Digital Commons Network^™

Using Community-Based Participatory Evaluation (Cbpe) Methods As A Tool To Sustain A Community Health Coalition, Leslie Aldrich, Daniel Silva, Danelle Marable, Erica Sandman

The Foundation Review

· Participatory evaluation has set the standard for cooperation between program evaluators and stakeholders. Coalition evaluation, however, calls for more extensive collaboration with the community at large.

· Integrating principles of community based participatory research and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Strategic Prevention Framework, which guides much coalition work, into coalition evaluation has proved useful to foster community affiliations and support reciprocal relationship building. The resulting evaluation method, named community based participatory evaluation (CBPE), takes time, money, and skilled personnel but can lead to more accurate results and coalition sustainability.

· The CBPE method has proved essential …

The Challenges Of Place, Capacity, And Systems Change: The Story Of Yes We Can!, Pennie Foster-Fishman, Robert Long

The Foundation Review

· Yes we can!, a comprehensive community initiative (CCI) funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, was designed to improve educational and economic outcomes within the foundation’s hometown of Battle Creek, Mich. Since 2002, Yes we can! has supported five core strategies designed to trigger the systems changes needed to reduce educational and economic inequities in Battle Creek.

· Yes we can! has achieved some important wins to date; for example, more residents are involved, more neighborhoods have stronger neighborhood associations, and more organizations are engaging residents in their decision-making processes. However, the scale of wins remains small, and the …

Embedded Philanthropy And The Pursuit Of Civic Engagement, Mikael Karlström, Prudence Brown, Robert Chaskin, Harold Richman

The Foundation Review

· This article examines a range of civic engagement strategies pursued by embedded funders conducting community-change work in chronically disadvantaged communities.

· Embedded funders are place-based foundations that (1) commit to working in a particular community or communities over an extended period of time; (2) pursue direct and ongoing relationships with a range of community actors; (3) make community relationships and partnerships a primary vehicle of their philanthropic operation; and (4) provide extensive supports and resources beyond conventional grantmaking.

· Working as an embedded funder tends either to correlate with a prior commitment to civic engagement or to promote the …

Setting The Table For A Sustainable And Just Food System, Kien Lee, Kolu Zigbi, Marjorie Nemes

The Foundation Review

· As consumers and producers, people of color have been affected disproportionately by systemic problems in the food system.

· This article describes the Diversifying Leadership for Sustainable Food Policy initiative, a joint effort of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to build the capacity of organizations led by people of color to engage in policy and advocacy work.

· Grantees successfully built their capacity to engage in policy work (e.g., increased capacity to identify policy targets), increased their organizational capacity (e.g., diversified boards), improved their communities’ capacity (e.g., created opportunities for dialogue and improved …

Gvsu Undergraduate And Graduate Catalog, 2009-2010, Grand Valley State University

Course Catalogs, 1963 - Current

Grand Valley State University 2009-2010 undergraduate and/or graduate course catalog published annually to provide students with information and guidance for enrollment.

Access And Innovation: A Study Of Two Ngo Schools In North India, Christy Ivie, '09

Honors Projects

Using data collected from two NGO schools in North India, this study presents two case studies that will shed some light on how NGOs in India are increasing access and innovation in the primary education system. By comparing and contrasting the two organizations, this study will also highlight the diversity of NGOs involved in primary education in India. Instead of making broad generalizations about the role and contributions of NGOs in primary education in India, this study aims to provide perspectives on two different organizations and raise questions about NGO schooling in India.

Health And The Nature Of Urban Green Spaces, May Elizabeth Carter

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Recognition that city-dwelling people can benefit from contact with nature is not new. The urban open air movement of the 19th century advised retention of greenways and development of urban parks and gardens to stop disease spread through lack of fresh air, poor sanitation and overcrowding. Now, in the early 21st century, urban green spaces are under threat from inner city infill projects and clearing of remnant vegetation to accommodate suburban sprawl.

While much literature discusses positive health benefits of contact with nature, few studies explore explicit pathways between urban green space and health, despite mounting concern that disassociation between …

The Youth Speak: Forms, Facilitators And Obstacles To Their Political Engagement, Madelene Sta. Maria, Jose Maria Diestro, Jr.

SDRC Publications

The voices of the Filipino youth in response to the current issues in society and in governance, such as corruption, child abuse, armed conflict or poverty, seem to remain subdued.  For those who believe that it will be the purity and sincerity of these young people's voices that will rouse and provoke the rest of us into action for moral and social change, their silence is disturbing.  Many see the silence to be caused by an underlying apathy and cynicism the youth have for present social and political institutions.  Johnson in 2005, for example, documented the concern of scholars regarding …

Transformative Learning : An Examination Of The Impact Of Short-Term Study Abroad, Jesse Carson Pugh

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

When selecting a study abroad program, some students undertake a semester or academic-year study abroad program, while other students undertake a two-to eight-week study abroad program. Both study abroad opportunities allow students to become immersed in a culture different from their own. This research project is an exploratory study that looks at the impact of short-term study abroad programs on undergraduates at a public institution. This study examines how participants change in regards to their understanding of the host culture, explores what students learn about their host cultures, and looks at the intercultural development that the students gain from spending …

