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The
links below are to Web sites of local and national institutions,
government agencies, foundations and other organizations that
provide information, services, publications or other resources
that relate in some way to the mission and goals of The Great
Outdoors. This list is intended to grow over time. If you
would like to suggest a link to be added, please contact Anne
S. Weekley (aweekley@cfsem.org), Program Officer.
National
and International Resources:
Active
Living By Design
Active
Living by Design is a national program of The Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation and is a part of the UNC School of Public
Health in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The program will establish
and evaluate innovative approaches to increase physical activity
through community design, public policies and communications
strategies.
Afterschool
Alliance
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated
to raising awareness of the importance of afterschool programs
and advocating for quality, affordable programs for all children.
It is supported by a group of public, private and nonprofit
organizations that share the Alliance's vision of ensuring
that all children have access to afterschool programs by 2010.
Afterschool.gov
This is a relatively new site by the federal government which
gives information on federal funding, plus other information
on school-age care. It also provides forms and bidder workshop
dates for 21st Century Community Learning Center grants.
American
Association for the Child's Right to Play
The purpose of IPA/USA is to protect, preserve, and promote
play as a fundamental right for all humans. Plays makes possible
maximum development of self and society by facilitating creativity,
individuality and, social, physical and intellectual growth.
Center
for Environmental Education
Antioch New England Institute, Keene N.H. The Center for Environmental
Education's (CEE) mission is to create greener K-12 schools
and communities. The two main parts of CEE are:
-
CEE Resource Center, providing quality EE materials, curriculum
and networking connections directly to teachers and students
across the U.S. and Canada; and
- CEE
Programs, working with particular schools, districts and
communities (mostly in New England, but also in some major
cities throughout the U.S.) to create model community-based
EE projects
EE-Link
A project of the North American Association for Environmental
Education, EE-Link is a Web-based clearinghouse of information
and resources for environmental educators, students, program
planners, grant writers and others.
ERIC
Outdoor & Experiential Education Resources
An online database of articles, organizations, resources,
conference announcements, bibliographies, and ERIC Digest
summaries of literature on outdoor, experiential and environmental
education.
Ecological
Cities Project
The Ecological Cities Project is a quasi-independent program
of research and outreach affiliated with the Department of
Geosciences and the Center for Public Policy and Administration
at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. It was started
in 1999 by Dr. Rutherford H. Platt, a geographer and land
use lawyer, and author of Land Use and Society: Geography,
Law and Public Policy and Disasters and Democracy: The Politics
of Extreme Natural Events, both published by Island Press.
The program seeks to promote sharing of knowledge and experience
among disciplines, sectors, and urban regions regarding new
approaches to urban greenspace creation and management.
EnviroLink
EnviroLink is a non-profit, volunteer online community
that unites hundreds of organizations and volunteers around
the world with millions of people in more than 150 countries.
EnviroLink is dedicated to providing comprehensive, up-to-date
environmental information and news.
Environmental
Support Center
Since 1990, the Environmental Support Center (ESC) has
repeatedly helped more than 1,700 local, state, and regional
organizations working on environmental issues. ESC's goal
is to improve the environment in the United States by enhancing
the health and well-being of these organizations. Our Training
and Organizational Assistance Program, Leadership and Enhanced
Assistance Program, Technology Resources Program, Workplace
Solicitation Program, Environmental Loan Fund , and State
Environmental Leadership Program help these vital environmental
groups become better managed, funded and equipped.
Family
Involvement Network of Educators (FINE)
Under the leadership of the Harvard
Family Research Project, FINE develops the human resource
capacity for effective family-school-community partnerships.
Through a rich and diverse offering of research materials
and tools, FINE equips teachers to partner with families and
informs families and communities about leading-edge approaches
to full partnership with schools. FINE membership is open
to anyone and is free of charge. Members of FINE gain access
to the latest and best information on the emerging field of
family involvement.
