Evening star., 1927-03-24
VIDE EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAM PLANNED
National Community Founda-
ton Seeks to PopuIarize
Culture.

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK. March 34--Plans for
new approach to the public mind.
which IL was declared "wili reverse
the traditional method OF education
and begin with what people want tu
know, rather than what others think
! they should be taught, were an
nounced as the underlying policy OF
the National Community Foundation,
which has been organized for the pur-
pose of promoting a Nation'wide pro-
gram Of popular education ana cui-
ture for the town and country com
munities.
The announcement was made by
DR.. :. ParIses Cldnan. Gen. Samuei
McRoberts. win Irwin and Albert Ed
ward Wiggam, the New York commit
tee, in making public the first formal
statement of policy adopted Dy the
trustees of the foundation.
The statement of the board. which
includes among it's members otto ~
Kahn, Mrs. Medill Mccormick. Charles
+. Jenkins and Paul NJ. Pearson, de-
clares that it is the foundations in
tent "to bring TO popular education.
both for adults and children, new
point of view" and that. in using
Chautauqua as an agency II VIII en-
deaYor to change the educational
well as to improve its program.
Will Start i'm 633 Places.
1.-THE methods used" the trustees
declared, will not be merely TO I'M
part information, or to provide enter
tainment, but to develop intellectual
curiosity and cultural appetite, and
to encourage and direct the impulse
for f-expression--both individual
and community self-eXpression."
The National Community Founda-
tion's first project is to be worked
| out in 633 communities IN IA States
now served by the Swarthmore Chau-
tauqua Association and calls for an
endowment OF S5.000.O00 This pro-
gram is to be projected later through
| out America.
The statement of the board of trus-
| tees reveals the definite plans for Inn
| proving the actual chautauqua pro
| gram. Lectures are to be given by
men who speak with authority on
| subjects that Immediately concern
the individual and the community
| Not one lecture but a series will be
| given on one subject.
| Basing it's year-round service on
the vitalizing effect of personal con-
! tact. the foundation plans, according
| to the statement of the trustees, to
| supplement the work done during he
| chautauqua program with an extern
| sion. educational and cultural depart
, ment. Under the supervision of an
| educational director and his staff of
! trained assistants, extension repre-
| sentatives with the broadcast educa-
| tional background will follow up the
| inspiration gwen and the aspirations
developed during chautauqua week.
Information Service Planned.
| The foundations program calls for
new type of education by CORE
| spondence, so that it's year-round
| service may be complete and not de-
! pendent alone on the visits of chau-
| tauqua or its extensive representa-
| tiVes.
| The foundation. it was said, will
maintain central information service
| which will direct groups or individuals
/ TO reliable sources of information such
as public libraries, university exten-
| sion courses and the American
| Library Association. 1t will compile
and make available lists of books and
material needed by the local study
| groups, and its program calls for the
| founding of a loan library"
A committee of experts. composed of
DIR. S. Josephine Baker, o. III. Benson,
| Elbert X. Fretwell and Owen r. Love
| joy, has prepared the foundations
| program to meet the children's needs
| in the towns and small cities. The
| name given to the work of this de-
partment is Junior Town"