Transitioning out of sport is associated with many changes in an athlete's life that can be distressing and difficult to cope with. As a result, it is not uncommon for athletes to struggle with a variety of issues including a crisis of identity and loss of social support. Since many artistic athletes (e.g., gymnasts, figure skaters) peak at a…

Healthy psychosocial development during childhood is a key determinant to the future well-being of all individuals. In many areas of Africa, demand for psychosocial support continues to grow in response to the increasing number of children left orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. These orphans face various challenges and yet, in most…

Adults need certain capabilities to get and keep a job, provide responsive care for children, manage a household, and contribute productively to the community. When these skills have not developed as they should, or are compromised by the stresses of poverty or other ongoing adversity, our communities pay the price. But where do these capabilities…

Adolescence is an important time in human development. Teenagers spend much time questioning their core belief structures and developing the foundations of their identity. For students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT), this path of development is difficult in American schools because of strongly held homophobic…

Universities and graduate education are increasingly viewed as part of the emerging lifelong learning and education system and we see the evidence of this as the average age of graduate students increases. We are also seeing an increasing emphasis on education for employment in the lifelong learning and education literature, and this discourse is…

To use Lisbeth Schorr's term, children who are at risk for "rotten outcomes" are not randomly scattered throughout the society but are, rather, concentrated in impoverished neighborhoods. In recent decades, government policy and public opinion in the U.S. has reflected the belief that children who experience rotten outcomes are, at least…

Mentoring programs for youth have become increasingly popular interventions and are generally effective in promoting proteges' wellbeing and functioning. Building on recent efforts to understand the interpersonal mechanisms underlying mentoring relationships, the authors apply central concepts from attachment, social support and social learning…

In "Speaking of Faith," radio journalist Krista Tippett recalls the time when she began to recognize the hypocrisy and contradictions in the behavior of the people around her. Tippett's experience is not only far from unusual, it is formative. It led her to make some important decisions in her life, including the desire never to live a life of…

This article is the ninth installment of a series that chronicles the life of a fictional family--Amita and Samir, and their daughter with special needs, Anjali. This article looks back at the milestones in Anjali's life. It describes the transition processes she underwent from being a child to an adult. Now, married and pregnant with her second…

The role of social support in child welfare policy and practice continues to engender widespread debate. Yet the moral and philosophical underpinnings of this topical area have received less attention in the literature. This is of concern, not least because academic debates on the "politics of identity" have a significant contribution to make to…

The self-help movement currently sweeping the country has implications for health educators, school nurses, and counselors in particular. Despite the availability and reported success of self-help groups in assisting individuals with almost every imaginable condition, the referral value of this resource remains largely unrecognized and untapped by…

This paper briefly describes Chicago's Center for Successful Child Development (CSCD), an institution aiming to prevent school failure among disadvantaged children from low-income families by providing intensive, comprehensive support services to all born since January 1, 1987 to parents residing in the six buildings of the Robert Taylor Homes…

An activity called "validationgram" derived from Ishiyama's model of self-validation is described. It is a visual activity of mapping sources of validation in four domains: relationships, activities, things, and places. It is proposed that validationgram is useful in exploring client's world of meanings, feelings, and values. (JBJ)

The Central Nebraska Goodwill Industries Transition Model is a process initiated during the freshman year of high school. Involvement begins with assessment/evaluation activities culminating in development of a transition planning component to the Individualized Education Plan. The model includes development of a regional transition advisory…

A community school is more than a traditional school. It is a set of deliberately formed partnerships that provide the supports and opportunities that are important to students, families, and the surrounding community. Community partners can include health and social service agencies, family support groups, institutions of higher education, youth…