For more than a decade, many researchers and practitioners have endorsed a "positive youth development" approach, which views adolescents as active contributors to their own development and as assets to their communities. As part of this shift, youth are increasingly being invited to engage in community governance. In youth…

In response to pervasive problems of low income, anticipated loss of employment in the textile industry, high dropout rates, high crime rates, and poor relationships among municipalities, Gaston County, North Carolina, has developed an innovative set of processes for promoting cooperation and facilitating leadership techniques. The Gaston System…