Why Community Matters: Connecting Education With Civic Life (Paperback)

by Nicholas V. Longo (Author)
Key Phrases: youth apprenticeship project, education writ large, citizenship group, Hull House, West Side, Jane Addams (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Provides a fresh perspective on the undeniable relationship between education reform and democratic revitalization. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover
Providing a new perspective on the undeniable relationship between education reform and democratic revitalization, Nicholas V. Longo uncovers and examines practical models in which communities play an essential role in teaching the art of democracy.

"Nicholas Longo tells the story of how real civic education goes on in a book that opens the door for concerned Americans to the many institutions that can and do shape the civic attitudes and skills of young people." -- David Mathews, President, Charles F. Kettering Foundation

"Longo's Why Community Matters is an outstanding work that unearths unknown connections between Hull House and Highlander Folk School, two pivotal community-rooted sites in America in the twentieth century, and their contemporary offspring, the Neighborhood Learning Community in St. Paul, Minnesota. It brings all these to life with vivid stories, gripping history, and a compelling interpretative framework that recasts `education for democracy' in citizen centered terms. This is a book of abundant hope, expressed through voices of new immigrants, organizers, young people, and educators of all kinds." -- Harry C. Boyte, Codirector, Center for Democracy and Citizenship, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota

"There is perhaps no more central question for the future of American society than how to educate for democracy. Longo's impressive and hopeful Why Community Matters persuasively makes the case that schools and communities must connect if schools are to succeed and America is to fulfill its democratic promise. Longo convincingly calls on schools, communities, and universities to act and give full attention to the democratic work of building democracy." -- Ira Harkavy, Associate Vice President and Director, Center for Community Partnerships, University of Pennsylvania

"Nicholas Longo provides the best contemporary argument for a crucial and often neglected idea. Schools alone cannot prepare young people to be effective and responsible democratic citizens. Civic development is a task for whole communities. The historical detail is fascinating and the conclusions are compelling." -- Peter Levine, Director, Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE)
"For anyone interested in educating young people to be active citizens, this gem of a book will be a source of inspiration. It reaffirms the power of educating students through their whole life experience and explicates a convincing theory of education as an ecological enterprise." -- Elizabeth L. Hollander, Tufts University --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press; illustrated edition edition (August 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791471985
• ISBN-13: 978-0791471982
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #848,998 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)