative (PCEI) is a nationwide project to equip a diverse group of citizens, or "civic
entrepreneurs," to play a greater role in decision making in their communities.
Description: A website for the Points of Light Foundation. The Foundation’s mission is to engage people in volunteer community service to help solve serious social problems.
PRAGmatics: The Journal of Community-Based Research: Exploring Access for Communities
Description: This newsletter, which highlights university community partnerships, highlights action research projects. This newsletter includes articles on improving voter turnout, involving low-income communities in the government budget process, and addressing the digital divide.
Reflect and Improve: A Tool Kit for Engaging Youth and Adults as Partners in Program Evaluation
Author: Innovation Center, (2 more by this author)
Description: This resource which was developed in partnership with the New England Network for Child, Youth, & Family Services, Social Policy Research Associates and the University of Kentucky Department of Community and Leadership Development is an easy-to-follow tool kit designed for adult and youth staff at youth development and youth civic engagement organizations. It provides youth and adult partners a guide to assess their organizational needs for evaluations, design evaluations to fit their organizational goals, and use evaluation data to report to funders and other community stakeholders
Reinventing Citizenship: The Practice of Public Work
Author: Boyte, Harry; Nan Skelton
Description: This publication addresses our declining and fragmented public life that result in ineffective and trivialized public work. It describes a process and ways to use public work in order to reinvent citizenship to renew public life. It can be used with educators or community groups on the nature of public involvement.
Description: For 21 years, Rock the Vote has been working to register and inspire young voters. To date, this organization has registered more than five million young voters. Rock the Vote uses music, popular culture, and current technology to gain political participation from young voters.
Description: Here is a fact sheet is designed to give many different groups the basic information they need to get their gardening project started. There are links to additional sources that provide helpful hints for starting a community garden project.
Description: Take Charge is a an interactive data base developed and supported by the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development that provides leadership and community development relevant data at the county and city level.
The American Community Gardening Association
Description: The American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) is a bi-national nonprofit membership organization of professionals, volunteers and supporters of community greening in urban and rural communities. The Association recognizes that community gardening improves the quality of life for people by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy and education.
The Community Survey: A tool for Participation and Fact Finding
Author: Andranovich, Greg; Robert E. Howel
Description: Practical guidance for conducting community surveys that can stand alone or be part of a broader community assessment/ planning effort.
The Growing Ideas Classroom Projects Library
Description: The Growing Ideas Classroom Projects Library provides links to information to get school age children involved in gardening. From poems to journals to food and cultures there is information here to inspire and educate children.
The National Gardening Association
Description: The National Gardening Association
has been working to renew and sustain the essential connection between people, plants, and the environment through gardening for more than 30 years. This website provides links to programs and initiatives and highlights the opportunities for plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the country. The National Gardening Association serves as a bridge to connect people to gardening in five core fields: plant-based education, health and wellness, environmental stewardship, community development, and responsible home gardening.
The R Factor: Building Resiliency in Young Adults
Description: Welcome to Dads Make a Difference, a paternity education program for middle school-age youth, older teens, young adults, and the teachers and other professionals who work with them. Dads Make a Difference is the umbrella program for two exciting curricula:
the original Dads Make a Difference curriculum taught by older teens to middle school-age youth, and
our second curriculum, The R Factor: Building Resiliency in Young AdultsTM, taught primarily by teachers to students ages 16 to 20 years.
Learn about the importance of fathers in the lives of children, planning for a healthy future as a responsible parent or mentor, and the people who help share the important message of Dads Make a Difference.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Description: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities. In order to achieve this mission, SAMHSA has identified 8 Strategic Initiatives to focus the Agency's work on improving lives and capitalizing on emerging opportunities.
USA.gov's Voting and Elections Web Page
Description: A one-stop-shop for all things voting and campaign related from the official USA government website. Find out where to register, how to contact a politician, or how to get involved with a campaign.
Using Technology to Prepare for Emergencies
Author: Dunham, Trudy (32 more by this author)
Description: Having the technology isn't enough - you have to know how to use it! This brief indicates how today's citizens are using geospatial and mapping technologies, as well as social media to make plans just-in-case there is an emergency, and to get help or stay in touch during and after the emergency.
Winning the Vote: A History of Voting Rights.
Author: Mintz, Steven
Description: Did you know that voting rights were one of the primary reasons for the American Revolution? That certain religious groups were not permitted to vote when the United States was newly formed? These interesting facts and many more can be found at The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in Steven Mintz’s essay, Winning the Vote: A History of Voting Rights.
