Doing it with the Cube: A New Conceptualization of Community Education.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper describes a community education model which represents one aspect of developmental efforts with a community education evaluation project undertaken in Kanawha County, West Virginia. It begins by reviewing relevant community education literature which, together with local data sources from Kanawha County, was used as a foundation for the model. A description follows of the conceptual model (Cube) for community education which reflects the nature of a community education program. This discussion details the interaction of three program dimensions (parameters, environment, and processes) and how the dimensions influence community education results (outcomes and impacts). The three dimensions are defined and explained in terms of their components. Program outcomes and impacts are then addressed in terms of specific results. Using one community education program outcome--community involvement--as the basis, the model's interactive nature is then demonstrated. The paper concludes with a brief note on the Cube's generalizability to urban, suburban, and rural community education programs. (YLB)