The
Finance Project
To support decision making that produces and sustains good
results for children, families, and communities, The Finance
Project develops and disseminates information, knowledge,
tools, and technical assistance for improved policies, programs,
and financing strategies. This site includes information on
funding strategies for out-of-school time, resources for funding
such programs, assessment checklists, cost worksheets, and
facility improvement funding information.
The
Forum for Youth Investment
The Forum for Youth Investment (formerly IYF-US) is a national
initiative dedicated to increasing the quality and quantity
of youth investment and youth involvement in the United States
by promoting a "big picture" approach to planning
and policy development. The Forum's Web site contains many
useful papers, articles, editorials, written and PowerPoint
presentations, and other tools that have been created by Forum
staff and consultants. Many of these documents may be downloaded
(often as PDF files).
The
Guide to Community Preventive Services
The Guide to Community Preventive Services (Community Guide)
is a project of the United States Centers for Disease Control,
led by the independent Task Force on Community Preventive
Services, that addresses a variety of health topics important
to communities, public health agencies and health care systems.
It is summarizing what is known about the effectiveness and
cost-effectiveness of population based interventions designed
to promote health, prevent disease, injury, disability and
premature death as well as exposure to environmental hazards.
Go
for Green: The Active Living and Environment Program
Go for Green is a national non-profit, charitable organization
encouraging Canadians to pursue healthy, outdoor physical
activities while being good environmental citizens.
Human
Environment Research Laboratory
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A multidisciplinary
research laboratory dedicated to studying the relationships
between people and the environments they inhabit, the laboratory
seeks to learn how to create environments in which individuals,
families, and communities flourish, and how to better involve
people in the design, management, and stewardship of their
local environments. The site contains summaries of the laboratory’s
research as well as the ability to request full-text articles
published in academic journals.
KIDS
COUNT 2002 Data Book Online
KIDS COUNT, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is
a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of
children in the U.S. By providing policymakers and citizens
with benchmarks of child well-being, KIDS COUNT seeks to enrich
local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to
secure better futures for all children.
KidsGardening.com
KidsGardening.com provides a wide range of information, resources
and an electronic newsletter for parents and teachers on children
and gardening.
National
4-H Council
National 4-H Council provides grants, establishes programs/initiatives,
designs and publishes curriculum and reference materials,
and creates linkages fostering innovation and shared learning
to advance the 4-H youth development movement, building a
world in which youth and adults learn, grow, and work together
as catalysts for positive change. Council partners with 4-H
at all levels—national, state and local.
National
Center for Family & Community Connections with Schools
A project of the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory,
the National Center for Family and Community Connections with
Schools bridges research and practice to remove barriers to
student achievement. The Center links people with research-based
information and resources that they can use to effectively
connect schools, families, and communities. It emphasizes
connections that directly impact student achievement in reading
and mathematics, as well as connections that contribute to
the students' overall
success in school and in life.
National
Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities - Outdoor Learning
Resources
NCEF's resource list of links, books, and journal articles
on the design, construction, and maintenance of school grounds
to support and enhance a school's educational objectives.
National
Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education
NCPIE advocates for the involvement of parents and families
in their children's education, and to foster relationships
between home, school, and community to enhance the education
of all the nation's young people. NCPIE was founded in 1980,
at the initiative of what was then the National School Volunteer
Program (now National Association for Partners in Education),
with funding from the Ford Foundation and Union Carbide. From
the outset, the participating organizations included parent
organizations and advocacy groups as well as national education
organizations representing teachers and administrators. The
group has been meeting monthly ever since to monitor legislation,
initiate projects, and share information and ideas about research,
programs, and policies.
National
Environmental Education & Training Foundation
Chartered by Congress in 1990, NEETF is a private non-profit
organization that plays a unique role in the environmental
education and training field. NEETF develops and supports
environmental learning programs to meet social goals, such
as improved health, better education, and "greener,"
more profitable business. In particular, NEETF address the
needs of disadvantaged communities requiring cleaner local
environments. As a private organization, it works to build
partnerships between government and the private sector and
non-governmental organizations. NEETF makes challenge grants
to innovative programs, and recognizes outstanding achievement
in the field. To the National Environmental Education &
Training Foundation, environmental learning goes far beyond
informing people about ways to protect the environment. A
base of environmental knowledge results in better health,
more complete education, and a more vibrant economy. NEETF
therefore advocates training doctors and nurses about the
environment, using environment-based education to improve
academic performance in inner city schools, and showing small
business owners how environmentally cleaner operations are
also much more profitable.
