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This document describes the curriculum and objectives of the Certificate of Completion in Dental Assisting at Maui Community College, Hawaii. Hawaii is below the national average in oral health care, with as many as 40% of Maui residents being underserved. Dental disease among the uninsured and underinsured in Hawaii is three times the national average. Issues include the lack of fluoridation, inadequate reimbursement for dental care, and the shortage of dental auxiliaries. Additionally, ethnic groups such as Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and those of Filipino ancestry have higher incidence of tooth decay and oral health needs. Data presented here indicate that there will be a need for 50 dental auxiliary employees per year state wide through 2010. The article argues that more than 300 students on lists for nursing programs will not be admitted to those programs, and the Dental Assisting Program expands options for these students. The projected annual cost for the program was $55,620 in 2002-03 and $58,399 in 2005-2006, with enrollment ranging from 11 in the first semester to 24 in fall 2005. The study assumes that all classes will be full, and that students will attend both full- and part-time. Compares the cost of this program to other Maui Community College programs. (NB)

Employers have looked to postsecondary schools as a source of trained workers, including graduates of both vocational and general education programs. Fifty-four successful and effective community college programs focus on innovative strategies for meeting current and future work force developments and requirements. The partnership programs begin with School to College and continue to College to College and Community Colleges, Businesses, and Agencies. Private Industry Councils (PIC) are now an instrument of a marketplace that demands more efficient allocation of the labor force. PICs are generally referred to work force development boards who represent stakeholders and providers of local work force programs based on specific needs of the business community. Schools need to cultivate critical thinking and provide an environment for understanding the changing environment and what will be required of the 21st century economy. Schools should focus on active learning, acquiring methods or processes of solving problems, relevant learning, and meeting community needs. (Contains 10 references.) (YLB)

Since development communication began in Africa in the 1950s, it has been based on the erroneous belief, first, that development meant westernization and, later, that it meant modernization. This led to two working assumptions: that money and educated (qualified) personnel were all that was needed to create development; and that all efforts should be concentrated on the rural areas. Because development has been misinterpreted to mean modernization, all efforts have been geared towards education for certification, urbanization, personal wealth accumulation, building of skyscrapers, and fruitless efforts at living like people in the Western world. In the next millennium, development communication efforts should be directed more towards enlightening the elite segment of the African population. A key factor in social development and change is education for practical and restrictive purposes--as a means of development, improving the welfare of all. It is generally acquired through open discussions between leaders and the people, community brainstorming, town meetings, purposive inservice training, seminars, workshops, and field experiences made possible through development communication, particularly through development oriented news and information from the media of mass communication. But mass media efforts must be supplemented with interpersonal communication to assure success. (NKA)

Canada has a national network of over 150 colleges and institutes in over 900 communities in all regions of the country. These institutions are mandated to support the socio-economic development of the communities and regions. Colleges and institutes develop education and training programs to meet employer needs with direct input from business, industry, and community partner organizations. In order to define and capture the level and scope of applied research activity that colleges and institutes are currently performing, the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) led an on-line survey of member institutions in January - March 2006. This report provides some insights on the impacts and outcomes of college and institute applied research on local and regional economic and social development, with particular emphasis on how colleges and institutes are meeting the innovation, research and development needs of industry and community partners. Study results demonstrate that colleges and institutes have expertise, community, industry and business linkages and the responsiveness to excel in the area of applied research and innovation. Colleges and institutes are developing and implementing solutions in a wide variety of sectors ranging from health, environment, agriculture, renewable energy, manufacturing, information and communications technology, virtual reality and advanced visualization, multi-media, manufacturing, marine and aquaculture, teaching, humanities and social sciences. Despite limited governmental financial support, colleges and institutes are going ahead and putting in place the necessary infrastructure and support mechanisms so that they can undertake applied research and respond more effectively to the full range of local business, industry and community needs. However, colleges and institutes are unable to expand their applied research and innovation activities to the degree necessary to meet increasing demands because they face systematic barriers to the number of faculty, facilities and institutional resources that they can allocate to applied research, innovation and commercialization activities. The paper advocates that the diversity of expertise developed by colleges and institutes indicate that the time has come for both the provincial and federal governments to support programs that will address the barriers preventing colleges and institutes from unleashing their full potential in applied research and innovation and hence maximize their contribution to the social and economic well-being of the country.

At a December, 2000 shared leadership symposium 101 parent and community leaders engaged in structured discourse and debate about key issues related to family support and family and community strengthening. This document presents a consensus statement about key issues related to strengthening families and communities. The document includes information on the process used in planning and carrying out the symposium. The consensus statement asserts that it is necessary to shift the paradigm of support from "families in need of help" to families as the nurtured center of democracy and an asset to be supported. The consensus statement supports the premises and principles of family support practice, identifies responsibilities for families and communities, identifies essential family functions, and asserts that children, youth, and older persons should work together to build and support a common agenda. Included is a demand that barriers to seamless, accessible, and easy-to-understand help for any family or child be eliminated. The statement further calls for legislation requiring that federal laws and policies be formally assessed in terms of their effects on families, and maintains that data gathered about communities must be available to those communities and must ultimately come from and belong to them. The statement advocates development of an integrated, seamless, and holistic approach to services that works with families as well as individuals. The statement concludes with a call for immediate policy action in the areas of community building and economic self-sufficiency, healthy families, work and family, family resource and support centers, families and education, and families and immigration. Four appendices highlight points of tension among conference participants, issues and ideas for family support centers and funders, and desired legislative outcome, and include a list of symposium participants. (KB)

Provides a critical perspective on service learning, and raises issues about focusing on the growth of students, which often ignores the service recipients and fails to ask how service is affecting the communities in which it is being performed. A new service-learning paradigm is offered to overcome some perceived inconsistencies in the existing one. (GR)

Describes the design philosophy of an architect who remodels and builds public libraries. Reviews the author's work on the Cohoes Public Library (New York) and the Saratoga Springs Public Library (New York). Discusses how architects create memorable public buildings by reading about and understanding sites, by working closely with communities, and heeding neighborhood characteristics. (JMV)

Offers reflections on the roles of youth librarians. Topics include the impact of societal changes on library services; librarians as change agents for new technology; community needs; marketing and programming strategies; and cooperation and visibility. (LRW)