In some countries, the scale of the youth illiteracy problem calls for critical and targeted responses. It is important to help young people in developing countries gain basic literacy skills so that they can contribute to the development of productive, peaceful, and democratic societies. While national commitments and support are important, the…

Because researchers know so much more about the brain and development than they did when the 20th-century U.S. education system was designed, this knowledge can now be used to design a system in which all individuals are able to take advantage of high-quality opportunities for transformative learning and development. This playbook suggests a set…

Detailing the integration of Spanish language teaching in an authentic setting, this article contributes to empirical research on the positive value of community-engaged learning in foreign language pedagogy. "Reading to Play, Playing to Read" is an innovative model for community-engaged teaching that combines learning goals from…

This case describes an ongoing effort to develop and implement an innovative developmental evaluation framework to support a community-based youth violence prevention system in Seattle, Washington, called the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative. This initiative began in 2009 in response to several gang-related homicides, and now serves…

Intended to enhance adult leadership skills, the 4-H Debate Project, developed by the 4-H Communication Committee of Delaware County (Pennsylvania), was designed to (1) increase the members' knowledge of library skills through research, (2) make them aware of current issues, (3) help them to become better public speakers and communicators, (4)…

An overview of the Far West Laboratory (FWL) version of Experience-Based Career Education (EBCE) is presented to acquaint potential adopters with the distinctive features, key roles, learning procedures of the Far West model, and its adaptability to local needs. (Core areas of the FWL-EBCE in which all students are expected to progress are career…

This package of handbooks on the Far West Laboratory version of Experience-Based Career Education provides information on the distinctive features of the Far West model. Part 1 on management has four handbooks: program overview; administration (attendance, budget, insurance and liability, schedules, staff, troubleshooting and problem solving);…

An examination of hundreds of studies on the use of volunteers in mentoring programs, service programs, and local community change initiatives highlight the importance of screening, training, and volunteer management. Each year, more than 90 million Americans contribute more than 20 billion volunteer hours. Personal benefits of volunteering…