National
Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST)
For over 20 years, the National Institute on Out-of-School
Time, at the Center for Research on Women at Wellesley College,
has successfully brought national attention to the importance
of children's out-of-school time, influenced policy, increased
standards and professional recognition, and spearheaded community
action aimed at improving the availability, quality and viability
of programs serving children and youth.
National
Network of Partnership Schools
Established by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, The
National Network of Partnership Schools brings together schools,
districts, and states that are committed to developing and
maintaining comprehensive programs of school-family-community
partnerships.
The
National Parent Information Network (NPIN)
The mission of NPIN is to provide access to research-based
information about the process of parenting, and about family
involvement in education. NPIN is a project of the ERIC system,
which is administered by the National Library of Education
in the U.S. Department of Education. NPIN is designed and
maintained by two ERIC clearinghouses: the ERIC Clearinghouse
on Urban Education at Teachers College, Columbia University,
New York City; and the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and
Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign.
National
Project for Excellence In Environmental Education
The National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education
is a multi-year program of the North American Association
for Environmental Education designed to identify and provide
examples of high quality environmental education practice.
Through the National Project for Excellence in Environmental
Education, NAAEE is taking the lead in establishing guidelines
for the development of balanced, scientifically accurate,
and comprehensive environmental education programs. Quality
environmental education programs facilitate the teaching of
science, civics, social studies, mathematics, geography, language
arts, etc. The guidelines will help educators develop meaningful
environmental education programs that integrate across and
build upon the high standards set by the core disciplines.
Natural
Learning Initiative
The Natural Learning Initiative is a Research and Extension
Program of the College of Design, North Carolina State University,
Raleigh, NC, USA. Its mission is to help communities create
stimulating places for play, learning, and environmental education
- environments that recognize human dependence on the natural
world. The Initiative collaborates with educators, playleaders,
environmental educators, planners, politicians, and all professionals
working for and with children.
North
Central Regional Educational Laboratory
This site provides information, resources and research on
designing effective after-school programs, including the book,
"Beyond the Bell: A Toolkit for Creating Effective After-School
Programs." The book is a toolkit designed to help staff
plan and make good decisions in six critical areas: management,
collaboration, programming, integration with the traditional
school day, evaluation, and communication.
Nutrition
Policy
Center for Science in the Public Interest. Nutrition Policy
is a section of the Center for Science in the Public Interest
(CSPI) Web site that provides links to model policies and
legislation, backgrounders, fact sheets, up-to-date stats
on the impact of poor diet and inactivity on health and health-care
costs, and other tools to support national, state and local
nutrition and physical activity policies. The site provides
resources to support policy and environmental changes that
will make it easier for people to eat well and be physically
active.
PACER
Center
The mission of PACER Center is to expand opportunities and
enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with
disabilities and their families, based on the concept of parents
helping parents. With assistance to individual families, workshops,
and materials for parents and professionals, and leadership
in securing a free and appropriate public education for all
children, PACER's work affects and encourages families in
Minnesota and across the nation.
The
Parent Institute
The mission of The Parent Institute is to encourage parent
involvement in the education of their children. The Parent
Institute publishes a variety of materials including newsletters,
booklets, brochures, and videos. Most products are available
in both English and Spanish.
Pedestrian
and Bicycle Information Center
The PBIC is a clearinghouse for information about health and
safety, engineering, advocacy, education, enforcement and
access and mobility. The PBIC serves anyone interested in
pedestrian and bicycle issues, including planners, engineers,
private citizens, advocates, educators, police enforcement
and the health community.
