There is a movement afoot to turn every public school building into a “community learning center.” Use the buildings to supplement day school with programs in the afternoon and evening for children and adults. Nice idea. The question is what kind of programming gets offered.

Most schools in this game now look to fill this afternoon and evening space with social services –– mentoring programs, literacy programs, job training programs, programs, programs, programs.

Programs are fine, but there is a greater possibility that is available in walking distance of every school. That is the gifts and talents of neighbors. More programs do not build a neighborhood which is the village we need to support every family and raise our children.

Someone in every neighborhood knows how to sew, garden, fix things, write, pray, listen, train a dog, dance, sing, cook, play an instrument, hang wallpaper, make a birdhouse, do poetry, make money from the home.

In Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood, a community organizer named John has been knocking on doors, block by block, and asking people about what they know how to do and are willing to teach. He is a neighbor and discovered some with the skills of empathy, good listening, and faith. He also asks local people what home businesses he should know about in the neighborhood.

He now has a list of people willing to offer their talents to neighbors plus some businesses that others can support like carpentry, housekeeping, home repair, and basket making.

He also made a list of what people want to learn. The next step is to bring these people together. What John is doing is what schools themselves could do with a little local help. This would be a better way to make a school a community learning center. It would help children and neighbors become more useful to each other, and have all the other positive side effects that building neighborhood relationships have.

There are many communities who are getting involved and taking control of their future. If something like this is happening where you live, let us know.

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Peter Block co-authored the book “The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods.” He is a partner in Designed Learning, a training company that offers workshops to build the skills outlined in his books. He is the author of Flawless Consulting, Stewardship, The Answer to How Is Yes, and Community. He is the recipient of numerous awards, most recently the Organization Development Network’s 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award.

We at State of the Re:Union are getting into the school spirit just in time for the start of the academic season. For the second segment of the School Spotlight, SOTRU is taking a look at the issues surrounding the growing dropout rate and what initiatives are being done to combat this problem. The American Graduate initiative is a collaborative effort of CPB and other community-minded organizations.  This is a campaign to create more awareness about this troubling issue. This program will be implemented in 20 communities around the country (found on link above). Unlike many other graduation initiative programs that focus on high schoolers, American Graduate will concentrate on middle schoolers. The “middle child” of our school systems can sometimes be overlooked in regards to programs such as this, and it is this crucial time that will make or break a student’s school habits. During this developmental period, kids encounter countless obstacles and are easily influenced. Without the appropriate type of encouragement, their futures could easily derail the track leading to a high school graduation.

Since public media broadcasting stations are steeped in their communities, who better to deliver this urgent and pressing message on a local level? These stations understand how to reach stakeholders, and the men and women making up their city. They also understand the importance of delivering this message, rallying support and helping their communities coordinate efforts. Their attempts to reach at-risk children can also be seen in their programming. There is a long history of public media trying to assist the people of our nation in moving beyond hurtles keeping children back: poverty, immigration, and other obstacles associated with dropouts.

In addition to public media channels, this Dropout Prevention Awareness Campaign will blanket the airways with specials and shows highlighting this dilemma and what it means to us as a nation.  Dynamos, such as America Ferrera, Hill Harper and Aimee Garcia (among others) are standing at the forefront of this initiative. They are actively involved with and speaking out about the seriousness of how this is affecting our youth. Our nation’s graduation rate is right at 70 percent, and some communities are below that average. Growing dropouts rates will have a devastating impact on an already fragile economy, and that is something that we cannot afford. According to a report by American Graduate, high school dropouts will accrue our country a tab of more than $300 million in lost wages,  taxes and productivity.  This can lead to a rise in crime, drug use and homelessness. Our students, and our country, will benefit from making the connection between the relevancy of why school matters. Children need to learn the perks associated with graduating high school and venturing onto college. Yes, the monetary potential increases, helping drive our economy, but so does the level of confidence … and that is worth more than its weight in gold.