Youth Action: Youth Contributing to Communities - Communities Supporting Youth
Author: Irby, Merita
Description: A position paper that explores trends in youth development, civic engagement and community development, identifies common themes and important differences between the youth action programming approaches, introduces the concept of creating action pathways for youth, and offers recommendations for planning and policy.
– Professional Development –
LEARNING TO GIVE: Teaching the Importance of Voluntary Action
Description: Learning to Give seeks to perpetuate a civil society by educating children about the independent sector (knowledge), developing behavior and philanthropic experience (skills), and, stimulating private voluntary citizen action for the common good (behavior). This site contains lesson plans and teaching materials.
Description: A website for the Points of Light Foundation. The Foundation’s mission is to engage people in volunteer community service to help solve serious social problems.
– Programming Resource –
About IFAS Leadership Development: Choices for Political Action at the Local Level
Author: Bolton, Elizabeth (26 more by this author)
Description: Part 9 of the IFAS Leadership curriculum. Describes different ways to get involved in decision making processes that affect the community. Explains the process of communicating with local elected officials.
About IFAS Leadership Development: Getting Involved in Public Affairs
Author: Bolton, Elizabeth (26 more by this author)
Description: Part 11 of the IFAS Leadership curriculum. Describes methods for encouraging involvement in local public affairs. Gives techniques for influencing power structures, testifying at public hearings, and writing public officials.
Applying CYFERnet Resources to Evaluate Community Outcomes: Drinking and Driving Prevention Program
Author: Jakes, Susan (21 more by this author); Taylor, Shirley H.; Marczak, Mary S.; Shannon, Lisa Cassidy
Description: A bulletin that discusses applying CYFERnet resources to evaluate community outcomes. It includes a program plan, and a process development evaluation plan applied to a drinking and driving community program targeting teens.
Applying CYFERnet Resources to Evaluate Community Outcomes: Using Timelines
Author: Jakes, Susan (21 more by this author); Garcia, Aleta; Peterson, Donna J.; Shannon, Lisa Cassidy
Description: A bulletin that discusses applying CYFERnet resources to evaluate community outcomes. It includes a discussion of using timelines in program and evaluation planning applied to a program seeking to increase teen involvement in social action in the community.
Applying Resources to Evaluate the National Outcomes: Increasing Community Involvement
Author: Jakes, Susan (21 more by this author); Shannon, Lisa Cassidy; Roper, Robin Goff
Description: A bulletin about applying CYFERnet resources to evaluate community outcomes. It includes program goals and objectives, and an evaluation plan to evaluate Community Voices, a leadership development program.
Description: Extract and Summary of a comprehensive guidebook to a set curriculum addressing purposive community change.
Community Philanthropy and Racial Equity: What Progress Looks Like
Description: This report, based on visits to nine organizations, examines how community philanthropy can deepen social justice work, especially in the American South.
Community Science Education and Leadership (SEAL) Project
Author: Dasher, Steven
Description: This Power Point presentation from CYFAR 2003 draws from the presenters' experiences with the Animal Ambassadors Community Science Education and Leadership (SEAL) Project. Community SEAL is a research project that focuses on community collaborations, cross-age mentoring, and science education outreach in an at-risk community.
Description: An abstract to Community Voices, which is a curriculum designed to:
1.Teach leadership development skills to the limited-resource audience.
2.Develop a leadership base in limited-resource communities for addressing community-identified issues and problems.
3.Provide Extension a base from which to extend ongoing programs to these new audiences, and involve new leaders in existing organizational leadership structures.
4.Build the capacity of Cooperative Extension, in 1862 as well as 1890 Extension efforts, to address the leadership development program needs of limited-resource audiences.
Community Voices: Leadership Development for Community Decision-Making
Author: Yancey, Juanita; Margaret W. Bullock; John Gibson
Description: This Power Point presentation provides an overview of a workshop on Community Voices that was presented at CYFAR 2003. "Community Voices" is a leadership development program which helps people help themselves. True progress comes only from the ideas, energies land commitments of the people who live in a community. "Community Voices"nurtures grassroots leadership by empowering people with the knowledge and skills they need to become a part of community affairs.
Author: Shannon, Lisa (4 more by this author)
Description: A resource that provides an example of how one might evaluate citizen development in a program designed to reduce vandalism in a community
Evaluation brief: Measuring implementation fidelity
Description: This is an 11-page brief that discusses the five dimensions of program implementation fidelity (adherence, exposure, quality of program delivery, participant responsiveness, and program differentiation). Also discussed are the importance and common methods of establishing fidelity criteria, collecting implementation data, and measuring implementation fidelity.
