Background: The current global cohort of youth has been called "a generation at-risk", marked by a dramatic rise in youth who are not in employment, education or training programmes. In 2010, youth were three times as likely as adults to be unemployed, with youth unemployment worsening in 2012 and 2013. Accordingly, there is an urgent…

This paper reviews research and theory relating to aspirations for higher education as a cultural capacity. Understanding the social and cultural dimensions of aspirations for higher education is important as they are increasingly becoming part of social commentary and more recently educational policy, research and practice. This paper synthesises…

Afterschool programs such as tutoring and school-based or community-based programs have effectively functioned as prevention and intervention programs for children at risk. This literature review focuses on afterschool mentoring programs for children at risk. The purpose of reviewing the literature was to (a) determine the breadth and scope of the…

This review concerns the influences of the community on learning. These influences are numerous and complex, and include family, culture, and local customs. This review analyzes representative cross-sections of the literature within three domains: community constructs, the program literature, and the research literature. (BW)

Describes and analyzes an intervention program with social workers living and working in a situation of uncertainty created by political violence, such as war and terrorism. Uses a social constructionist perspective as a theoretical framework, emphasizing the effect of the social and political context in constructing the experience and a…

Protective factors that contribute to the development of resiliency in children, defined as "unusually good adaptation in the face of severe stress, and an ability of the stressed person to rebound to the prestress level of adaptation," are discussed. The biological, psychological, familial, and social factors related to disadvantages…

Local school systems, Local Education Agencies [LEAs], and universities, Institutions of Higher Education [IHEs], work together in a variety of ways in the initial preparation and ongoing professional development of teachers, although it is difficult to ascertain the number of LEA/IHE partnerships. These relationships typically allow for a…

This discussion of social and political aspects, advantages and disadvantages of distance education programs includes descriptions and examples of delivery technologies and programs in developing and developed countries. Among the social aspects considered are distance education's potential to provide a second chance to people who are trapped by…

Examines the conflicting views in the literature on the effects of prenatal exposure to drugs and reports on an early intervention project in a New York City agency. The rate of developmental delay was found to be virtually the same for children with and without prenatal exposure to drugs. (TJQ)

This paper presents the theoretical base and operational design of a neighborhood-based primary prevention program that seeks to enhance the development of very young children by focusing on the role of parents' social networks in supporting early child-rearing. Efforts to strengthen parents' involvement in and utilization of an informal network…

This paper offers a synthesized review of the literature on student peer facilitator programs, in order to investigate and substantiate many of the ways in which peer facilitator programs extend and strengthen a guidance counselor's mission in the school. After an introductory discussion of the foundations and goals of successful peer facilitator…

The report by the President's Committee on Mental Retardation reviews the current state of knowledge in the area of biological and environmental prevention of mental retardation and describes programs on the frontiers of research or service delivery. Section I examines programs that are effectively preventing mental retardation through biomedical…

Discusses the importance of environmental and emotional considerations in medical care. Outlines the basic principles of holistic health care and provides a rationale for a campus-based center. Describes an existing holistic student health service and proposes a basic program for a campus holistic health clinic. (RC)

Discusses public programs related to maternal employment including Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Reports on economic and social forces which discourage employment of mothers outside the home. Describes programs dealing with barriers to maternal employment. (RC)

In response to increased interest in interdisciplinary and liberal arts emphases in professional education programs, the University of Colorado has reorganized its nursing education program structure into a core academic unit and four major divisions, and has proposed that the first professional nursing degree be post-baccalaureate. (MSE)