This article discusses concepts related to character strengths and positive youth development and how these ideas can be applied to improve outcomes among gifted young people. A theory with roots in public health, The Theory of Triadic Influence (TTI), is discussed with examples applied to gifted populations. Practitioners and researchers from…

MENTOR's cornerstone publication, the "Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring[TM]", details research-informed and practitioner-approved Standards for creating and sustaining quality youth mentoring programs and consequently, impactful mentoring relationships. This Fourth Edition, released in 2015, reflects the most up-to-date…

Out-of-school time (OST) settings are powerful contexts for youth development when programs and services are intentionally designed. "Youth Development Principles and Practices in Out-of-School Time Settings" increases the capacity of students and professionals to facilitate youths' optimal transition to adulthood through maximizing the…

This booklet presents practical ideas and suggestions intended to help adults develop and support alcohol abuse prevention projects for youths. The first of five major sections considers the following topics: realistic goals for a prevention program; effective prevention approaches; key factors in achieving a working relationship with teenagers;…

A description is provided of Cuyahoga Community College's (CCC's) Jesse Owens Youth Development Program, a comprehensive year-round combination of courses, programs, and activities for inner city young people between the ages of 11 and 21. Following introductory comments on the program, the beginnings of CCC's youth development program are…

This brief summarizes the importance of professional development, identifies core competencies for youth workers, highlights professional development training delivery models, and sets fourth next steps for professional development that can benefit youth programs. Programs often attribute their success to effective youth workers, and research…

The Peace Corps Programming and Training System (PATS) manual is designed to help field staff members of the Peace Corps train volunteers. This supplement to the PATS manual was developed to provide complementary information about key aspects of Peace Corps programming and training for youth development. It is intended for individuals involved in…

This manual is a guide to setting up a project to work with disadvantaged urban youth. It is based on the Dalston Youth Project, an English program that combines mentoring with an education program to reconnect young people to mainstream education, training, and employment opportunities. The manual is designed to be used by statutory bodies,…

This technical assistance guide is designed to expedite the implementation of partnerships between vocational education and community-based organizations (CBOs) as called for in the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984. It is probably most useful as a resource for local training activities related to CBO/vocational education/Job…

With much to offer rural girls as well as much to learn from them, Girl Scouting is trying to reach more girls and adults in rural areas. The challenges include economic setbacks for farming, unemployment, isolated populations, and changing rural culture. Along with the challenges are the many resources of rural areas and the congruence between…

This booklet is designed to give Peace Corps country directors, staff, and volunteers ideas and examples of how they can assist youth-at-risk through government agencies and private organizations working with youth in their host countries. It begins with an overview of the problems of youth-at-risk, followed by six scenarios. Each scenario is…

Children of immigrants are an important and growing part of American society, and they have an increasingly vital role to play in the future of this country. Those arriving in the U.S. as immigrants or refugees, as well as those born here to at least one immigrant parent, currently make up more than 20% of all children and youth in this country.…

Extension educators teach the same information to disadvantaged youth and their families as to any other audience, and those being helped are just as willing to learn. The difference is that families with limited resources have many barriers that slow the process of change to self-sufficiency. As extension educators plan and implement programs,…

Intended as a planning and implementation aid for European political decision makers and organizers of projects that train and employ disadvantaged young people, this document consists of three sections. The first section systematically elaborates on major planning areas (objectives, pedagogy, integration into employment, staff qualifications, and…

Fifteen national organizations involved in research, policy analysis, and/or implementation of state youth education and employment activities are described. This directory is intended to be a resource for persons responsible for adjusting programs to the requirements of the new federal employment and training legislation, the Job Training…