In late 1999, philanthropist Susie Buffett wanted to make the smartest possible investment to improve public education in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. She and her then-foundation president, Dan Pedersen, spoke with Superintendent John Mackiel regarding how he would choose to use private funds to enhance opportunities for Omaha's 46,000…

This report summarizes the efforts and successes of the Youth as Resources (YAR) initiative, a program that offers youth empowerment and leadership in community service. It utilizes all youth in an effort to address any social or community issue deemed important to a local area and provides opportunities for a wide range of agencies to host or to…

This report examines the issues associated with school-to-work programs being developed in the U.S. and provides recommendations designed to facilitate the process of developing a national school-to-work initiative. It stresses the nation's increasing need for better-educated workers but notes the low rate (less than 50 percent) of high school…

This guide was designed to help policy makers, administrators, program planners, and managers find answers to their questions about improving the quality of their services and addressing the changing needs of young people in their communities. Information is provided on more than 100 nonprofit organizations, government agencies, research centers,…

This color-coded manual is a guide for local Michigan school districts and schools to meet the needs of children at risk, listing programs from across the state and designated information contact persons within each district. A foreword notes that the manual was developed from a statewide survey of all school districts designed to identify…

There is a lack of information about the problems of underclass people and the effects of their situation on their children. Views on this issue were sought from young corporate and community leaders. The responses showed a high level of concern and a need for more knowledge about the effectiveness of early intervention programs for these…

This report examines the Chapter 1 program's impact at school and classroom levels, strategic directions for Chapter 1 reauthorization, the larger context of school poverty as it influences Chapter 1 delivery, the operation and effectiveness of Chapter 1, and new directions for improving Chapter 1 in line with national reforms. How well Chapter 1…

This report profiles 12 programs conducted as part of the Hitachi Foundation's Partnerships in Economic and Educational Opportunity Initiative. The introduction and overview explain the goals of the initiative, which was undertaken to improve the economic and career options available to young people who have traditionally been underserved by…