Prevention
Resource Center
Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health, University of South
Carolina. The Prevention Research Center is committed to conducting
research that benefits the public's health and to translating
research into practice. Its activities promote physical activity
through community intervention, training, dissemination and
applied research. It is one of 26 centers funded by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention's Prevention Research Centers
Program. The purpose of the Center’s website is to provide
resources and information about physical activity to researchers,
public health practitioners, and others who are interested
in promoting physical activity in their communities.
Project
for Public Spaces
Project for Public Spaces' is a nonprofit technical assistance,
research and educational organization. PPS' mission - to create
and sustain public places that build communities - is achieved
through programs in parks, plazas and central squares; transportation;
public buildings and architecture and public markets. Since
its founding in 1975, the organization has worked in over
1,000 communities, within the U.S. and abroad, helping people
to grow their public space into vital community places.
Project
WILD
Project WILD is one of the most widely-used conservation and
environmental education programs among educators of students
in kindergarten through high school. Project WILD is based
on the premise that young people and educators have a vital
interest in learning about our natural world. The program
emphasizes wildlife because of its intrinsic and ecological
values, as well as its importance as a basis for teaching
how ecosystems function. In the face of competing needs and
pressures affecting the quality and sustainability of life
on earth, Project WILD addresses the need for human beings
to develop as responsible citizens of our planet.
School-Age
Notes
School-Age Notes develops and provides information, technical
assistance and resources concerning children and youth in
out-of-school settings before and after school and during
vacations. This includes:
- information
on starting and advocating for new after school programs
- ideas
for administrating and enhancing the quality of exciting
programs
- technical
assistance and training opportunities
- a
link with other concerned school-age care professionals
- the
latest in trends, resources and materials.
Search
Institute
Search Institute is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian
organization whose mission is to advance the well-being of
adolescents and children by generating knowledge and promoting
its application. To accomplish this mission, the institute
generates, synthesizes, and communicates new knowledge, convenes
organizational and community leaders, and works with state
and national organizations. At the heart of the institute's
work is the framework of 40 developmental assets, which are
positive experiences, relationships, opportunities, and personal
qualities that young people need to grow up healthy, caring,
and responsible.
State
Education & Environment Roundtable (SEER)
SEER is a cooperative endeavor of 16 state education agencies
that seeks to improve student achievement by using EIC for
K-12 education. SEER's staff:
- investigates
the academic and behavioral efficacy of environment-based
education
- conducts
professional development and training for K-12 educators
- organizes
semi-annual seminars to facilitate collaboration among SEER
member states; and, provides technical support to state
education agencies.
The
WonderWise Parent
An award winning, informative, ad banner-free site on parenting
and parent-child relationships. The WonderWise Parent is designed
for parents, grandparents, foster parents, stepparents, caregivers,
teachers, and parent educators. It was created and is maintained
by Dr. Charles A. Smith, extension specialist with Kansas
State Research and Extension in the School of Family Studies
at Kansas State University.
State
and Local Resources:
21st
Century Community Learning Centers Grant Program
The purpose of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers
Grant Program is to create learning community centers for
those times when school is not in session. The
Michigan Department of Education administers the Michigan
funds for this competitive federal grant program, which provides
support for a wide range of academic enrichment and youth
development projects. Schools, community organizations and
faith-based institutions may apply. Approximately $11 million
in grants will be awarded. The deadline to apply for 2002-2003
funds is Sept. 25, 2002. The application is available on line.
Child
Care Coordinating Council of Detroit/Wayne Co.
The mission of the Child Care Coordinating Council of Detroit/Wayne
County, Inc., is to educate and support and thereby empower
families, communities and service programs to provide quality
care and environments for all children and to promote within
strong family units the development of children to their full
potential and well-being.