American Graduate is allowing each of the 20 “hubs” to come up with solutions that will work for their students. As practice and policy varies between regions, so does the way in which a child learns. (Hub list found on American Graduate site.) The teachers and administrators involved in this effort understand this and are working to customize programs that will offer the best solution for their community. This program will help engage communities and families in children’s school lives, a great way to reinforce the desire for success. To assist in further efforts to eradicate this problem, the National Center for Media Engagement is offering additional grants to as many as another 40 schools.

There are many people and organizations raising their voices in unison on the dropout rate, and we at SOTRU are listening. To assist in spreading the awareness, we will continue to investigate other initiatives and designed to combat a declining graduation rate. If you know of a program or initiative working to solve this problem in your community, we would love to learn about it.

In 1947 burglars broke into the Jackson County, Missouri Courthouse, blasted open a vault with nitroglycerine and made off with local election records. The crime was never solved, but everyone knew the purpose: to prevent the government from investigating allegations of widespread fraud in the 1946 Democratic Party primary.

It wasn’t obvious at the time, but the unsolved break-in (shades of Watergate) marked the dying gasp of a notoriously corrupt regime, a machine that had dominated Kansas City, Missouri, for decades. After that and some other outrages, a citizen committee formed to prevent the remnants of the machine from regaining a foothold in local affairs.

Kansas City won its first All-America City Award in 1950 for “forming a citizens committee to keep the rascals out.” They’ve won the award four more times since, making them one of a select group of five-time AAC winners.

Over the years, the focus of AAC, or rather the projects listed by the communities, has evolved along with mission of the National Civic League and the nature of the challenges facing American communities. During the 1950s, a central theme was fighting corruption and professionalizing city government. In the 1960s and 1970s there was more on race relations and redeveloping deteriorating urban areas. In the 1980s, the focus shifted to crime and youth gangs, the loss of manufacturing jobs and dealing with the consequences of rapid growth, and so on.

The idea of the award is that by recognizing and publicizing outstanding examples of civic accomplishment we could influence other communities to undertake similar efforts. We’re pretty proud of the way the program has worked in the past, but in recent years, we’ve begun to think about how we could use the award more strategically, not just to recognize things that have already happened, but to try to get communities to focus on particular challenges going forward.

In small ways, we’ve been doing this for years. A recent example: in 2010, Scott County, Kansas, was selected as a finalist for the award competition. The community sent a delegation of local worthies to plead their case in front of a jury of civic experts. The delegation came very close to winning, but fell short, partly because, as one of the jurors put it—where’s the diversity?

Like many other areas of the country, western Kansas had experienced rapid growth in its Latino population as more and more immigrants moved to join the local work force. But this growing diversity was not very well-reflected in their application or in the composition of their delegation.  “We took that to heart,” notes Katie Eisenhour, executive director of the Scott City Chamber of Commerce. “NCL called us on it. That’s when we really looked at our community and had the courage to have these conversations about our Hispanic community.”

That year, Southwest Airlines offered to pay for any finalist community that wanted to avail itself of NCL’s Community Success program, which helps convene community-based dialogues and civic engagement process. Scott City held its first Diversity/Multicultural Roundtable in November 2010. A Diversity Steering Committee has been meeting on a monthly basis. (Read more about the effort here.)

The committee has been hosting local events to bring together Latinos, Mennonites and other groups within the community. They developed a list of priorities, including after hours English-as-a second language classes, a resource center for newcomers, hiring bilingual employees in local businesses, encouraging a more diverse representation in local government and holding an annual multi-cultural event that would hopefully become a community tradition.

In 2011 they came back to the All-America City Award (this time as Scott City), making diversity and cultural understanding a central part of their presentation. The jurors were impressed enough to make them one of the ten winners selected last June, fittingly enough, in Kansas City.

We do this award for a reason. Sure, it’s a great event and its gives people a chance to network, exchange ideas and receive the recognition they deserve, but we also want to have a tangible influence on what’s going on in communities, which is one reason we decided to focus the 2012 award program one critical issue, K-3 reading proficiency and see if in partnership with a national coalition we could help move the dime on a critical issue.