Environmental Politics In Paradise: Resistance To The Selling Of Vieques, Sherrie Baver

Publications and Research

The most notable instance of a massive and successful social protest in Puerto Rico in recent years has been on the island of Vieques between 1999 and 2003. This was a rare case in which Puerto Ricans were able to overcome their partisan divisions to end the U.S. Navy's 60 years of training on this small, 51- square-mile island off the main island's east coast. Part of the reason for the Vieques victory, including gaining support from some influential U.S. politicians, was that leaders framed the protest in terms of human rights, public health and environmental degradation rather than Yanqui …

No Vacancy, Rebecca Dann, Beth Somerfield, Emily Rice, Briana Meier

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

Vacant lots and buildings, whether in stages of redevelopment or decline, are spaces in flux. Left unused, these empty spaces can pose difficult challenges for their owners and surrounding neighborhoods; however, the uncertain futures of vacant sites also present unique opportunities for a variety of temporary uses. In partnership with the Central Eastside Industrial Council, LocusLab is exploring the potential to enliven the Central Eastside Industrial District by activating vacant spaces with temporary activities and developments. We've worked to: uncover potential benefits of temporary use; find ways to overcome barriers faced by temporary projects; initiate a conversation between property owners, …

Neighborhood Climate Action Planning Handbook, Hannah Dondy-Kaplan, Erica Timm, Beth Cohen, Dyami Valentine, Mariah Vanzerr, Devin Moller

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

The City of Portland and Multnomah County are developing new plans and policies to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals of 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. To meet these new steep reduction targets, actions will be needed at every level of society. While neighborhoods have historically received little attention as a means of addressing climate change, they are ideally suited to bring people together to bridge the gap between individual actions and higher level government policies. To help neighborhoods develop strategies and actions to address climate change, C-Change Consultants worked with the Southeast Uplift Neighborhood Coalition to create a Neighborhood …

Community-Engaged Scholarship In Higher Education: An Expanding Experience, Judith A. Ramaley

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

Higher education in this country has always been expected to serve the public good. Sometimes, the emphasis is on preparing educated citizens or practitioners in especially critical fields and how public service can deepen and enrich learning and prepare students to lead purposeful, responsible, and creative lives. Sometimes the focus is upon institutions themselves as major intellectual and cultural resources for a community. In this paper, based on the keynote presentation at the Community -- Engaged Scholarship for Health Collaborative's invitational symposium, the author explores four levels of engagement: the individual, the academic community and its concepts of scholarship, the …

Creating Collaborative Partnerships To Support Teacher Growth: Mapping The Partnership Process, Lynda Kennedy

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The urban setting has tremendous resources for the support of teaching and learning social studies and history but many teachers do not know how to make use of them. Collaborations centered on teacher professional development between cultural institutions such as museums, historical societies, historic houses, libraries, etc., universities and k-12 schools can create wider communities of practice that can support the professional growth of history and social studies teachers from their pre-service education throughout their careers.

This qualitative case study - grounded in the social/historical context of teacher education and a century of history/social studies pedagogy both in school and …

Outcome Evaluation: United Nations Development Programme Support To "Strengthening And Further Expansion Of The Mine Action Capacity In Azerbaijan" Project, Alistair Craib

Global CWD Repository

The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) is a success story and is one of only five such agencies with comparable success. If the main stakeholders maintain their current support and approach to it, that success should continue.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) approach to the project with ANAMA has proven to be a large part of this success and although its impact is now less – given the increasing strength of ANAMA – its role is still very important.

All the Outcomes and Outputs assessed by this evaluation have been met.

Grey Gold: Do Older In-Migrants Benefit Rural Communities?, Nina Glasgow, David L. Brown

Carsey Publications

Older Americans retiring to rural areas quickly integrate in their new communities and bring significant social and intellectual capital to those communities, finds a new issue brief from the Carsey Institute. The brief is among the few studies to consider social rather than economic impacts of older in-migration to rural areas.

Alagnak Wild River Visitor Use Project: Alagnak Wild River Resident User Study, Douglas Deur

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report represents a thematic summary of findings from the Alagnak Wild River Resident Users Study, the final project in a larger series of studies conducted for the National Park Service (NPS) as part of the Alagnak Wild River Visitor Use Project. The National Park service administers the 56 miles of designated Wild River along the Alagnak in collaboration with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which manages fish and wildlife populations along the river. The NPS is charged with managing the river’s natural and cultural resources, as well as preserving the river’s lands and resources for current and …

Concentrated Rural Poverty And The Geography Of Exclusion, Daniel T. Lichter, Domenico Parisi

Carsey Publications

One-half of rural poor are segregated in high-poverty areas, a new policy brief co-published by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire and Rural Realities. This brief highlights the challenges faced by America's rural poor, particularly as they are physically and socially isolated from middle-class communities that might offer economic opportunities.

