Rural communities face incredible challenges and emerging opportunities. Land-grant universities are well-positioned to assist by developing new approaches to inspire university students to become civically engaged, rural community members. With this aim, the Rural Scholars program at Oklahoma State University was developed as an opportunity for…

Background: A small group of transition-aged students with intellectual disabilities participated in a short-term summer work experience programme under the mentorship of a job coach. Methods: Dyadic interview technique was used to identify student and mentor participants' perceptions of student participant work motivation pre- and post-programme.…

This study investigates how participating in a teacher externship program increases the awareness of how effective communication plays a critical role in an industry-based environment. It also studies the teacher participants' commitment to changing their classroom practices as a result of acquiring this awareness. The program of focus, the…

Early work experiences predict future employment for youth with visual impairments, particularly when youth find jobs independently, but research has not supported the efficacy of sponsored work for this population. The most effective work experience programs include additional components such as job search assistance, and job search interventions…

The article describes a program providing summer jobs for the vocational preparation of nine moderately and severely retarded adolescents. The program combined an emphasis on realistic instruction in skills directly applicable to employment situations with Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) services to provide fully paid community…

The reports in this volume concentrate on various aspects of the 1978 program designed to meet the employment needs of disadvantaged and minority youth in urban areas. Included are process evaluations, worksite examinations, impact studies, a General Accounting Office report with Department of Labor comments, specialty reports such as the study on…

This report presents a broad overview and assesses the effectiveness of the summer 1984 pilot of the Summer Training and Education Program (STEP). Chapter I provides a general introduction. These three program objectives are cited: increase participants' level of achievement, increase their ability to make responsible decisions about sexual…

Assessed in this report is the Department of Labor's Summer Program for Economically Disadvantaged Youth. It is asserted that the future employability of many of the most needy youths was not improved because the Department's efforts to assure that State and local governments were operating quality programs were not successful at the sites visited…

Now that basic skills have been linked to the economic prosperity of the country, businesses have become concerned about improving the basic skills of young people. A promising approach is the Summer Reporter Project conducted in Wisconsin as part of the summer programs of the Job Training Partnership Act. The program has three main elements: (1)…

This report provides background and data from an investigation of New York City's summer youth employment program. It concludes that the program was poorly planned and poorly administered by both the Department of Labor and the city. Although some of the worksites visited were providing useful work experience to enrolled youths, over half of the…

SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO (1) OFFER YOUTH WHOLESOME, INCOME-PRODUCING ACTIVITY WHILE THEY ARE OUT OF SCHOOL, (2) GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH JOBS AND WORK, (3) LET THEM EXPLORE VOCATIONAL POSSIBILITIES, AND (4) TEACH THEM SOMETHING OF THE EXPECTATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS OF EMPLOYERS, AS WELL AS THEIR…

This report describes the summer occupational/vocational programs held in each of three vocational school districts and it compiles activities in the regular school districts in Delaware for fiscal year 1991. The three vocational-technical school district programs profiled are those of Kent County, Sussex County, and New Castle County. For each…

The Summer Training and Education Program (STEP) research demonstration was initiated in 1984 to test the effects of a two-summer remediation, work, and life skills intervention on the lives of 14- and 15-year-olds from poor urban families who were already seriously behind academically. The program provided youth with half-day summer jobs combined…

Project STAR I, a summer program administered by the Indianapolis Public Schools, provided over 400 economically disadvantaged young people (16 to 21 years old) with supervised work/intern experiences and career education activities designed to promote career development and continued academic pursuit. The project had three basic components: STAR…

The 1983 Indianapolis Project STRIVE was designed to address the problem of youth unemployment while increasing opportunities for career education, enhancement of self-esteem, and the development of leadership skills among older adolescents, 16 to 21 years of age. Concurrently STRIVE was designed to provide elementary students with instruction in…