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As part of the Learn and Serve America Program of the Corporation for National Service, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has helped develop campus-based programs that have instigated a growing community college service learning network. Ten colleges, selected in a national competition for grants ranging from $2,000 to $12,000 per year, trained faculty and developed or strengthened relationships with organizations that offered service placement sites for students to address community needs. A variety of "best practices" evolved from the strategies and resources developed at the colleges. The project, which led to permanent service learning programs in all 10 colleges, grew around the key areas of model programs, mentor teams, and clearinghouses. Information regarding implementation, outcomes, and contacts is provided for each of the following service learning community colleges: Albuquerque TVI, New Mexico; Alpena, Michigan; Flathead Valley, Montana; Hocking College, Ohio; Johnson County, Kansas; Kapi'olani, Hawaii; Monroe, New York; Northern Virginia, Virginia; Prestonburg, Kentucky; and Truman College, Illinois. (AS)

To determine the extent to which community colleges provide services and programs for students with disabilities, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) conducted a national survey in 1995 of public and private community, technical, and junior colleges in the United States, U.S. territories, and Canada. Fall 1995 headcounts for both full- and part-time students were used as the basis of responses. Information provided by 672 campuses offered a view of the ways that community colleges were responding to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Analysis of that information, coupled with data from the 1992-93 National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey, resulted in the national and program profiles contained in this document. The AACC survey instrument covered nine categories of disabilities: visual impairment, deafness, orthopedic/mobility disabilities, speech/language disorders, learning disabilities, mental retardation, emotional/behavioral disorders, head injuries, and chronic illness. Information is provided regarding enrollment/graduation, student registration for disability support services, support services and accommodations, special features of various programs, uses of technology, outreach activities, tracking, and outcomes.(Contains 9 graphs and 15 references) (AS)

In January 1995, five community colleges were selected to participate in a year-long project to implement new teaching methods in associate degree nursing programs to better meet community needs. Supported by the American Association for Community Colleges, with seed money from the Metropolitan Life Foundation, all of the projects also had significant financial support from their colleges and community partners and all continued beyond the grant period. The following projects were funded: (1) a seven-county rural health screening program established by Copiah-Lincoln Community College, in Mississippi, focusing on the health needs of youth and older adults and involving strong community partnerships; (2) a faculty and curriculum development initiative developed by Northern Virginia Community College and added to an existing service learning program involving a Mobile Nurse-Managed Health Center for underserved populations; (3) a model home care and community-based continuing education curriculum developed by Orange County Community College, in New York, the components of which were incorporated into the standard undergraduate nursing curriculum; (4) a home health elective course created by the Southwestern Community College District, in California, which drew on the resources of four community colleges and was designed to be offered by each college in alternate years; and (5) a practicum developed by St. Petersburg Junior College, in Florida, using "clinical associates" in community health agencies to train nursing students to work effectively in community settings. Contains 21 references and a list of 5 electronic resources. (MAB)

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) designed a project to help widen the educational opportunities for disabled individuals through access to a broader base of information about programs and services in local two-year colleges. The focus of the first year's activity was the design and development of a database of information on services and programs for persons with disabilities at 624 public and private community colleges; the production of a directory of these programs; and information dissemination about the project. During the project's second year, a monograph entitled "Disability Support Services in Community Colleges: Selected Cases" was prepared to highlight successful disability support practices. Data collected for the project reveal that: (1) approximately 70% of all institutions responding to the AACC's survey reported having a formal Disability Support Service Office; (2) approximately 63% of all public higher education students with disabilities are enrolled in community colleges; (3) approximately 6% of all community colleges students report a disability and about 2% request services; (4) approximately 12% of all responding colleges did not keep student data by category of disability; however, among those 574 institutions reporting data, learning disabilities constituted by far the largest single category of disability, followed by orthopedic or mobility disabilities, and chronic illness or other disabilities; and (5) the most prevalent services and accommodations offered by community colleges were registration assistance, counseling, alternative exam formats, and notetaking services. The survey questionnaire and evaluation forms are appended. (ECC)

In 1990, the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges developed a national workplace literacy demonstration project to raise awareness of the link between local economic development and basic workplace skill performance, and to stimulate a local leadership initiative around a community-wide effort to raise worker performance levels. Ten grants were awarded to the following rural colleges: (1) Columbia College (California), where students from the college and community were recruited to become literacy tutors; (2) Crowder College (Missouri), where work site adult literacy classes were implemented; (3) Enterprise State Junior College (Alabama), which coordinated an adult basic education (ABE) program with six local companies; (4) Genesee Community College (New York), which conducted seminars and workshops for more than 100 farm owners/managers and agribusiness employees; (5) Mount Wachusett Community College (Massachusetts), which developed a flexible, cost-effective tutor training program directed towards unemployed and dislocated workers; (6) New River Community College (Virginia), which provided on-site reading and math classes for workers in the local textile industry who were weak in basic skills; (7) Northeast Texas Community College, which planned and implemented a business/education partnership to enhance workplace literacy in targeted agricultural industries and occupations; (8) Roane State Community College (Tennessee), where a workplace literacy program geared toward unemployed adults and low-skilled workers was developed; (9) Salish Kootenai College (Montana), which expanded its ABE program, developed workplace-related classes, and provided transportation and child care for students on the Flathead Indian Reservation; and (10) Southwestern Oregon Community College, which conducted a workplace literacy project focused on towboat workers, fishermen, apprentices, and underemployed and unemployed adults. (JMC)

This is a project brief on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Teaching Scholar Partnerships (TSP) project, which is designed to reduce the shortage of qualified science and math educators in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) also supports the project. The TSP project held a national grant competition and selected 10 community colleges and 18 four-year colleges and universities in diverse areas of 17 states to participate in a pilot study. The colleges received 2-year implementation grants of $30,000. The colleges utilized this funding to help promote the following TSP objectives: (1) enriching and strengthening the learning experience of K-12 math and science students; (2) encouraging undergraduate science, engineering, math, and computer technology students to consider K-12 math and science instruction as a career option; and (3) generating national attention on the vital and necessary contributions of K-16 partnerships. The brief highlights projects initiated by the 10 chosen community colleges. Projects include: (1) after-school math, science, and computer tutorial programs; (2) workshops on teaching and classroom management; (3) workshops on alternative assessment models and different student learning styles; (4) journals/portfolios of TSP tutors, mentors, and students; (5) technical assistance/training to K-12 teachers; and (6) "best practices" seminars. Contact information to TSP community colleges and Web site addresses for TSP supporting organizations conclude the brief. (MKF)

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) instituted the Bridges to Healthy Communities project in 1995 as part of a 5-year strategy to develop campus-based programs for preventing HIV infection and related health problems among college students. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sponsored the national effort through cooperative agreements and financial assistance. Twenty-two community colleges, selected through nationwide competition, participated as Bridges colleges, as recipients of Bridges mini-grants, or as Bridges mentors. These colleges conducted a variety of HIV prevention activities to promote change on their campuses. This document discusses prevention strategies, which include service learning, HIV testing, curriculum infusion, peer education, new policies and practices, and collaboration and outreach. It also presents recommendations for systemic change, such as: (1) promoting collaborative relationships with local public agencies and with private and nonprofit organizations; (2) integrating health information into existing courses and structures; (3) offering wellness fairs; (4) helping faculty members develop the skills necessary for motivating behavioral change in students; (5) partnering with local governments to provide health and recreation facilities for the community; and (6) aligning campus strategies with prevention efforts that are known to work. Contains contact information for each participating college. (EMH)