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Introduction: This study explored the involvement of community resources in education planning and delivery in Ghana. It focused on how the involvement of community resources have had an impact on educational planning and development in the Ada East District of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Methods: A qualitative method was used, and data collected through structured interview from fifteen participants of parents, teachers, and education officers. The participants were selected by using purposive sampling technique. The data were analysed qualitatively as per the themes that emerged. Results: The findings indicated that communities contribute to the development of effective educational policies by providing insights and perspectives through various channels, such as community forums, advisory committees, and public hearings. Also, communities celebrate and embrace cultural diversity, fostering inclusivity within educational settings. Discussion:To maximize community involvement in education, it is essential to establish collaborative partnerships with community organizations, PTA, SMC, businesses, and institutions. Community organizations, businesses, and institutions can provide a wide range of resources, such as funding, expertise, facilities, and educational materials. These resources can greatly benefit schools and students, improving the quality of education. Limitations:With just 15 participants, it may be challenging to generalize the findings to the entire population of Ghana, or even a specific region. The small sample size may not adequately represent the diversity of experiences and perspectives within the country. Conclusions: It was recommended that there was a need to establish of strong partnerships between schools, parents, community leaders, and local organizations by the Ghana Education Service is crucial to promote collaboration and shared responsibility in education planning and delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "The struggle for the defense of native corn" highlights the importance of preserving the diversity of native corn in Mexico. The country has 64 registered races of corn, which are essential for food and are part of a millennial culture developed by peasant communities. The article mentions the work of the Seeds of Life Foundation in the protection of native corn, as well as collaboration with grassroots organizations such as the Vicente Guerrero Group in Tlaxcala. It also emphasizes the celebration of National Corn Day and the importance of promoting the purchase of peasant products to guarantee a dignified life for communities. [Extracted from the article]

Community Resource Referral Systems delivered electronically through healthcare information technology systems (e.g., electronic medical records) have become more common in efforts to address patients' unmet health-related social needs. Community Resource Referral System connects patients with social supports such as food assistance, utility support, transportation, and housing. This systematic review identifies barriers and facilitators that influence the Community Resource Referral System's implementation in the U.S. by identifying and synthesizing peer-reviewed literature over a 15-year period. This systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. A search was conducted on five scientific databases to capture the literature published between January 2005 and December 2020. Data analysis was conducted from August 2021 to July 2022. This review includes 41 articles of the 2,473 initial search results. Included literature revealed that Community Resource Referral Systems functioned to address a variety of health-related social needs and were delivered in different ways. Integrating the Community Resource Referral Systems into clinic workflows, maintenance of community-based organization inventories, and strong partnerships between clinics and community-based organizations facilitated implementation. The sensitivity of health-related social needs, technical challenges, and associated costs presented as barriers. Overall, electronic medical records–integration and automation of the referral process was reported as advantageous for the stakeholders. This review provides information and guidance for healthcare administrators, clinicians, and researchers designing or implementing electronic Community Resource Referral Systems in the U.S. Future studies would benefit from stronger implementation science methodological approaches. Sustainable funding mechanisms for community-based organizations, clear stipulations regarding how healthcare funds can be spent on health-related social needs, and innovative governance structures that facilitate collaboration between clinics and community-based organizations are needed to promote the growth and sustainability of Community Resource Referral Systems in the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying vital nodes in networks exhibiting a community structure is a fundamental issue. Indeed, community structure is one of the main properties of real-world networks. Recent works have shown that community-aware centrality measures compare favorably with classical measures agnostic about this ubiquitous property. Nonetheless, there is no clear consensus about how they relate and in which situation it is better to use a classical or a community-aware centrality measure. To this end, in this paper, we perform an extensive investigation to get a better understanding of the relationship between classical and community-aware centrality measures reported in the literature. Experiments use artificial networks with controlled community structure properties and a large sample of real-world networks originating from various domains. Results indicate that the stronger the community structure, the more appropriate the community-aware centrality measures. Furthermore, variations of the degree and community size distribution parameters do not affect the results. Finally, network transitivity and community structure strength are the most significant drivers controlling the interactions between classical and community-aware centrality measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing processes of 'austerity localism', including the state's withdrawal from local communities, have created heightened pressures at the frontline. Sitting in local authorities, third sector bodies and community organisations, frontline