For many years, those who work in the mentoring field have wondered how they can extend the impact of their programs beyond the benefits experienced by young people they serve. There has been an increasing desire within our field to harness the power of mentoring to enable the youth served in a program to not just grow individually, but to…

Youth development programs often provide young people with science learning experiences. We argue for reframing youth science learning from a focus on individual scientific literacy to an emphasis on collective scientific literacy--"community science"--to support young people in using science to address issues in their lives and…

Mental health challenges for youth continue to be a growing concern. Youth-serving organizations have the potential to play a significant role in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges in youth. The Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training course is widely used to equip adults working with youth with skills to support…

Youths trained in intervention skills can help stop a suicide through effective communication and an empathetic response. Extension professionals and community partners developed a layered approach to teaching suicide intervention skills, involving school staff, other community-based adults, and youths in a consistent community training process.…

California's 4-H Youth Development Program has adopted an asset-based community development approach to extending programming with Latino youths and families. This approach entails learning and relationship building with local Latino communities and building on untapped existing resources, such as Latino-serving organizations and networks. Here we…

This toolkit was developed as a resource to help young people in juvenile corrections and treatment programs prepare for reentry and success in the community. The purpose of this guide is to encourage re-entry youth to begin thinking and planning for success at the earliest point possible while in placement. As such, the guide is organized into…

This article explores the interaction between popular culture, community-based education, and the establishment of a critically literate debate community, using the case of City Debate as one example of how critical literacy is embedded and taught through curriculum. Debate has historically been conceptualized as a structurally rigid space for…

American youths are becoming increasingly less physically active and have poor nutrition habits. Nationwide, less than one third of students reported achieving the recommended level of physical activity (one hour of exercise per day). In addition, most youths consume less than the recommended daily amounts of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.…

As the Director of LEAD, an affiliated center with the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES), the author and his colleagues have the opportunity to work with teachers and administrators to develop "Habits of Mind" and "Habits of Character" that focus expectations for students and teachers. Habits of Mind are aligned with Bloom's…

Youth of color represent the fastest growing segment of the U.S. child population and make up the majority of the youth population in about half of the 100 largest U.S. cities. Fear, along with inequitable access to social supports, opportunities, and experiences essential for healthy development, place this group at increased risk for poor health…

A significant challenge in honors education is providing experiences through which students deeply engage ideas and content so that their analytical abilities and core beliefs and values are transformed. The College of Charleston Honors College aimed to stimulate critical thinking and examination of core values through a more holistic approach to…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) helps museums and libraries preserve our cultural heritage, enhance learning and innovation, and develop staff capacities to provide the best in service to our communities. IMLS has a long-standing commitment to funding grants and sponsoring research on the subject of how both preschool and…

Identifying the voluntary activities, programs, and services that children and families use during students' out-of-school time as primary supports, this self-study guide provides a framework for developing primary support programs that allow school-aged children and adolescents to develop physical, cognitive, social, and emotional skills. The…

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…

Because of a lack of training, most adolescent mothers are not prepared to live independently. Accordingly, a learning program was designed to improve training for adolescent mothers to better prepare them for living independently. The learning program, implemented in 10 weeks, consisted of eight training sessions geared to the areas of basic life…