An investigation of the community schools affiliated with the National Center for Community Education, Flint, Michigan, U.S.A

Hancock, Russell Bernard (1974) An investigation of the community schools affiliated with the National Center for Community Education, Flint, Michigan, U.S.A. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The purpose of the internship was to develop administrative skills in the community school framework and to investigate the possibilities of the community school for the Newfoundland school system. Evidence appears to show that a wide gap exists between Newfoundland schools and the communities they supposedly serve. Furthermore, present educational structures may be counter-productive to the real needs of most Newfoundland communities. -- Objectives, and strategies to implement the objectives were formulated prior to the start of the internship, but strategies were modified during the course of the experience. The dominant activities engaged in were attendance at a Community Education workshop, study of a Voluntary Action Centre, and association with a community school director and a community school principal. -- 'Community school' is a term which is often confused with 'Community Education'. 'Community Education' is a philosophy which emphasizes 'process' in providing educational services and opportunities to the total community. The community school is one alternative to implementing the Community Education philosophy. -- Operating the year round and sixteen hours per day and more, the community school caters to the young and old through programs designed to meet the needs of all community members. Followers claim that the community school enhances community spirit which can eventually result in the solution of major problems afflicting the community today. -- While any organizational structure cannot be simply transplanted from one social context to another, there is reason to believe that some aspects of the Flint community schools could benefit Newfoundland education. Extending the use of community facilities and resources, including the school, to the entire community for longer periods, and providing more program options with life-relevant experiences could lead to richer school-community relationships. -- The approach to the internship was in terms of the intern's strengths and weaknesses. Objectives and strategies were designed to overcome lack of understandings of the community school and its administration with a view to assessing the implications of that educational structure for Newfoundland. While some conclusions can be arrived at and some recommendations made, the internship was not the means whereby an extensive and comprehensive study of the community school's applicability for Newfoundland could be obtained. The objectives and strategies chosen were appropriate for the intern's growth and satisfaction is expressed with the outcome of the experience.

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