workers come to act as the de facto guardians of a much-diminished welfare state. Yet, in a situation where needs outweigh resources, they also allocate support based on moral hierarchies of deservingness. This Janus-faced role of frontline workers as both a bulwark against, and an enabler of, neo-liberal welfare control is examined through the framework of a moral economy of frontline work. I argue that the tensions reflect a deeper struggle over competing notions of citizenship, and of the state's responsibilities towards its citizens, in austerity Britain today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios Politicos (01215167) is the property of Universidad de Antioquia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines the determinants of the density of nonprofits registered in the USA by using alternative measures of government services and community conditions to test government failure theory and interdependence theory. Specifically, we examined the relationship between governments and nonprofits in the fields of art, health, and human services, with an emphasis on the level of the provision of public services, the heterogeneous demands of populations, and for-profit service providers. We found that the size of government, measured as government wage and fiscal decentralization, was negatively associated with the density of nonprofits, while government fragmentation was positively related to the density of nonprofits. The heterogeneity of community populations tended to increase nonprofit density. Taken together, therefore, our results offer more support for the government failure theory than the interdependence theory. Also, our findings that for-profit service organizations were positively related to the density of nonprofits call for researchers to pay attention to nonprofit partners and competitors in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people's decisions to engage or disengage in community activities can be attributed to their perceptions of community resources and opportunities. This study examined South African rural young adults' perceptions of their future communities and influences on engaging in health promoting activities and community leadership. Survey data were collected from 58 youth and 52 young adults affiliated with key community organizations. Correlational analysis examined perceptions of community resources and participation in community leadership. Perceptions about the future of their communities differed by age, educational attainment, employment status, and number of years spent in the community and were strongly correlated with how youth and young adults perceive they are valued. Local organizations such as schools and churches can motivate at-risk youth and young adults to participate in community life. This research extends our knowledge of factors important for engaging this population in resource-limited rural settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Policy Analysis Archives / Archivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas / Arquivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas is the property of Educational Policy Analysis Archives & Education Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Local organizations can serve as landmarks that orient residents’ understanding of space and foster social ties through regular and repeated interaction. Depending on their location, schools can serve as local social anchors or pull families who live in the same neighborhood in different directions. This study examines the extent to which the geographic location of schools shapes how residents view their social and spatial connection to their own residential neighborhood. Specifically, I use GIS, descriptive statistics, and regressions with neighborhood fixed‐effects to analyze the Making Connections Survey of 28 low‐income neighborhoods in 10 different cities. The results show that residents who have a child attending a school inside their neighborhood report living in a closer‐knit community and knowing more of their kids’ friends. Residents also shift their perception of their neighborhoods’ geographic boundaries in the direction of the school their child attends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Primary care organizations are increasingly implementing technologies to facilitate referrals of patients to social service organizations (SSOs). For these technologies to be effective, they must be adopted by SSOs as well as health care organizations. Objective: In this project, we aimed to explore facilitators and barriers to community resource referral technology uptake among SSOs in Trenton, NJ and among other 'bright spot' communities, and identify strategies that might increase SSO uptake. Study Design and Analysis: Qualitative semi-structured interviews. Recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for common themes and patterns. Setting or Dataset: 39 interviews among 16 Trenton organizations and 9 'bright spot' communities. Population Studied: Staff and leaders from SSOs in Trenton, NJ that had been invited to use a referral platform (NowPow) and represented a range of adoption patterns. Bright spot communities were outside Trenton, had been implementing a referral platform for at least 1 year, and were considered by external experts to have successfully engaged SSOs. Intervention/Instrument: Semi-structured interview guide. Outcome Measures: N/A. Results: The main barrier to platform uptake among Trenton SSOs was low perceived usefulness. Though most expressed support for the tool conceptually, in practice it did not offer sufficient benefit to motivate SSOs to invest the energy needed for adoption, especially in SSOs with low tech savviness or where the tool was duplicative. A preference for warm hand-offs among some also limited adoption. The few SSOs that found the platform useful provided case management and had staff unfamiliar with local resources. Suggested strategies to increase adoption include better communicating tool value, targeting outreach to SSOs most likely to find value in the tool, and improving functionality to better meet SSO needs. Financial incentives were not attractive to SSOs as it conflicted with their sense of mission. Likewise, successful engagement in bright spot communities hinged on implementing the tool in a way that made it valuable to SSOs. Conclusions: Primary care organizations seeking to use referral platforms need to both better understand and better