The Policy Research Action Group (PRAG) in Chicago is soliciting applications from graduate students and advanced undergraduates (junior or senior level) who are interested in working at a neighborhood level with a community-base organization. Applicants may come from any school. The CBO based job will be in the Chicago area.

The application deadline for students is June 6, 1997. The research job will begin in September, 1997.

For the application form, please contact Karen Ide at 312-915-8622.

Attached is a general blurb about PRAG.

Please visit our web page for more information about PRAG: http://www.luc.edu/depts/curl/prag/

****************************************************************** Loomis Mayfield Direct: 312-915-8625 Research Coordinator Fax: 312-915-7770 Policy Research Action Group Main #: 312-915-8622

Lewis Towers - 10th Floor Internet address: 820 N. Michigan Ave. lmayfie@orion.it.luc.edu Loyola University - Chicago Chicago, Illinois 60611 PRAG Web Page address: http://www.luc.edu/depts/curl/prag/ *******************************************************************

The Policy Research Action Group

PRAG is a collaborative partnership between four universities (Loyola University, University of Illinois at Chicago, DePaul University, and Chicago State University) and over 15 community organizations. It is a key link for helping community groups access university resources to address urban problems. It represents the cooperation that is crucial for effective community work. Through PRAG, community organizations and universities are working together as equal partners in facing serious problems in our communities.

PRAG provides support for community based organizations (CBOs) to develop a collaborative relationship with academic institutions and personnel. Four Community Partnership projects are conducted between the university partners and community groups around the individual campus areas. PRAG also helps CBOs develop research projects to help them in their mission and helps to identify academic faculty interested in the same subjects. PRAG offers a variety of other venues for CBOs and academic people to interact, such as: workshops in an on-going research institute; working seminars to discuss specific topics of interest to CBOs; conferences to develop new research agendas.

PRAG has organized Working Groups to focus on specific subject areas. Community-based organization staff and university faculty work together to develop strategies to apply research findings. Five Working Groups are in operation on adult education and workforce preparation; alternative community economic development; citizen political participation and empowerment; urban diversity in residential patterns; and the urban environment.

PRAG is funded primarily by grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Its organizational structure includes eight co-chairs and a Core Group of about 30 people, from academic institutions and CBOs.

PRAG has a World Wide Web page with information on our activities and links to pages of other community groups. The new Web address is: http://www.luc.edu/depts/curl/prag.

For more information or to make sure your group is on our mailing list, contact us at:

Maureen Hellwig, Program Coordinator Policy Research Action Group Lewis Towers - 10th Floor 820 N. Michigan Ave. Loyola University - Chicago Chicago, Illinois 60611 Main Number: 312-915-8622 FAX Number: 312-915-7770