Author: Smith, Charles (28 more by this author)
Description: A leaders guide for talking about heroism.
Food for your Community: Gleaning and Sharing
Author: Hundhammer, Marjorie (1 more by this author)
Description: A fact sheet describing steps in setting up a crop gleaning hunger relief project.
Author: Nakazawa, Anthony ; Arlot "Bill" Hall; Anthony Garcia; Edgar Boone; Edgar Blatchford
Description: This is an excellent "how to" guide for community members who wish to effect change within their community. It provides a step-by-step approach to solving a problem, with chapters on Identifying the Issues, Building a Coalition, Making Personal Contacts, Utilizing the Media, Writing Letters, Giving Public Testimony, Understanding the Referendum/Initiative Process and Evaluating Your Progress. At the end of each chapter is an "action checklist" that outlines the steps you need to follow to most effectively solve your problem or resolve your issue.
Description: World Health Organization’s “Health service planning and policy making: A toolkit for nurses and midwives. (Module 1 – Defining the problem)” is a 52-page guidebook that is geared towards helping nurses/midwives/health center workers identify and define a problem, use a problem solving approach to generate a solution, carry out a force field and SWOT analysis, and find, appraise, and apply evidence. Worksheets are provided to assist with each of these steps.
Leadership Development Through Community Action
Author: Brown, Kathleen; Vicki Kimmel Forby; Sandra Davis; Wendy Griesemer
Description: Description and ordering information for a school enrichment curriculuum on leadership and community development.
Learning and Leading: A toolkit for youth development and civic activism
Author: Innovation Center, (2 more by this author)
Description: Curriculum for working with youth-led organizations to develop youth personal leadership, youth organizational leadership, and youth community leadership skills.
May also be found at:
http://www.theinnovationcenter.org/files/LearningAndLeading_ToolKit.pdf
LEARNING TO GIVE: Teaching the Importance of Voluntary Action
Description: Learning to Give seeks to perpetuate a civil society by educating children about the independent sector (knowledge), developing behavior and philanthropic experience (skills), and, stimulating private voluntary citizen action for the common good (behavior). This site contains lesson plans and teaching materials.
Logic Models from the Center for Civic Partnerships
Description: The Center for Civic Partnerships explains “Logic Models” and links to additional online tools, how-to guides, and practical resources about logic models.
Mobilizing the Community, CDFS-10
Author: Brahm, Barbara (1 more by this author); Margaret E. Griffiths
Description: A fact sheet that discusses community mobilization. Specifically, it discusses prerequisites for mobilization, what is needed to mobilize a community, who needs to be involved, and strategies for mobilization.
Nonprofit Center: Useful Links
Description: This website hosts a number of links that provide a wealth of information for and about nonprofit organizations. It includes links to advocacy resources, career development resources, fundraising resources, strategic planning resources, and links to many other resources for nonprofit organizations and for people interested in nonprofit organizations.
Organizing Your Community Garden
Author: Hundhammer, Marjorie (1 more by this author); Kleffner, Joyce
Description: Brief description of social and horticultural factors related to establishment of community gardens
Steps to Organizing Your Community Garden
Pew Partnership for Civic Change: Pew Civic Entrepreneur Initiative
Description: An overview of the Pew Civic Entrepreneur Initiative (PCEI) is a nationwide project to equip a diverse group of citizens, or "civic
entrepreneurs," to play a greater role in decision making in their communities.
Reinventing Citizenship: The Practice of Public Work
Author: Boyte, Harry; Nan Skelton
Description: This publication addresses our declining and fragmented public life that result in ineffective and trivialized public work. It describes a process and ways to use public work in order to reinvent citizenship to renew public life. It can be used with educators or community groups on the nature of public involvement.
Share Yourself - Coaching to Win
Author: Smith, Claudette (1 more by this author)
Description: A project designed to train community volunteers to develop a successful mentoring/coaching relationship with welfare to work participants. A curriculum titled "Coaching to Win" was produced as a facilitator guide for training along with two support pieces "Coaches Playbook" provided to all volunteers trained and"Winners Game Plan for the welfare to work participants in the program.
Description: Here is a fact sheet is designed to give many different groups the basic information they need to get their gardening project started. There are links to additional sources that provide helpful hints for starting a community garden project.
Survivor to Thriver: Doing Community-Based Service Learning
Author: Mark, Cynthia
Description: Survivor - Thriver five step model for community service learning. Presentation materials including transcript from a 2006 Webinar. 4-H has a history of community involvement through community service. Learn how to take food drives and river clean-ups to the next level! Engage young people in the decision making process and learn how to turn the activities into a civic engagement and social action project.
