Rita Atkinson was stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide—no access to a computer or the Internet, and no idea how to use the technology anyway—when she learned about a program run the East Capitol Center for Change in Washington, DC. Now, Atkinson is teaching a computer class at the center.

By transforming a neighborhood blight into a nurturing pre-school for Latino children, a group of parents and teachers in Denver, Colorado have shown that community effort can improve the lives of children—and brighten a whole neighborhood. Connect for Kids' director Cecilia Garcia explains how the Family Star Community Center was born.

Starting your own organization sounds like a daunting challenge, but plenty of members of the Connect for Kids community have done it. Here's a list of useful resources and information, taken from our discussion boards.

Volunteerism and community involvement are at an all time high in our country—so why is it that voter turnout is lacking? Two child advocates argue that children learn how to be good citizens when families set good examples.

Lawn signs sprouting like mushrooms, candidates staking out your neighborhood supermarket--sure signs that local elections are coming up. Margaret Brodkin, executive director of Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth in San Francisco, offers advice on seizing the moment to bring children's issues to the forefront.

In June 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that a Texas high school's practice of broadcasting student-led prayer before football games is unconstitutional—a ruling based in large part on the landmark 1963 school prayer case, School District of Abington Township v. Schempp. For the children behind that original case, now fully grown, this latest decision brings back memories of the pain and pride they felt during a battle that profoundly changed the climate of the nation's public schools.

Former editor Richard Louv looked at why so many children today lack opportunities to explore, play and dream in the natural world—and what they have lost as a result. This time, he offers suggestions for bringing children back to nature.

Reid Kellam and Willie Conaghan, two best friends in Bethesda, Maryland, celebrated their birthdays together with a big sports party that netted five boxes of sports equipment for a local children's home. Give-away parties are fun and easy to organize. Susan Kellam explains.

Helping kids get back to nature can be a community activity. Artist Rusty Keeler designs playgrounds with the help of families, educators and our natural surroundings.

For years, children's advocates have been working to make health care understood as a public problem with public solutions. Susan Bales explores the challenges to building public will for policies that ensure better health for all children and families.