It’s an experiment, and next year we will find out how well it works. In the meantime, you can read more about the 2012 AAC Grade Level Reading Award by linking here.

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Mike McGrath is senior editor and chief information officer for the National Civic League. A former newspaper reporter and magazine writer, he is editor of the quarterly National Civic Review, which will be beginning its centennial year of publishing this spring.

Mike’s posts will appear every Thursday on the State of the Re:Union website.

In many cultures, the home is a place where family gathers. It is common practice to have multi-generations living under one roof, unlike the typical American makeup of nuclear family unit. Many members of the extended family household will say that there is a feeling of safety, closeness and community in this given makeup.

This being said, it is no secret that Americans have become known for their independence; after all, that is main premise upon which the country was forged. Yet, it seems that all of this independence might not be the answer for some members of our nation.

As the Baby Boomer generation (making up a large portion of the U.S. age group) continue to experience better health and prolonged longevity –  their piggy banks are not. To help combat this trending issue, a group of senior men and women decided to do something to take preventative action. Home sharing, an idea originating from Denmark, is becoming a more common practice for this aging cohort, especially during the continued state of economic chaos. This solution is rapidly gaining in popularity among all who are involved, be they residents or family members of these seniors.

While senior-only co-housing might not be the solution for all, it is a perfect fit for a lucky few. Just ask the members of the Glacier Circle Community in Davis, California, an area of Sacramento. This co-share began in 2005, and was the first of its kind in America. The members of Glacier Circle share a bond, and it is for this reason that this community was conceived. Through pulling their funds together they were able to purchase an acre of land that serves as this unique home site. All decisions were made by the original members, from the paint colors to the admittance of future residents. The level of care and thought that has gone into this venture has certainly paid out for these seniors. There are a couple who have passed on, and another who relocated to a facility due to constant care needs. Glacier Circle remains steadfast in their commitment to each other and enjoy the freedom that this opportunity has afforded them.

Since Glacier Circles, four more similar senior communities have popped up. According to the Co-housing Association of the United States, 12 more of these senior-only co-housing structures are currently in the planning stages. The Glacier Circle residents welcome the living arrangements. They are allowed to enjoy their community without the rigidity of facility rules and stifling recreational times. These seniors have full control of their own time and activities. Another thing that they have control over is their freedom. Living in this type of community, the members have a built-in safety system. They have each other. So the worry of a loved one being alone is alleviated from children of these seniors, and the seniors themselves. To read more about this community, go to The Sacramento Bee.

The dynamics of the American family are changing exponentially. With the rapid growth of an aging American population and the rapid shrinking of family incomes, more and more middle-aged women and men are caring for not only children, but elderly parents. This can put a strain on all members of the family. Bearing in mind that we will all be seniors one day, what do you feel the best solution would be for you? Know of any other possible solutions out there? If so, send them our way.

As the 2012 presidential election draws closer, we are beginning to witness the trash talk and negative campaigning that we all have become familiar with in the past.

But this path assuredly will only deepen people’s disgust with politics and public life, and their belief that we cannot get things done in the country. And it ignores the basic fact that people hold genuine aspirations for their lives and communities that they want to act on and make real.

In interviewing people for our new Main Street study*, I am struck by people’s yearning to re-engage and re-connect with one another. They know that in these topsy-turvy times they cannot go it alone. They want to find a way to restore their belief that as individuals, and collectively, we have the ability to get things done.

So, before the candidates embrace the strategy of destruction, they should take a long hard look in the mirror and ask themselves a basic human question: “What do people fundamentally want in their lives, in public life, and from one another?”

I would ask each of us to do the same.

For going down the path of destruction may help to take down an opponent, but it will never serve to build up a community or the country. On this path, we may demonize and push each other into a corner, but we will never figure out our shared beliefs and work to improve people’s lives.

Let me be clear: I am not arguing for anyone to capitulate or be passive in today’s public square. Rather, I am calling for real leadership, in which, for now, we find even small ways to get this country moving on a better trajectory. In this regard, Washington, D.C. and our state capitals may be the last place where such positive movement occurs. But that doesn’t mean the rest of us must sit idly by and watch – and wait. Each of us can step forward now, turn toward one another, and start to demonstrate what is possible.