The Community Survey: A tool for Participation and Fact Finding
Author: Andranovich, Greg; Robert E. Howel
Description: Practical guidance for conducting community surveys that can stand alone or be part of a broader community assessment/ planning effort.
The Growing Ideas Classroom Projects Library
Description: The Growing Ideas Classroom Projects Library provides links to information to get school age children involved in gardening. From poems to journals to food and cultures there is information here to inspire and educate children.
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development
Description: A website for the Heartland Center for Leadership Development. Includes a link to publications.
The National Gardening Association
Description: The National Gardening Association
has been working to renew and sustain the essential connection between people, plants, and the environment through gardening for more than 30 years. This website provides links to programs and initiatives and highlights the opportunities for plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the country. The National Gardening Association serves as a bridge to connect people to gardening in five core fields: plant-based education, health and wellness, environmental stewardship, community development, and responsible home gardening.
The R Factor: Building Resiliency in Young Adults, A Dads Make a Difference Program
Author: Endersbe, Julie
Description: This curriculum promotes positive involvement of fathers and educates youth about responsible parenting. It is intended to be taught by adult teachers to high school students.
Youth Action: Youth Contributing to Communities - Communities Supporting Youth
Author: Irby, Merita
Description: A position paper that explores trends in youth development, civic engagement and community development, identifies common themes and important differences between the youth action programming approaches, introduces the concept of creating action pathways for youth, and offers recommendations for planning and policy.
– Research –
Building Communities of Conscience and Conviction, Lessons From Recent Experience
Author: Dodson, David; Julie K. Thomasson
Description: This is a report on how MDC has been successful in getting individuals involved in local issues. It speaks of the principles of excellence, equity, and inclusion.
Community Philanthropy and Racial Equity: What Progress Looks Like
Description: This report, based on visits to nine organizations, examines how community philanthropy can deepen social justice work, especially in the American South.
Independent Sector: Working Better Together
Description: Published by the Three Sector Initiative, seven leading organizations representing business, government and nonprofits, the report details the ways the sectors have used collaboration to form partnerships with each other to address complex problems that no one sector can handle on its own.
Pew Partnership for Civic Change: Pew Civic Entrepreneur Initiative
Description: An overview of the Pew Civic Entrepreneur Initiative (PCEI) is a nationwide project to equip a diverse group of citizens, or "civic
entrepreneurs," to play a greater role in decision making in their communities.
PRAGmatics: The Journal of Community-Based Research: Exploring Access for Communities
Description: This newsletter, which highlights university community partnerships, highlights action research projects. This newsletter includes articles on improving voter turnout, involving low-income communities in the government budget process, and addressing the digital divide.
PRAGmatics: The Journal of Community-Based Research: Poverty
Description: This newsletter, which highlights university community partnerships, highlights action research projects. This newsletter includes articles on the Self Sufficiency Standards (a measure of Household poverty), the impact of regressive and ineffective tax policies on low-income households, and the problems of recidivism (people who were released from prison going back to criminal activity) in low-income communities.
Promoting Community Transformation through Participatory Planning, Design, and Development
Description: Invited Research Presentation at the 2011 USDA DoD Family Resiliency Conference by Ken Reardon. Throughout the United States, local residents are coming together with civic and business leaders to devise and implement comprehensive redevelopment plans to improve their quality of life. These efforts are increasingly using participatory methods to elicit the input from those most affected by these plans and to build a non-partisan base of support to insure their implementation. This session introduces participants to the origins, evolution, practice and accomplishments of community-based resident-led planning that is having a transformative impact upon communities. Professor Reardon is engaged in research, teaching, and outreach in the fields of neighborhood planning, community development, municipal government reform, and community/university development partnerships.
Reinventing Citizenship: The Practice of Public Work
Author: Boyte, Harry; Nan Skelton
Description: This publication addresses our declining and fragmented public life that result in ineffective and trivialized public work. It describes a process and ways to use public work in order to reinvent citizenship to renew public life. It can be used with educators or community groups on the nature of public involvement.
Author: Dunham, Trudy (4 more by this author)
Description: It's a classic scene: the bully shoves the victim. The surrounding crowd does nothing. This is the bystander effect in action. Why does no one intervene to stop the violence? Decades of social psychology research suggests the answer is a diffusion of responsibility. But what about the case where the victim and bystanders know the bully? In the school, workplace, and community, the bystander co-creates the social context that allows the bullying behavior to flourish. This brief review of the research includes strategies for changing the social context, and hopefully ending the bullying behavior.