A Citizen's Handbook for Evaluating Community Impacts: an Experiment in Community Education
Four nonmetropolitan communities were selected for an experimental community education program designed to train local citizens in the general procedures of economic impact research. It is argued that citizen participation is enhanced by a fuller understanding of the technical content of the planning problem at hand and that this understanding is best developed through involvement in a citizen research process prior to policy formulation. The experiment was only partially successful. A handbook was developed that is easily used by lay persons to make impact estimates, but a broad base of citizen involvement in research could not be developed. Community interest was strongest in places anticipating impacts in the near term. Retirees, citizens who could receive specific immediate benefits, and local planners and managers emerged as the best community analysts.
Economic base theory and applied geography
Economic base theory belongs to both economics and geography. The theory per se belongs to economics but it is geographers who have brought it to life by tieing it to real places and their economic landscapes. This paper identifies seven economic development problems commonly faced by development practitioners and illustrates how “best practice” solutions can be drawn from economic base studies. A number of studies are used to illustrate problems and approaches but two are featured; one is a regional economic base study that looks at both a large rural region and at five individual communities within the region. The other is a study of a single community that was initially completed in 1974 and replicated three times between 1974 and 1995.
Science fairs as learning tool for teaching excellence
Science fairs are usually considered to be a pedagogical and cultural activity that involves the students actively. Gifted students need challenges to further develop their skills while maintaining the motivation level. Science fairs may provide the informal environment that will request and allow these students of excellence to challenge themselves by developing a scientific research project. Despite being well known in different countries, in Portugal first steps are being made on the use and implementation of science fairs as effective pedagogical tool. In this work, we will present a 4 years study that was developed on a Portuguese school with the main goal of evaluating the advantages of this informal way of teaching. The study includes an analysis of the evolution of the students’ knowledge that have participated, or visited, the different science fairs. Some advices for the implementation of these projects will be given. The motivation of the students was monitored as well as the knowledge and skills effectively improved by this activity.