COMMUNITY EDUCATION PRINCIPLES

1. Self-Determination - Local people are in the best possible position

to determine what they need and want and, to the degree possible, they

should be empowered to make those decisions that affect them, their

families and their communities.

2. Localization - Those services, programs, events and other community

involvement opportunities that are brought closest to where people live

have the greatest potential for high levels of public participation. To the degree possible, such activities should be decentralized to

locations of easy public access.

3. Self-Help - People are best served when they have the capacity to

serve themselves and people should be encouraged to assume

ever-increasing responsibility for their own well-being thereby building

independence and interdependence rather than dependence.

4. Integrated Service Delivery - Those organizations and agencies that

operate for the public good can better utilize their limited resources,

meet their own goals, and better serve the public through the proactive

involvement of their respective constituencies as well as through active

cooperation and collaborative relationships with those other

organizations and agencies with related purposes.

5. Maximum Use of Resources - The physical, financial and human

resources of every community must be interconnected and utilized to

their fullest if the diverse needs and interests of communities are to

be met.

6. Inclusiveness - The segregation of people by virtue of age, income,

sex, race, ethnicity, religion or other factors inhibits the full

development of the community. Thus, community programs, activities and

services should involve the broadest possible cross section of community

residents.

7. Institutional Responsiveness - Public institutions have been created

to serve people and they have a responsibility to develop their

respective programs and services around the continually changing needs

and interests of their constituents as defined in concert with these

same constituents.

8. Lifelong Learning - People learn from birth to death and both formal

and informal learning opportunities should be provided for people

throughout their lives in a wide variety of community settings.

9. Leadership Development - The identification, development and

utilization of the leadership capacities of local citizens is a

prerequisite to the full development and empowerment of any community.

Thus, all community education efforts should incorporate a leadership

development strategy.

INDEX

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