Michigan
Communities in Schools
Michigan Communities In Schools (MCIS) is the state affiliate
of Communities In Schools Inc. Located in Holland, Michigan,
MCIS was established in early 1994 with a mission to champion
the connection of needed community resources, schools and
parents to help young people successfully learn, stay in school
and prepare for life. MCIS provides critical statewide leadership
for communities searching for ways to address the needs of
youth with limited financial resources. With the assistance
of the state office, local communities throughout Michigan
design and deliver programs which reposition existing services
and resources at the central location of the school. Each
local program is planned according to the needs and resources
of their individual community. MCIS provides free training,
technical assistance and access to other state and national
resources to assist with this process. Currently, MCIS supports
six operational programs, as well as a cadre of developing
and interested locales throughout the state.
The
Detroit Area Study 2002
The Detroit Area Study (DAS) is a University of Michigan annual
survey of a representative sample of residents from the Detroit
region. Each year, residents of the metro Detroit area are
surveyed on a new topic. This year, DAS addresses community
issues important to the quality of life of residents throughout
the metro Detroit area. DAS 2001 is intended to produce information
that will inform decisions at the public, corporate, and household
levels. At the same time, the data will serve as a benchmark
for assessing the changes that occur in the region throughout
the 21st century.
Kids
Count in Michigan (not available online)
An annual publication that provides state and local data on
the well-being of children in Michigan. Partners include the
Michigan League for Human Services
and Michigan's
Children. Order copies by calling toll free: (800) 837-5436.
Michigan's
Children
Michigan's Children is a statewide, multi-issue, independent,
broad-based advocacy group which acts as a voice for children.
The organization works with policy-makers, communities, other
organizations and the public to improve the quality of life
for children and their families and to ensure that every child
in Michigan has an opportunity to become a healthy, productive,
and responsible adult.
The
Michigan Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Health and
Sports/Michigan Fitness Foundation
The Michigan Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Health
and Sports/Michigan Fitness Foundation is working to Get Michigan
Moving by promoting the health benefits of physical activity
and creating behavior changing programs that equip Michigan
citizens to lead physically active lifestyles. We are working
to prevent chronic disease and reverse the trend toward sedentary
living.
Skillman
Center for Children
The mission of the Skillman Center for Children is to enhance
the economic and social well being of urban children and their
families. We do this by informing, influencing, and facilitating
the strengthening of policies, best and promising practices,
and programs affecting children locally, regionally, nationally,
and globally. Our efforts focus on three areas of expertise:
economic security for families; family and community support;
and child resiliency and competence through safe families
and neighborhoods.
The
Skillman Foundation
The
Skillman Foundation, Detroit, has several resources posted
on its Web site, including results from its ongoing "Concerning
Kids" study, a two-year public-opinion survey of the
metropolitan Detroit area on topics such as education, youth
development, health care and crime and violence against children.
United
Way Community Services
United Way volunteers and staff work with local groups and
governments to develop and implement projects and programs
tailored to individual communities. United Way supports important
community initiatives, including the Special Summer Program,
which provides more than 120 summer programs for more than
11,000 youths each year, and the Campership Program, which
serves 4,000 individuals. UWCS recently conducted an assessment
of available afterschool programs and resources. UWCS also
runs Detroit
Kids Connection, a youth-centered Web site that provides
information on the availability and location of after-school
programs in the Detroit area.
The
Youth Connection
The Youth Connection is a project of the Greater Detroit Area
Health Council designed to improve the health and safety of
youth in metropolitan Detroit by reducing violence, substance
abuse and early sexual activity by increasing and strengthening
after-school programming. Focus areas are Detroit, Pontiac
and Mt. Clemens. Age-group focus is 10-17 years. Coordinates
Safe Night events, which are after-school conflict resolution
programs, and the Safe Streets Network designed to make school
routes safer. Youth Connection is one of 5 Urban Health Initiative
projects across the country funded by Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation.
Youth
Sports and Recreation Commission
The Commission works to support the positive development of
youth in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park by collaborating
with organizations and volunteers to increase and improve
out-of-school programs and services. YSRC helps facilitate
the renovation of recreation centers, provides youth job training,
provides assistance to community committees working to maintain
and improve parks, and involves youth in organized sports
activities.
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