articulate the value these tools can provide to SSOs. Technology platforms should find ways to better meet the needs of SSOs, not just those of HCOs, if these tools are meant to be adopted by SSOs as well as HCOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of federal funding levels on the program spending of faith-based and community organizations in Kentucky. Prior research indicates that organizations could increase spending on overall program expenses or decrease program spending relative to administrative costs as a result of greater reporting demands from federal funders. Three models of program spending are proposed: increased program spending relative to administrative costs (program enhancement effect), decreased program spending relative to administrative costs (administrative enhancement effect), and no net effect (neutral program-spending effect). The analysis supports the program enhancement effect and estimates that federal funding has a positive relationship with increased program spending relative to other expenses in faith-based and community organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a framework for achieving successful community building based in the involvement and ideas of community residents. It is argued that successful community change cannot be achieved without the utilization of resident knowledge and judgments in the decision-making process. Steps in the framework include fostering positive relationships among community residents in the interest of collective action, creating connections between residents and neighborhood institutions, and facilitating communication.

Through an examination of the redevelopment of the Old Town of Eureka, California, the article discusses the importance of community engagement for community foundations' attainment of positive community change. The authors also use the example of American Indian involvement in the United Indian Health Services' (UIHS) efforts to construct the Potawot Health Village in Arcata, California, to demonstrate how initial prejudice can be turned to cross-cultural trust through community engagement. Other topics addressed include community infrastructure support promoting socially diverse engagement, the Humboldt Area Foundation (HAF), and the use of already-existing community assets.

Issue addressed: A primary aim of the pilot phase of the Act-Belong-Commit mental health promotion campaign was to form partnerships with community organisations. As a component of the broader campaign strategy, collaborating organisations promoted their activities under the Act-Belong-Commit banner in exchange for resources, promotional opportunities and capacity building in event management and funding. Methods: The impact of the Act-Belong-Commit campaign on the capacity and activities of collaborating organisations during the pilot phase was evaluated using self-completed mail surveys in 2006 and 2008. Results: Collaboration with the campaign had a positive impact on community organisations' capacity, including staff expertise, media publicity and funding applications. Collaborating organisations had strong positive perceptions of Act-Belong-Commit officers and all expressed a willingness to collaborate in future events and activities. Conclusions: The partnership model used during the pilot phase of the Act-Belong-Commit campaign was successful in creating mutually beneficial exchanges with collaborating organisations. So what? Community partnerships are necessary for the effective delivery of mental health promotion campaigns at a local level. Successful partnerships involve the provision of real and valuable benefits to collaborating organisations in return for their cooperation in promoting health messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses the benefits and challenges of an undergraduate module on participatory geographies, involving students in co-producing research with community partners. The module challenges the knowledge production model predominant in Geography curricula. We argue that it develops students' skills and understanding through engaging them intellectually, socially and emotionally outside the university. As a student, two community partners and a professor, we offer our perspectives on the opportunities and conflicts that arose. We do not gloss over tensions in achieving the module's diverse aims, but suggest that these are productive for teaching, learning, research and the needs of community organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Current researches on temporal networks mainly tend to detect community structure. A number of community detection algorithms can obtain community structure on each time slice or each period of time but rarely present the evolution of community structure. Some papers discussed the process of community structure evolution but lacked quantifying the evolution. In this paper, we put forward the concept of Community Vitality (CV), which shows a community's life intensity on a time slice. In the process of computing CV, the "dead communities" can also be distinguished. Moreover, CV cannot only be used to quantify the life intensity of a community but also be used to describe the process of community evolution over time. More specifically, the change of community's structure will be found if CVs for different time slices of a community were compared, while the community with big value of CV can be selected if CVs for different communities were compared. Furthermore, community vitality change rate (CVCR) is proposed for revealing communities' structure change. The results of our experiments show that community vitality is a novel and effective way to understand or model the community evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Itinerario Educativo is the property of Universidad de San Buenaventura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the development of civic leadership on both an individual and large structural level through an examination of the work of the community development organizations Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI) in Central Wisconsin and Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) in the state of Kansas. Broadly, the author is concerned with the organizations' promotion of community cultural change in helping to develop civic leadership. He explains the KLC's association with the Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) and its promotion of public health through leadership training.