Maybe, then, our presidential candidates will see what we really want from them. And maybe then we will all feel like we’re moving the country in a better direction.

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*Main Street is a national study we are undertaking to inform a new “public life” report with the support of the Kettering Foundation called Citizens and Politics II slated to be published later this year. You can read Citizens and Politics I here.

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A dynamic public speaker, Rich Harwood is a frequent keynote for foundations and national organizations. He is an expert contributor on national and syndicated media outlets including MSNBC, NPR, The Christian Science Monitor, CNN’s Inside Politics, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Special Report with Brit Hume, C-SPAN, and many others. He is also the author of Hope Unraveled: The people\’92s retreat and our way back (2005), Make Hope Real: How we can accelerate change for the public good (2008) and numerous studies, articles and essays chronicling vital issues of our time. His most recent written work, Why We\’92re Here: The Powerful Impact of Public Broadcasters When They Turn Outward, is being published and distributed in Spring 2011. You can follow him on twitter @RichHarwood and facebook.com/richharwood.

You can read Rich’s posts every Tuesday on State of the Re:Union’s website.

We’ve heard the complaint a million times: social media ironically makes us less social. Though it keeps us up-to-date with each other, online networks can also isolate us behind computer screens and disconnect us from real life. Maybe that’s why Google+ has received so much hype for its group video chat feature, which allows people to actually see and hear each other as they communicate online. Personally, though, I’m even more excited about another lesser-known Website that’s going even further to put the social back in social media.  The site GrubWithUs.com is helping people get past their computer screen barrier and connect at the best possible place: the dinner table.

A Chicago start-up, GrubWithUs uses social media to organize dinners at local restaurants for strangers who want to meet new people. I first heard about the Website when I read a great New York Times article by technology reporter Jenna Wortham, who described her own experience with the service in New York.  After visiting the website and looking at a list of dinners in her city, she opted for Thai food and bought a ticket, which usually cost about $25.  GrubWithUs works with restaurants to coordinate a family style menu for its group dinners, and after making a reservation, guests show up to eat and socialize.

Two college friends named Diashin Sugano and Eddy Lu came up with the idea for GrubWithUs when they moved to Chicago to open a pastry shop and struggled to make new friends.  “We didn’t really know anyone there, and we went to bars and lounges and did the normal thing to make friends, and it was really hard to meet people,” Sugano told the Los Angeles Times this spring when GrubWithUs expanded to Los Angeles. “And one of the social settings where we, and we think most people, feel comfortable in is over dinner — it’s one of the oldest traditions out there.” The idea caught on quickly, and today GrubWithUs organizes dinners in Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., Boston, Seattle, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Austin.

As far as social media sites go, I think GrubWithUs is on to something good. It’s using modern technology to build community beyond our computers, and people are getting excited about it. As Wortham reports in her article, more than 10,000 people have registered with the Website since it began organizing dinners last August.

At the same time, part of me cringes to think that we actually need an online social network to meet people in our communities. I’m reminded of dating Websites like Match.com or eHarmony.com that are quite effective and popular for many people out there. In her article, Wortham asks, “Do we really need the Web to make friends?” and I’d like to believe the answer is no; we can meet people randomly on the streets or though other acquaintances without the assistance of Facebook, Foursquare or even GrubWithUs.

Still, while I hope that community building never depends completely on social media, maybe it doesn’t hurt to harness the Internet for that purpose. As long as we only use social media to complement – not control – our social lives, Websites like GrubWithUs are just another fun way to meet people. At the very least the new meal-based social network has sparked my curiosity, perhaps even enough to try it out myself.

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We want to know:
1.    What do you think of GrubWithUs? Would you ever register for a dinner with strangers?
2.    Do you think we rely too much on social media to meet new people?

This post was inspired by the New York Times article, “Focusing on the social, minus the media,” as well as the Los Angeles Times article, “GrubWithUs looks to take social networking from the Web to the dinner table.”