It has been estimated that 9 to 13% of children and adolescents have a mental disorder that causes significant functioning impairment and that only one fifth of those who need mental health services actually receive them. The majority of children and adolescents are enrolled in schools, where they spend a considerable amount of time, and this is…

Article discusses the After-School Girl's Leadership Program in Seattle designed to foster positive development in girls. Their ideas and concerns are at the center of the curriculum, and they are able to experience the power of positive peer support. The program empowers them to address the environmental concerns that impede development.…

While research on program effectiveness offers ample evidence that afterschool programs can benefit young people in a variety of ways, this same body of research demonstrates that not all programs are equally effective (Granger, 2008). Some programs show positive results in many or all major outcome categories. Other programs are associated with…

Although most American adolescents are psychologically, socially, and physically healthy, adolescence remains a time of considerable change and risk. To examine what works to promote well-being among America's adolescents, Child Trends reviewed contributing influences and programs that lead to positive behavior in seven areas: mental health,…

This bulletin explores the proximal risk factors for juvenile offending, reviews the early developmental precursors to violent offending, and summarizes approaches to prevention. It also discusses components of intervention programs, limitations of single-focus prevention, examples of multi systemic interventions, and limitations of prevention…

Three psychiatric teacher-counselors and five students from a residential mental health treatment facility for adolescents with behavior disorders were used to determine if consistent use of a 14-step planning strategy would result in student increases in academic performance. (Author)

Young African American males' role models are those in the entertainment and sports arenas. Few see themselves as scholars, contributing to the common good. To counteract teachers' low expectations of black males' performance, educators at Benjamin Tasker Middle School in Bowie, Maryland, established African-American Achievers, a program that…

This paper reports findings from a longitudinal study that investigated ways in which a comprehensive youth development program could support social and academic competence and reduce aggression in middle childhood for students living in public housing. Children residing in public housing complexes in southern California who participated in a 4H…

This report asserts that given the importance of families to a variety of positive youth outcomes and the emphasis placed on family involvement in federal law, young people should not be treated as "islands" by school and youth programs, separate from the context of their families. The report is the result of an analysis of over 100 evaluations of…

Project EXCEL, developed from a 2-year pilot study, provided college enrichment in reading, writing, and foreign languages for rising sophomores and sophomores in two inner-city high schools. One school had a predominantly black student body; the other had a student body that was 40% black. This study focused on the sources of equality and…

The Cornerstone Project was developed to build a strong foundation for urban adolescent student learning through staff development and student leadership development. This report summarizes its implementation and objectives and considers the responses of students and teachers. The program was developed at the Martin Luther King Law and Public…

This report was prepared to guide the New York Women's Foundation in its grant-making activities and to provide information for decision making regarding programming for girls in New York City (New York). The Foundation asked the Academy for Educational Development to report on the status of girls aged 9 to 15 by providing data on their…

This paper reviews the evolution of the Program for Disadvantaged Youth since 1988, describes its accomplishments and lessons learned, and suggests new directions for the Program to build on its experiences. The Program for Disadvantaged Youth rejects many of the stereotypes about the needs and abilities of young adolescents, many of which are the…

During the 1979-80 school year, the Old Bridge Township School District promoted and implemented a career education program. Its chief aim was to expand career education from the middle school into the elementary and special education divisions. The project was used as a vehicle to enhance career education, expand and involve elementary teachers,…

This volume consists of 10 chapters which emphasize the latest research and theories about family, school, and community prevention programs and health promotion programs to improve the health status of children during the next decade. The goal of the volume is to influence the nation's policies and practices regarding children's health by raising…