Community detection is an important tool for exploring and classifying the properties of large complex networks and should be of great help for spatial networks. Indeed, in addition to their location, nodes in spatial networks can have attributes such as the language for individuals, or any other socio-economical feature that we would like to identify in communities. We discuss in this paper a crucial aspect which was not considered in previous studies which is the possible existence of correlations between space and attributes. Introducing a simple toy model in which both space and node attributes are considered, we discuss the effect of space-attribute correlations on the results of various community detection methods proposed for spatial networks in this paper and in previous studies. When space is irrelevant, our model is equivalent to the stochastic block model which has been shown to display a detectability-non detectability transition. In the regime where space dominates the link formation process, most methods can fail to recover the communities, an effect which is particularly marked when space-attributes correlations are strong. In this latter case, community detection methods which remove the spatial component of the network can miss a large part of the community structure and can lead to incorrect results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article compares the experiences of young Somali male refugees now living in Minneapolis and Melbourne, Australia based on a list of themes. The themes include global identity markers, formation of community organizations, cultural preferences, education, employment and sense of achievement and hope. It concludes that in many respects, male Somali refugees in Minneapolis have better sense of belonging and hope compared to their Australian counterparts.

This article discusses the experience of the Nuevo South Action-Research Collaborative, a university-community collaborative involving an interdisciplinary group of faculty and students from East Carolina University and Latino community organizations. The article describes the collaborative formation process and places it within the context of the southeast as a new destination for Latino immigration. The collaborative formation process is discussed from the point of view of a complex encounter characterized by concurrences and tensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores issues that arose when implementing innovative and creative research methods in a research partnership between academics and Home Hospice, a community organisation that uses a community-development approach to deliver a community mentoring program for carers who want to care for a terminally ill person at home. The project aimed to investigate the effects of caring for a dying person at home on the wider community. Thus, it contrasted with almost all previous research, which focused on the needs of the terminally ill person or the situation of the carer. To be sensitive when asking people to talk about emotional issues, the innovative methods of PhotoVoice and participatory network mapping were employed, enabling the participants to remain in control and (hopefully) to flourish as a result of the research process. Although the methods proved successful, recruitment of participants was hampered by gate-keeping within and beyond the organisation. We conclude that the dominant social constructions are likely to prevail even when an organisation is trying to change those constructions. In this case, it was constructions of carers as being vulnerable and thus in need of protection from research, but the same principle might apply in other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of service-sector unions in the United States have turned to urban land-use strategies in alliance with community organizations to achieve organizing goals and sustain bargaining regimes in a hostile environment. These union strategies typically entail the formation of project-specific “common cause” coalitions with community organizations in order to leverage local benefits, living wages, and union rights from private developers and growth-oriented local governments.The labor studies literature on community unionism understands these strategies through the analytical frame of social movement theory, and closely associates them with labor movement renewal. In approaching the question from the perspective of critical human geography, this article highlights a contradiction that emerges in labor’s land-use campaigns in cases where redevelopment entails the transformation of working-class neighborhoods into spaces of production and luxury consumption. The article argues that a strategy of negotiating distributional shares out of prospective increases in land values in such cases encourages union-community coalitions to prioritize workplace over residential demands, in turn reproducing structural divisions between labor and community. The argument is sustained through a discussion of the involvement of the New York City hotel workers union, UNITE-HERE Local 6, in a labor-community coalition formed to contest the terms of the redevelopment of Coney Island. The case study casts some doubt on whether labor-community land use strategies of this type are consistent with labor movement renewal. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]