Schools have long partnered with local organizations to support access to essential services like food, housing, or mental and physical health. Schools can build on wrap-around school models by helping students and families intentionally cultivate community relationships, skills, and knowledge, thus putting students on a path toward long-term…

Students with significant disabilities typically experience poor postschool employment outcomes. However, when provided opportunities to work and engage within their communities, they can gain necessary work-specific and workplace social skills to improve outcomes. This article outlines a six-step model for community-based employment programs…

To address the economic crisis facing the country, the President signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into law on February 17, 2009. The ARRA offers numerous opportunities for full-service school leaders and may provide the necessary funding to prevent significant decreases in operating budgets. One of the largest investments…

The school dropout rate is a problem which educators cannot solve alone. It will take a total societal effort to design solutions. This document presents the ideas and strategies discussed at a conference on dropout prevention attended by leaders of national education organizations. Theoretical as well as practical suggestions are given to begin…

Applicable to any school district or school interested in starting a family resource and support program, this guide provides help for both planning and implementation of family resource and youth services centers. It outlines the philosophy behind family resource and youth services centers and how that philosophy is to be reflected in all aspects…

Storytelling is the most powerful activity people can engage in to build community, because storytelling is how new empowering ideas are shared. Stories structure the inner landscape from which behavior is born. This guide to storytelling in the context of community building begins with a discussion of the importance of stories, with many…

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 booklet is designed to assist people in implementing strategies to prevent negative outcomes for children. The process starts with the individual, acknowledging an inside-out approach to change. The next component in the model is a set of research-based facts that promote resilience by focusing on strengths instead of deficits. What follows…

A handbook on the organizational structure and management practices of the Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. (LVA), is presented. An outline of LVA's structure and policies is presented as basic training for leaders before they begin the planning and operational phases. The activity of starting an affiliate is described with respect to interim…

A substantial knowledge base exists on reduction of tobacco use by youth. Effective prevention in this area can have major health and economic benefits. Information from research and prevention practice, organized by means of the Prevention Enhancement Protocols System (PEPS), is provided in the form of guidelines and recommendations for planning…

When it comes to conducting an underage drinking prevention program, most people think of the planning and implementation activities that are needed. The one question many do not answer, however, is how will the organization obtain the funding that is necessary for those planning and implementation activities, particularly over the long-term. An…

This planning guide is designed to help communities answer important questions about programs to address youth violence, including finding out the types of programs that are effective and learning how to implement them. The guide is divided into four sections. Section 1, "Key Facts about Youth Violence," presents key facts about youth violence…

Planning and implementing successful community-based social integration experiences for infants and toddlers with multiple disabilities require consideration of such issues as the developmental needs unique to this age-group, family needs and concerns, health and safety considerations, and training needs of staff. (JDD)

The team member's collaborative planning guide and leader's handbook are designed to help the reder work effectively with others to improve career related opportunities for handicapped persons in the community by addresssing and overcoming common barriers to interagency collaboration. The leader's handbook offers guidelines for conducting four…

This guide is intended to share knowledge about the Hispanic/Latino community with Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) grant recipients and to help them develop effective prevention services responsive to the communities they serve. The guide: (1) highlights specific characteristics of the Hispanic and Latino communities that affect…