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…

MENTOR's newest resource takes the cornerstone best-practice guide for mentoring, the "Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring™," and offers research-backed and practice-based tips specifically for STEM mentoring programs. "The STEM Supplement to the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring™" provides additional…

Developing an online resource site for Extension master gardener (EMG) coordinators is an ongoing project for Extension collaborators. Begun in 2014, the website includes peer-reviewed resources focused on best practices in volunteer management and program administration. The website is organized according to nine resource categories (e.g.,…

MENTOR's cornerstone publication, the "Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring[TM]", details research-informed and practitioner-approved Standards for creating and sustaining quality youth mentoring programs and consequently, impactful mentoring relationships. This Fourth Edition, released in 2015, reflects the most up-to-date…

It is often noted that children spend most of their waking hours out of school. What they do during non-school hours is important, because access to high-quality learning, both in and out-of-school, is key to cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development. In the United States today, demand for after-school programs outstrips supply: 8.4…

Emphasizing the intersection of policy and politics, this paper uses Theda Skocpol's polity-centered approach (1992) to analyze two key moments in the history of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program: (1) 1998, when the program's budget grew from $40 million to $200 million; and (2) 2003, when President Bush attempted to cut…

As a strategy for helping young people succeed in school, work and life, mentoring works. It helps give young people the confidence, resources and support they need to achieve their potential. The fact is this: these positive outcomes are only possible when young people are engaged in high-quality mentoring relationships. The "Elements of…

Funders and program planners want to know: What does it cost to operate a high-quality after-school or summer program? This study answers that question, discovering that there is no "right" number. Cost varies substantially, depending on the characteristics of the participants, the goals of the program, who operates it and where it is located.…

Research on summer learning losses has unambiguous implications for America: all children need learning opportunities in the summer. But how and when policymakers, educators, and youth service providers will fashion appropriate programming are far less clear. At the root of this problem is the need to vastly increase, stabilize, and coordinate…

A three-step process for developing a program to help youth learn independent living skills is described. The steps are: (1) identifying and ranking specific skills; (2) developing curriculum packages; and (3) involving adults from the local community to help teach those skills to youth. A list of 20 independent living skills is offered along with…

This guide is a joint effort from the Forum for Youth Investment and the Finance Project designed to help decision makers and community leaders both learn the importance of a good children youth and families (CYF) resource map and lay out the process of creating or improving a CYF resource map of their own. The handbook has been designed to…

Asian American and Pacific Islander (A&PI) populations are seriously affected by substance abuse related problems. Culturally appropriate prevention resources for A&PI audiences on substance abuse issues remain a critical need. This resource guide provides information and referrals to help prevention specialists, educators, and community leaders…

The publication outlines the role of the Youth Development Program (YDP) director, a position which requires a positive relationship with the Community Action Agency (CAA) executive (through which the YDP is funded) and with the Youth Council in order to develop an effective program. The first of four sections of the guide describes the nature of…

This manual, designed for individuals, agencies, and organizations interested in preventing and intervening in youth violence, is a guide to guides, a map of resources on prevention and intervention. Development of the manual was guided by a number of prevention principles, chiefly, the belief that collaboration is essential for effective youth…

Prepared as a coordinators' manual for program development, this document discusses the employment and occupational education of disadvantaged youth. Also discussed are related topics such as recreation and arts, availability of transportation to and from work, and drug use and abuse. Still other sections of the manual are devoted to the role of…