Lanthorn, Vol. 43, No. 21, October 30, 2008, Grand Valley State University

Volume 43, July 10, 2008 - June 7, 2009

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Many New Hampshire Jobs Do Not Pay A Livable Wage, Daphne Kenyon, Allison Churilla

Carsey Publications

As the U.S. economy falters and recession looms, 79 percent of jobs in New Hampshire do not pay a wage sufficient for single-parent families with two children to provide basic needs such as housing, food, transportation, child care, and health care. Carroll County has the lowest percentage of livable wage jobs, with only 13 percent of jobs paying a livable wage for single-parent families with two children.

Central Florida Future, Vol. 40 No. 87, October 8, 2008

Central Florida Future

Speaking from experience; Novel to movie; Real UCF Ticket cleared; Jogging woman shoved, spit on; UCF's green goals reach to the STARS; STARS.

La Lucha Por Una Comunidad Sustentable Los Campesinos Tonocote De Breayoj: Manejo De Recursos, Desarrollo Y Elecciones, David Flannelly

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A study about the environment and sustainability has to be soley about topics solely relating directly to nature, right? With this preconception in my mind I went off to study an indigenous subsistence farming community in the northwestern region of Argentina. Initially I solely wanted to focus on the management of resources of the community, the trees, water, and animals. Fate had other plans for my indepent study project. I arrived in the community right in the middle of the last week of historical elections for the province and the community. A new political party of farmers and other poor …

Ua23 The Spirit Of Engagement, Paul N. Markham, Leah Ashwill, Cheryl Kirby-Stokes, Aurelia Spaulding

ALIVE Center Publications

No abstract provided.

Start-Up Of A Giving Circle: A Case Study, Deborah Z. Strotz, Sarah M. Bigelow

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

Giving circles are a new form of philanthropy expanding across the United States. Diverse groups of individuals pool their funds and other resources to donate to individuals and organizations in need of assistance. They provide an avenue to increase civic engagement and participation in community. The purpose of this practicum is to conduct a case study evaluating the start-up process of a small group giving circle. Observations and analyses are based on four group meetings and individual telephone interviews.

The development steps established in the literature effectively guided the start-up of this new giving circle. The group processes demonstrated democratic …

Unlv Magazine, Holly Ivy De Vore, Tony Allen, Barbara Cloud, Erin O'Donnell, Matthew K. Jacobsen, Gian Galassi, Michelle Mouton, Afsha Bawany, Shane Bevell

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Ua35/1 Doers & Deeds Vol. 7, No. 6, Wku Provost

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by the WKU Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs to highlight the activities of faculty, staff and alumni.

Strengthening The Capacity Of Helping Professionals To Provide Psychosocial Support To Communities Affected By Armed Conflict : The Evaluation Of One Program, Arden Elise O'Donnell

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study explored the transferring of skills, knowledge, and awareness of trainees in a Training-of-Trainers program in Northern Uganda, which was aimed at strengthening the capacity of helping professionals to provide psychosocial support to communities affected by armed conflict. Through the examination of a series of questionnaires administered to the trainees, this paper assesses how the direct transfer of knowledge and skills changed to awareness for trainees over time. This study also addresses how these findings contribute to a greater understanding of the model as well as suggestions surrounding the implications of the transfer of the model across the fields …

The Living And Spiritual Experiences Of Gay Men With Aids : An Exploratory Study, Jerry Dale Beene

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This research study will explore the experiences of ten gay men living with AIDS. Gay men with AIDS are a unique group in part because they are doubly stigmatized. Due to their sexual orientation, they have commonly experienced condemnation and marginalization, often from early on in their lives. My question for this study is: How does this particular group of men enduring this unique disease and treatment find and define their individual spirituality and sense of meaning as they face end of life issues? This qualitative research study used an exploratory, flexible methods design. I interviewed 10 gay men with …

Ten Years Of Community Profiles In New Hampshire, Charlie A. French, Fabienne Lord-Fonesca

Natural Resources & the Environment

Through a program called Community Profiles, the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension has helped 57 New Hampshire communities develop a vision for their future and mobilize local residents to act on that vision. The Community Profile process is based on the premise that communities must engage members in identifying and documenting common and deeply held values from which to craft a vision for the future if they are to build and sustain community vitality. The process also helps communities find new and creative ways to pursue that vision by leveraging resources within and outside of the community. These resources …

Motivations For Participating In Community-Supported Agriculture And Their Relationship With Community Attachment And Social Capital, Joan M. Brehm, Brian W. Eisenhauer

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

The social fabric of rural communities is continuing to change as we move toward a more globalized society and food economy, and the vitality of rural agricultural communities in particular may be declining (Berry 1999). In response to these changes, efforts are underway in many parts of the United States to counteract this global, industrial food system and by implication, increase the vitality and sustainability of rural communities. One effort that is gaining momentum is the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement, which involves local farmers and community members working together as partners to create a sustainable local food system. It …